• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

State Might Meld High School Tests

Posted on: Wednesday, 31 May 2006, 15:00 CDT

By Janese Heavin, Columbia Daily Tribune, Mo.

May 26--State education officials are considering a high school testing package that would include the college-entrance ACT exam and portions of the Missouri Assessment Program, or MAP, test.

Earlier reports that the ACT would replace the MAP altogether might have been oversimplified, said Jim Roberts, a spokesman for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

"MAP currently has a multiple choice portion called the Terra Nova," he said. The ACT, "in effect, would replace that portion."

The Missouri State Board of Education is considering a proposal to give the ACT or another college exam to all 11th-graders who now take the MAP test. The goal is to get high schoolers to take the performance test more seriously.

Students might prepare more for the ACT tests because they know colleges and employers look at the scores, but the MAP scores have little consequence for students. MAP tests are high stakes for districts, however, because they determine whether schools meet No Child Left Behind federal proficiency standards.

The MAP "didn't have the impact we'd hoped early on," Deputy Education Commissioner Stan Johnson told the board. "ACT is relevant. Parents get the ACT composite score, and it means something to them."

If the state opted to use both the ACT and components of the MAP, students would know the difference, Morris said. He declined to speculate whether that would defeat the purpose of motivating students to perform better on the MAP portion. "Students, teachers and parents would understand the distinction between the two," Morris said. "It would be up to us to convey all pieces are important."

State board member Deborah Demien said by forcing low-performing students to take the ACT, "we're setting ourselves up for failure."

Missouri students averaged an ACT composite of 21.6 in 2005, slightly better than the national composite of 20.9. More than 70 percent of Columbia students took the ACT in 2005 and scored an average composite 23.5. The highest score possible on the ACT is 36.

Morris said education officials acknowledge the ACT average score would drop if given to all students. Illinois, which incorporated the ACT into its state assessment five years ago, saw the average composite decrease but later rebound, he said.

"We don't know how dramatic that effect might be," Morris said. "Proponents say the advantage of testing all kids outweighs the potential negative impact on the state average. The fear may be more pronounced at the local level."

The state must bid on an assessment package next year, which means the board should take a vote on the plan by this fall, Morris said.

Demien, who was appointed to the board in March, said she doesn't think the board and department are asking the right questions. "Why is there a discussion with the MAP? Why is it not achievement goals we want?" she asked.

-----

To see more of the Columbia Daily Tribune, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.columbiatribune.com.

Copyright (c) 2006, Columbia Daily Tribune, Mo.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: Columbia Daily Tribune

More News in this Category