Standardized Testing
Test Preparation
The following suggestions for teachers and parents will help students get ready for a statewide assessment:
General Preparation
- Students should take courses that address Minnesota’s academic standards. Most schools also make appropriate educational opportunities available to students who are at risk for not succeeding on these tests.
- Familiarize students with the test directions and format. For most Minnesota Assessments, you can download Item Samplers from the MDE website.
- Encourage students to answer all test questions.
Encourage students to participate in practice sessions at school and home. - Have students get a good night’s sleep and a nutritious breakfast before taking a test.
Provide students with a study area. - Encourage students to practice good study habits. Students should set aside time every day for homework.
- Read to students and encourage them to read to you.
- Have students try crossword puzzles and news quizzes in your local newspaper.
- Encourage students to read the daily newspaper and general interest magazines.
- Discuss the events and stories you read about in the newspaper.
- Encourage students to use mathematics every day. They can practice by creating a grocery budget, explaining charts and graphs from newspaper and magazine articles, dividing food portions, using rulers to measure objects, measuring a recipe or adding prices on a shopping trip.
- Play games that involve numbers or computation.
- Encourage students to connect what they are learning in math class to their hobbies, other classes and everyday life.
- Share your enthusiasm and interest in science with your children.
- Use science articles from news publications to show that science is an ongoing, active process.
- Have students use inquiry skills by participating in science competitions, fairs and other activities.
- Explore science outside the classroom – nature centers, zoos and science museums.
- Have students practice writing essays that:
- describe, narrate or explain observations of human events or situations
- analyze patterns and relationships of ideas, topics or themes
- construct support for a position, argument, plan or idea
- evaluate an idea, topic or theme based on specific criteria.
- Encourage students to write letters and keep a journal.
Talk to your child’s classroom teacher to find out how calculators are typically used in the classroom. Students can’t share calculators with other students during the Minnesota assessments or use any calculator manuals. You can get more information on using a calculator for testing from your school.
Source: Minnesota Department of Education Handout
For more information, contact:
Minnesota Department of Education
Research and Assessment
mde.testing@state.mn.us
1500 Highway 36 West
Roseville, MN 55113-4266
http://education.state.mn.us/
Practice Tests & Resources
Math practice and activities http://www.aaamath.com/
Math practice tailored to state standards http://www.ixl.com/math/grades
Interactive math games http://www.coolmath.com/
Fun math games http://www.funbrain.com/
Games, homework helper, and worksheets http://www.aplusmath.com/
Interactive practice tests http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index3.aspx?id=3264&menu_id=793
Help resource for G4-8 math http://www.mathleague.com/
Language arts games and more http://www.funbrain.com/
Merriam-Webster word games http://www.merriam-webster.com/game/index.htm
Spelling and vocabulary http://www.aaaspell.com/
Vocabulary activities http://www.vocabulary.com/
Vocabulary builders http://superkids.com/aweb/tools/words/
Lexile® Framework for Reading http://www.lexile.com/
BBC “types of text” games and more https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize
Varsity Tutors Free Practice Test Resource: http://www.varsitytutors.com/practice-tests and http://www.varsitytutors.com/classroom-assessment
All The Trivia: https://allthetrivia.com/
Practice Tests from Minnesota Statewide Assessments
More information from MN Department of Education – Statewide Testing
Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs)
Frequently Asked Questions
The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) are the state tests in reading, mathematics and science that meet the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. These tests are given every year to measure student performance on the Minnesota Academic Standards, which define what our students should know and do in a particular grade. The Reading and Mathematics MCA-IIs began in 2006 and the Science MCA-II began in 2008.
We use the MCAs to find out how well students can apply the Minnesota Academic Standards in mathematics, reading and science. The mathematics and reading tests are also used to determine whether schools and districts have made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) toward all students being proficient for NCLB.
After your child takes one of these tests, your school district sends you an individual
student report that explains your child’s results. This report gives you information on your child’s reading, mathematics and science skills and shows your child’s performance compared to that of other students in the state. Schools use the information from these tests to improve classroom teaching and learning. Teachers and principals look for areas where students do well so they can reinforce the ways they teach these skills. They also look for topics that need improvement so they can increase instructional time or modify instruction.
