State Testing Requirements

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah.  August 20, 2014. Policy 607 needs to be amended to allow the District to use the best evaluation program available.  The State Board of Education requires two types of evaluations for teachers.  The District participated in the State Pilot Program but felt that instrument they were using was cumbersome.  There is another program that covers all the state requirements and is much easier to administer. 

Principal Kip Motta demonstrated how the commercial program worked and noted that not only is it easier to use and does a good job of evaluation, but it assists those doing the evaluation to do a much better job as well.  The results of the evaluation instrument become immediately available to those being evaluated which gives good feedback to the teachers and helps them write their growth plans.  Summary information can also be collected and used for comparisons among teachers in the district as well as teachers in other schools. This program can also be used by the Superintendent to evaluate the principals.  Results can be used for in-service to assist teachers and administrators to become better at their jobs.  The Board made the motion to accept the suggested changes to the policy.

The Dibels Testing program is required by the State.  It is given three times a year, once in the fall—usually fairly early.  It is given again in January and in the spring, generally near the end of April.  There are bench marks that are set and comparisons made among grades, teachers, districts, and the entire state. There are also composite scores given to teachers determined by the results of all that teacher’s students.  It was noted that it is more difficult to improve testing scores as students get older.

Another testing program was carried out last year.  It was called Sage testing and was conducted last October.  The results, however, from this test cannot be compared to the Dibels Testing because they are different tests.  Some comparisons might be made among different schools, but the results must be from the same exam—not mixing the two.

The Sage test has a set of standards and learning outcomes tied to it.  There is a lot of misinformation being circulated among the public concerning this exam.  Parents need to know that this exam tests for specifics as well as generalities and provides especially good information that can help students and teachers alike.  The standards are rigorous and include the minimum information that students really should know.  Every question on the exam has been looked over by parents as well as educators and researchers.  It needs to be taken by every student.  However, the state has made it possible for parents to allow their children to opt out.  When parents allow their child to opt out of the test, those students are not as encouraged to learn, to work as hard to meet requirements, or as enthused to move forward, or even to make as good of career plans for the future as perhaps they otherwise might.  The Board encourages parents to have their children taken this test..

Another State requirement requires surveys to be taken by both parents and students.  There is a software package that has been written that expedites this requirement.  It can be taken in 10 minutes or less.  It is designed so that students’ perspectives of their learning can be taken about once a week or more frequently as desired.  The survey for the parents needs to be taken at least once a year.  There is also a staff survey included that can also be taken and is helpful in making some decisions.  The commercial package will cost about $1 per student.  The reports that are generated by these surveys are available immediately after the surveys have been taken. 

The company that has written the program has gotten really good feedback from the pilot testing that has been done.   Both principals recommended that the Board go along with this survey instrument.  The requested was granted.