Providing Staff Development and Training
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Providing Staff Development and Training
I'm fascinated by this discussion because most of us who do a lot of standardized testing have, indeed, learned by experience that the whole testing thing is not quite as straightforward as one might think, that there is strategy involved if a program is to put its "best foot forward" in a completely legitimate way--not to mention a good deal of staff training to achieve any kind of consistency.
Karen Mundie
Associate Director
Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council
100 Sheridan Square, 4th Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
412 661-7323 (ext 101)
kmundie@gplc.org
Karen,
The challenge of rolling out the staff development for these assessment pieces is truly daunting. In New York, every staff member who is to administer the TABE must attend the state training. Through our data management system, we track all attendance and certifications for state mandated training. We have a similar strand running for the BEST Plus as well. Although it is a challenge to get everyone trained, for those programs who pushed their staff through the first round, they are already seeing the difference in their performance data for educational gain. You are absolutely correct in feeling there is not only strategy involved but a better understanding of the nuances of the NRS system can assist a program in demonstrating through their data reporting, a more accurate picture of the service they provide and the impact it has on their students.
Rosemary I. Matt
NRS Liaison for NYS
Literacy Assistance Center
12 Meadowbrook Drive
New Hartford, NY 13413
315.798.1026
In Pennsylvania we also have a mandated Assessment training. At least one person from every program must have attended the training.
However, the truth is, many people are still giving assessments who have not attended training.
At my own agency, everyone who gives the TABE or BEST or BEST Plus has attended training. Basically, I think we do very well with the TABE. We are lucky in having an education specialist who is an assessment trainer and who oversees our testing procedures in general.
I think that the Best Plus is a problem for many programs because expertise in giving the test requires a good deal of practice. We have limited the number of staff who give the BEST Plus to about nine staff members and try to have the pre and post tests given by the same person, but I'm still concerned that there is still too much room for scoring anomalies and differences in judgment.
I hear from a number of programs that this is problem.
Karen Mundie