Minnesota’s rules for testing and the federal NCLB Act require that mathematics and reading tests be given in grades 3–8. In addition, students in grade 10 take the Reading MCA, and students in grade 11 take the Mathematics MCA. With very few exceptions, all public school students in grades 3–8 take the Reading and Mathematics MCAs. In some cases, English Language Learners (ELL) will take the Mathematics Test for English Language Learners (MTELL). Students with severe cognitive disabilities can take the Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS). The Science MCA is given to students in grades 5 and 8 and once in high school, depending on when students complete their life science curriculum.
Students do not pass or fail these tests. Each student receives a score that falls in one of four achievement levels – Does Not Meet the Standards, Partially Meets the Standards, Meets the Standards and Exceeds the Standards.
The Mathematics and Reading MCAs are paper and pencil tests that are divided into four segments. Each segment has multiple-choice questions and mathematics has one or two short answer, or constructed-response, questions. Students must attempt at least four multiple-choice questions in each of the four segments in order to receive a score. There is no penalty for guessing.
The Science MCA has multiple-choice and short-answer, or constructed response questions, as well as figural response questions. Students respond to figural-response questions by manipulating graphic elements of an item, selecting a point on a graphic or completing a graph or diagram.
All questions are based on the Minnesota Academic Standards. Currently, assessments are aligned to the 2003 academic standards. In 2011, mathematic assessments for grades 3–8 will be aligned to the 2007 revision to the standards. View Minnesota Standards on the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Website.
Students can use a four-function or scientific calculator on the tests. The calculator can belong to either the student or the school. Students cannot share calculators with other students during the test or use any calculator manuals. On the Mathematics MCA-II, Grades 3 and 4 have two segments that do not allow the use of a calculator and two segments that do. Grades 5–8 have one segment that does not allow the use of a calculator and three that do. A calculator may be used on all four segments of the Grade 11 Mathematics MCA-II. On the Science MCA, a calculator can be used on all segments of the test.
All test results are sent to the school district. The district will deliver your child’s results to you. You can see the results for all schools and districts at the MDE Website.
For more information on the MCAs, go to the MCA section of the MDE Website.
Minnesota Department of Education
Research and Assessment
mde.testing@state.mn.us
1500 Highway 36 West
Roseville, MN 55113
651-582-8200
http://education.state.mn.us
Questions and Answers about the Mathematics, Reading and Science MCAs
Source: Minnesota Department of Education Handout
NWEA™ (Northwest Evaluation Association)
Frequently Asked Questions
NWEA™ (Northwest Evaluation Association) is a global not-for-profit educational services organization located in Portland, Oregon. NWEA partners with over 3,500 educational organizations worldwide to provide research-based adaptive assessments, professional development, and research services. NWEA’s mission is partnering to help all kids learn. As a result of NWEA tests, educators can make informed decisions to promote your child’s academic growth.
NWEA’s assessments are called Measures of Academic Progress (MAP®). When taking these computerized adaptive tests, the difficulty of each question is based on how well a student answers all the previous questions. As the student answers correctly, questions become more difficult. If the student answers incorrectly, the questions become easier. In an optimal test, a student answers approximately half the items correctly and half incorrectly. The final score is an estimate of the student’s achievement level.
Yinghua Academy uses the MAP tests in Reading, Math, and Science (5th grade and above).
No. MAP® assessments are designed to target a student’s academic performance in mathematics, reading, language usage, and science. These tests are tailored to an individual’s current achievement level. The computer adjusts the difficulty of the questions so that each student takes a unique test. This gives each student a fair opportunity to show what he or she knows and can do.
Districts typically test students at the beginning of the school year in fall and at the end of the school year in spring. Some districts may also choose to test students in winter and summer.
Yinghua Academy will have results after all students have taken the tests. Fall results will be given to you at parent teacher conferences, and spring results are mailed with Term III report cards.
You will get your child’s MAP report at the parent teacher conference. You may ask your child’s teacher about how to read the report or click here to read a sample report: Individual Student Report
MAP® assessments are used to measure your student’s progress or growth in school. You may have a chart in your home on which you mark your child’s height at certain times, such as on his or her birthday. This is a growth chart. It shows how much he or she has grown from one year to the next. MAP assessments do the same sort of thing, except they measure your child’s progress by the RIT scale (Rasch unit). The RIT scale is an equal-interval scale much like feet and inches on a yardstick. It is used to chart your child’s academic growth from year to year.
MAP tests are important to teachers because they keep track of progress and growth in basic skills. They let teachers know where a student’s strengths are and if help is needed in any specific areas. Teachers use this information to help them guide instruction in the classroom.
