Chapter 5 Formal assessments of Reading: Individualized Assessment

In this chapter formal individualized assessment was discussed. It compared the different ways testing is scored with raw and percentile scores. Experts prefer standard scores for making comparisons. It also talked about basals and ceilings being established in a test. Achievement and diagnostic tests typically can be used to determine special services because they provide thorough information about the student's domain. Group testing is also referred to as high stakes testing because important decisions are made based on the results. I can make a connection on the high stakes tests because depending on the results of the TAKS the school will be low performing, acceptable, recognized or exemplary. All the schools want to be exemplary but sometimes the scores are not high enough for it to happen. Teachers are expected to create miracles when it comes to TAKS because of high stakes. Teachers work out and beyond expectations but sometimes the students still do not pass. Testing has taken a priority and teachers are exhausted at trying to do everything expected with TAKS and teaching the curriculum along with all the paperwork. Teaching has become so demanding in the upper grade levels that some teachers are leaving the field because of these high stakes tests.

I think assessement is important in all grade levels but sometimes it is to much testing done. The poor students get practice TAKS and then the real TAKS comes along and they are burned out. The students feel it is a waste of time because it is testing the same thing over and over and they could be learning new things instead of testing all the time.