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A+ Advice for ParentsAre NAEPs really important?By Leanna Landsmann Q: In September, I heard President Bush say that "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) is working because the "NAEP" scores were going up. When our principal briefed parents this month, she talked about "high-stakes state tests," but never mentioned NAEP. My daughter is in third grade. What is it, when does she take it and how can I prepare her? A: NAEP, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, began in 1969. The program is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics, part of the U.S. Department of Education. It tests students at grades 4, 8 and 12. "NAEP is the only continuing and nationally representative assessment of what students know and can do in a variety of subject areas," says Dr. Peggy G. Carr, associate commissioner at the National Center for Education Statistics. "Policymakers, educators and researchers look to NAEP as a major source of data on student achievement. That's why it's often called the Nation's Report Card," says Carr. "The president was referring to the Sept. 24 release of the results of the fourth- and eighth-grade NAEP reading and mathematics assessments. There are results for the nation, as well as data for all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense school system." Under NCLB, all states are required to participate in NAEP math and reading assessments, administered every two years, says Dr. Carr. "Under NCLB, each state has its own assessment for measuring Adequate Yearly Progress. With NAEP, students in every state take the same assessment, administered by trained NAEP field staff, so NAEP is the only 'common yardstick' for measuring student performance that allows for comparisons from state to state." To see your state's data go to http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/states/. Not all students take NAEP. Of the more than 51 million students enrolled K-12 classrooms in the United States, only a nationally representative sample of 700,000 fourth- and eighth-graders participated in the 2007 NAEP assessments in reading and mathematics. Researchers disagree on the meaning of the test results. Some say that the gains, while small, mean that NCLB is improving reading and math achievement. Others say the gains are too modest and point to data showing that reading gains aren't being sustained as students move through the grades. Reading scores in eighth grade are flat, and the gap between white and black and Hispanic middle-schoolers hasn't narrowed -- a key goal of NCLB. Still others argue that the real problem is lack of comparability among states in standards and in testing. (For more, go to "NAEP Gains: Experts Mull Significance" at www.edweek.org). Your daughter will take a "high stakes" test given by your state this year. The best way to prepare her is to minimize test anxiety, says Carole Palmer, an Illinois educator and test editor who has proctored many state and NAEP tests. "Help her become a savvy test taker, by showing her how to avoid three common errors." One, read directions carefully! "Common sense advice, but kids get into trouble when they rush or jump to conclusions. Show her how to figure out what a question is asking. Should she refer to a table or graph to answer? Does she need to answer all the questions, for example, or choose one of three? In multiple choice questions, show her how to spot negative words in the instructions such as selecting the option that is not true. If she does not know an answer to a question, eliminate the answers she knows are wrong before choosing from the remaining ones." Two, pace her time. "Some kids rush because they think Janelle across the aisle has finished," says Palmer. "Others spend too much time on a question and fall behind. Pacing is important. If she can't answer a question, leave it and come back to it at the end. If she still doesn't know, venture a guess. When responding to questions based on a text passage, read the questions first. This saves time since she'll know what information to look for in the passage." Three, don't botch the bubbles. "First time test-takers need practice in filling out the bubbles. Stray marks confuse the scoring machine and carelessness can cause a child to misalign the bubble marks with the questions," says Palmer. Teacher Tip Don't turn bedtime into a test-prep drill, says Palmer. "Ask your daughter's teacher about what the school is doing to prepare third graders and how you can reinforce it. What the school is doing should be adequate. The best home preparation is a good night's sleep and a morning send-off with a tummy full of energy and a heart full of confidence." Copyright 2007, United Feature Syndicate, Inc. A-PLUS ADVICE FOR PARENTS 10-15-07 Submission inquiries? Contact Dave Gladney at 856-241-7772 or dgladney@AEPweb.org.
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