Tips for Parents
- Meet with your child’s teacher as often as needed to discuss his or her progress. Ask the teacher to suggest activities for you and your child to do at home to help prepare for tests and improve your child’s understanding of schoolwork. Parents and teachers working together benefit students.
- Provide a quiet, comfortable place for studying at home.
- Make sure that your child is well rested on school days and especially the day of a test. Children who are tired are less able to pay attention in class or to handle the demands of a test.
- Give your child a well-rounded diet. A healthy body leads to a healthy, active mind.
- Provide books and magazines for your child to read at home. By reading new materials, a child learns new words that might appear on a test. Ask your child’s school about a suggested outside reading list or get suggestions from the public library.
- Talk to your child and encourage him or her to engage in conversion during family activities.
- Give a journal or diary as a gift.
- Help your child write a letter to a friend or family member. Offer assistance with correct grammar usage and content.
- Have a “word of the week” that is defined every Monday. Encourage your child to use the new word throughout the week.
- Plan a special snack or meal and have your child write the menu.
- After finishing a chapter in a book or a magazine article, have your child explain his or her favorite event.
- Provide many opportunities for your child to read books or other materials. Children learn to read best when they have books and other reading materials at home and plenty of chances to read. Read aloud to your child. Research shows that this is the most important activity that parents can do to increase their child’s chance of reading success. Keep reading aloud even when your child can read independently.
- Make time in the library.
- Play games like Scrabble®, Spill and Spell™, Scattergories®, and Balderdash™ together.
- Follow your child’s interest. Find fiction and non-fiction books that tie into their interests.
- Work a crossword puzzle with your child.
- Give a magazine subscription for a gift.
- Spend time with kids on simple board games, puzzles, and activities that encourage better attitudes and stronger mathematics skills. Even everyday activities such as playing with toys in a sandbox or in a tub at bath time can teach children mathematics concepts such as weight, density, and volume. Check your television listings for shows that can reinforce mathematics skills in a practical and fun way.
- Encourage children to solve problems. Provide assistance, but let them figure it out themselves. Problem solving is a lifetime skill.
- The kitchen is filled with tasty opportunities to teach fractional measurements, such as doubling and dividing cookie recipes.
- Point out ways that people use mathematics everyday to pay bills, balance their checkbooks, figure their net earnings, make change, and how to tip restaurants. Involve older children in projects that incorporate geometric and algebratic concepts such as planting a garden, building a bookshelf, or figuring how long it will take to drive to your family vacation destination.
- Children should learn to read and interpret charts and graphs such as those found in daily newspaper. Collecting and analyzing data will help your child draw conclusions and become discriminating readers of numerical information.
Commonly Used Terms
Here are some terms you will hear and use as you are talking with teachers and your children about MAP scores and reports.
Tests developed by NWEA use a scale called RIT to measure student achievement and growth. RIT stands for Rasch UnIT, which is a measurement scale developed to simplify the interpretation of test scores. The RIT score relates directly to the curriculum scale in each subject area. It is an equal-interval scale, like feet and inches, so scores can be added together to calculate accurate class or school averages. RIT scores range from about 100 to 300. Students typically start at the 180 to 200 level in the third grade and progress to the 220 to 260 level by high school. RIT scores make it possible to follow a student’s educational growth from year to year.
The average RIT score for all students in the school district in the same grade who were tested at the same time as your child.
The average score of students who were in the same grade and tested in the same term as observed in the latest NWEA norming study.
Percentiles are used to compare one student’s performance to that of the norm group. Percentile means that student scored as well as, or better than, that percent of students taking the test in his/her grade. There is about a 68 percent chance that a student’s percentile ranking would fall within this range if the student tested again.
Lexile Range can be used by educators and parents to find appropriately challenging books, periodicals, and other reading material for students. Lexile Range represents a level of reading difficulty that leaves readers neither frustrated nor bored. Text in this range should stimulate a student to new learning while rewarding their current reading abilities.
Standards are statements, developed by states or districts, of what students should know and be able to do, related to specific academic areas.
Student Participation in Statewide Assessments
Parent and guardians who refuse to have their children enrolled at Yinghua participate in state-required standardized assessments should read the guide linked below, complete the form and return it to the Executive Director of Yinghua Academy. (Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.31, subdivision 4a. Student Participation)
Parent/Guardian Guide and Refusal for Student Participation