Terra Nova &
Achievement tests were given
last November to students from 3rd grade through 9th
grade. The results are reported in national percentiles (NP). A NP
indicates the percentage of students in a norm group whose scores fall below a
given student’s (group’s) score.
Colegio Maya gives
standardized achievement tests for the following reasons:
·
To measure our
overall academic performance against
US norms.
·
To help transient families move smoothly to different schools and
educational systems.
·
To report to SACS with an outside measure of students’ academic
performance.
·
To give us more information about each of our students to help assure
the best educational program for each one of them.
Last
year the Testing Committee recommended testing students from 3rd to
7th grade with the TerraNova, 2nd
edition; for 8th and 9th grades, the Iowa Test of Basic
Skills (IOWA). These were some of the reasons that supported that decision:
TerraNova, 2nd edition:
·
Seems to be more
aligned to our curriculum in language arts, mathematics and science. The
reading section has a literature-based approach.
·
Many of the
exercises included are appropriate representations of our teaching practices.
·
It is more
appropriate for our international population in the sense that is culturally
broader and user friendly.
·
It tests more
skills and processes rather than concepts and facts.
·
Seems to be more
appropriate and rigorous than TerraNova at these
grade levels.
·
It is more
challenging and interesting for high achievers.
·
It is a good
transition to the format and content tested by the P-SAT (Preliminary
Scholastic Aptitude Test).
The
results of standardized tests are shared in the following ways:
·
Teachers are informed about the
overall results in faculty meetings. A more detailed analysis of the range of
academic competencies and challenges is done through grade level meetings
(elementary) and department meetings (secondary).
·
Elementary teachers
receive a copy of the individual profiles which includes information about
student’s performance on different academic objectives.
·
Parents receive
the results of achievement tests along with the report card. Individual
meetings are held with parents of ESOL students to discuss results.
·
With the principals,
counselor and curriculum facilitator, grade levels and departments assess what
these results mean in relation to our curriculum development and delivery.
TerraNova
was chosen by the
It is the newest assessment test by CTB/McGraw-Hill.
In fact, Colegio Maya participated in the TerraNova
K-12 Fall Norming Study in 1996-97 (October 96) and
continues using it.
TerraNova norms are based on test administrations to over
172,000 students. CTB/McGraw-Hill provides Fall (Sept.
to Nov.), Winter (Dec. to Feb.), and Spring (Mar. to May) norms.
TerraNova Achievement Test
1997-1998
Grade
Mean Equivalent*
|
Grade Gr. Expct |
Read |
Vocab |
Read Cmpst |
Lang |
Lang Mech |
Lang Cmpst |
Math |
Math Compu |
Math Cmpst |
Total Score |
Science |
Social Stdy |
|
3rd – 3.3 n=18 |
4.3 61.5 |
3.3 49.5 |
3.8 57.0 |
4.0 60.5 |
2.5 32.3 |
3.2 46.0 |
3.8 71.5 |
4.0 85.0 |
3.9 80.0 |
4.0 67.3 |
4.5 78.0 |
4.3 75.5 |
|
4th – 4.3 n=29 |
5.0 61.0 |
3.7 40.3 |
4.4 51.3 |
4.8 63.5 |
4.4 49.0 |
4.6 60.0 |
4.8 57.0 |
4.4 52.0 |
4.5 54.0 |
4.9 60.3 |
4.9 60.2 |
5.4 62.0 |
|
5th – 5.3 n=26 |
6.8 68.5 |
5.0 37.0 |
5.8 51.0 |
7.3 59.5 |
7.1 78.3 |
7.2 76.0 |
6.1 67.0 |
5.9 64.0 |
6.0 63.5 |
6.5 66.5 |
6.1 63.7 |
5.9 61.5 |
|
6th – 6.3 n=24 |
7.4 53.5 |
7.5 64.0 |
7.5 57.5 |
7.8 60.5 |
9.2 78.0 |
8.2 67.0 |
8.1 71.5 |
7.8 73.7 |
8.0 77.0 |
7.9 61.0 |
7.7 57.0 |
8.0 71.3 |
|
7th – 7.3 n=35 |
7.9 52.0 |
7.4 56.0 |
7.6 51.0 |
7.8 55.5 |
9.6 66.0 |
8.5 60.0 |
8.0 54.3 |
7.9 66.0 |
8.0 66.0 |
7.9 49.0 |
8.2 67.7 |
9.2 69.0 |
|
8th – 8.3 n=25 |
8.3 66.0 |
8.3 65.5 |
8.3 68.3 |
9.7 59.0 |
9.8 62.0 |
9.8 60.0 |
10.3 63.7 |
9.3 69.7 |
9.8 67.3 |
9.5 62.0 |
10.1 59.0 |
10.0 70.0 |
|
9th – 9.3 n=41 |
10.5 64.7 |
9.8 51.0 |
10.2 58.0 |
12.0 65.3 |
10.4 57.3 |
11.0 60.0 |
10.5 64.5 |
10.4 61.0 |
10.5 60.0 |
10.7 63.0 |
10.5 60.0 |
10.8 69.0 |
N=
198 Cmpst: Composite Total
Score:
*Grade Mean Equivalent: GME is used to describe the average
performance of a group of students. The GME describes the year and month of
school for which a group’s level of performance is typical. A Reading Grade
Mean Equivalent of 6.8 for t2/3he sample class indicates that the group’s average reading achievement is equivalent to that of an average student
who has completed the eight month of grade 6.
*Median National Percentile: The Median is the middle score
in a set of ranked scores. It is sometimes called the “counting average”
because it is actually determined by counting up into the distribution until
the score that divides the distribution into two equal halves is reached.
Medians, unlike Means, have the characteristic of being unaffected by extreme
scores. Therefore, many testing specialists prefer the Median when comparing
small groups (25 or less).
TerraNova
Achievement Test
1998-1999
Grade Mean Equivalent*1
|
Grade Gr. Expct |
Read |
Vocab |
Read Cmpst |
Lang |
Lang Mech |
Lang Cmpst |
Math |
Math Compu |
Math Cmpst |
Total Score |
Science |
Social Stdy |
|
3rd
– 3.3 n=16 |
3.5 57.5 |
3.3 53.0 |
3.4 50.5 |
3.3 47.5 |
2.0 27.5 |
2.7 36.0 |
3.5 54.0 |
3.1 43.5 |
3.3 48.0 |
3.4 48.5 |
3.7 54.5 |
3.7 54.5 |
|
4th
– 4.3 n=22 |
4.7 57.0 |
4.1 49.5 |
4.4 52.5 |
4.7 60.3 |
4.7 51.5 |
4.7 61.5 |
4.8 62.5 |
4.9 73.5 |
4.9 68.5 |
4.7 60.5 |
4.7 54.0 |
5.6 68.5 |
|
5th
– 5.3 n=25 |
6.5 59.0 |
5.7 44.0 |
6.1 51.0 |
7.3 57.3 |
6.1 66.0 |
6.6 62.6 |
6.1 72.0 |
5.7 59.0 |
5.9 66.0 |
6.5 62.0 |
5.6 43.0 |
5.7 58.0 |
|
6th
– 6.6 n=28 |
8.2 69.5 |
7.8 63.0 |
8.1 66.0 |
9.1 77.5 |
10.3 78.0 |
9.8 80.7 |
7.7 66.0 |
7.0 49.0 |
7.4 53.0 |
8.3 72.3 |