Title: Frequently asked questions about standardized testing - Chalkbeat Philadelphia
Headings: Frequently asked questions about standardized testing
Frequently asked questions about standardized testing
How will standardized tests be used to make decisions about my child?
How will tests be used to make decisions about my child’s school?
How will individual students’ academic progress be evaluated from year to year?
Will English Language Learners and Special Education students be required to take the TerraNova and PSSA tests?
What are some of the concerns about using standardized tests for holding schools accountable?
How can parents use the results of these tests to help their child?

Content: Student performance on standardized tests typically rises in the first years of a test’s implementation due to a combination of factors. These include students’ familiarity with the test format; teachers preparing students for the content assessed by the particular test; and the school district’s allocation of resources, such as time and curricular materials, devoted to the subjects tested. Initial achievement gains on the particular tests used by a school district often have been found to level off after the first few years. The challenge of No Child Left Behind is to maintain increasing achievement gains, so that by 2013-14 all children will reach "proficiency" as defined by their state. How can parents use the results of these tests to help their child? Schools are required to send home test reports to parents. By reviewing these reports, parents can follow their child’s progress and compare it to the scores of other children in the state and in Philadelphia. Parents should not necessarily draw conclusions from these tests alone, but rather, can work with their child’s teacher to identify areas in need of improvement based on the tests and on the student’s classroom work.