Hi all,
I am a kindergarten teacher (age 5-6) and my school is requiring that our students complete a standardized test for language to score reading, writing, speaking and listening.
I am wondering if this is common practice for students this young in other international schools? Seems a bit much to me.
Early Years Standardized Tests in PYP Schools?
Define standardized.
The same assessment given to all/most students in standard conditions (meaning the same conditions for all children, not necessarily sitting at desks with number 2 pencils)? Possibly something written by the teachers? This could be fine. Common examples are Running Records, the New Zealand Diagnostic Assessment for Math, end-of-UOI summative assessment. These are all technically standardized assessments, and IMHO very good practice.
If you mean standardized in the more common usage, an externally set and marked assessment with some form of exam conditions, there are some in use, and yes in PYP schools too. MAP has an early years form, and ACER is just coming on the market with one. I'm not as convinced by these, but then again I've never seen either one used, so I'm not in much position to judge.
The same assessment given to all/most students in standard conditions (meaning the same conditions for all children, not necessarily sitting at desks with number 2 pencils)? Possibly something written by the teachers? This could be fine. Common examples are Running Records, the New Zealand Diagnostic Assessment for Math, end-of-UOI summative assessment. These are all technically standardized assessments, and IMHO very good practice.
If you mean standardized in the more common usage, an externally set and marked assessment with some form of exam conditions, there are some in use, and yes in PYP schools too. MAP has an early years form, and ACER is just coming on the market with one. I'm not as convinced by these, but then again I've never seen either one used, so I'm not in much position to judge.
I've been in Early Years for 10 years at international schools, 5 years in the PYP. I've never seen what I would consider a true "test" in the classroom. In making the PYP Happen it's written, "The assessment strategies and tools proposed by the PYP — rubrics, exemplars, anecdotal records, checklists, continuums, portfolios of work — are designed to accommodate a variety of intelligences and ways of knowing."
Yes I do things like running records and formative assessments as well obviously but no, this is a "number 2 pencil" kind of drill - no differentiation - and I really felt against it but the school wants to measure where the students are achieving. It seems very un-PYP to me but as I'm still new to it all I just wanted to make sure I wasn't really off the mark.
Reply
Sid is confused on standardized tests. There is standardized administration and standardized scoring, those are different factors, but both are required for a standardized assessment.
Theer arent any instruments with diagnostic validity from TIP or MMY in that age range. Its the primary formative years of cognitive development any such measurement would have very narrow predictive validity or reliability.
I dont know of any IB PYP programs that give formal assessment at that stage outside of a clinicians environment. Many teachers even in early PYP will do a start of the year assessment and compare that to an end of the year assessment as a loose diagnostic procedure. While schools do have policies regarding this, where its mandated, collecting all the students in the cafeteria for a formal assessment is very uncommon under those conditions.
The only times Ive seen it done are with an inexperienced admin or PYP coordinator.
Theer arent any instruments with diagnostic validity from TIP or MMY in that age range. Its the primary formative years of cognitive development any such measurement would have very narrow predictive validity or reliability.
I dont know of any IB PYP programs that give formal assessment at that stage outside of a clinicians environment. Many teachers even in early PYP will do a start of the year assessment and compare that to an end of the year assessment as a loose diagnostic procedure. While schools do have policies regarding this, where its mandated, collecting all the students in the cafeteria for a formal assessment is very uncommon under those conditions.
The only times Ive seen it done are with an inexperienced admin or PYP coordinator.