Student Buy-In
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WIA Community Conversations on the Assessment Discussion List
February 11 – 15, 2010
Student Buy-In
Hello,
One of the biggest challenges we have had with our adult students is getting them to give their best effort on our CASAS tests (CASAS tests are the tests we are required to give in order to gauge our school's performance or "accountability").
Our students are not stupid. They are also oftentimes pressed for time; they want to quickly complete their diploma program or GED preparation. When we give them these CASAS tests, they oftentimes want to know why it is being given. It is obvious to them it is not part of their diploma or GED work. When they find out it has no bearing on either of these goals, they have little investment in the test's importance. The results of these tests affect us, not them. Some of our students still try their best, but many either don't care or do not have the time. Humans, more often than not, act in their own self-interest. Judging by completion times for our post-tests, I would estimate that about one-third to one-half of our students simply randomly guess on the post-tests.
We have discussed giving the students a discount on their cap & gown rentals if they benchmark; however, this will only affect our diploma students, and only those who go through our annual ceremony... this is only a small percentage of our students. I'm interested to hear other ideas beyond stressing the importance of the results for the school.
Greg Spooner
Long Beach School for Adults
For our GED and ESOL students, we explain to them how these tests affect us, and our ability to provide free classes. We ask them to do their best on these tests because it is not them being tested, it is us, the school, and we need their help. They are adults, and we appeal to their sense of agency. I cannot recall anyone who did not at least seem to give it his or her best effort after being told that this was a partnership and his or her help was needed.
Kevin O'Connor
Assessment Specialist
Framingham Adult ESL Plus
Indeed, we too come to our students and explain that we are able to keep our doors open in part based on assessment outcomes, and so, when the students do their best, that means that we'll be able to keep the doors open for all the other students who need us. We have student assemblies and work hard to have authentic relationships with our students (we have actual classes vs. drop-in), and they very much respond well. As Kevin notes, the students are adults and understand economic concerns when we are open with them.
Stephanie Moran
We recently created a standardized letter that explains the assessment and what the student's part in it is. The letter has been translated and with it we hope to create more student buy-in. We have found that even though we have stressed to the teachers that they need to explain to the students why they are taking the test and how this will help them and their instructional program the information was not being delivered to all of the students. We hope the letter to the students will standardize the message better.
Also, students need to get their test results. They need to be shown their test history and acknowledged when they make learning gains. Otherwise the test is just a piece of paper flapping in the breeze.
Laura Chardiet
Los Angeles Unified School District
I think another positive spin on the tests is the idea of improving test taking skills. If you point out to students that taking a test is a skill and any skill improves with practice, then they are more likely to see the test as something positive.
Jackie Coelho
In response to motivation and test results, I believe that Delaware has one of the highest pass rates on the GED because it has strict requirements about pass rates on the practice tests before a student is even allowed to take the GED. While I do not want to bounce any student, the truth is that in terms of transitioning successfully into college, a 450 is nowhere near college-level work--more like a 9th grade level. Thus, when we pass students through the GED quickly and at low scoring rates, their chance of survival let alone thriving in college is dim at best because they are invariably stuck in several DEV/remedial courses--perhaps half a dozen-and we all know what that means: money and time and effort for non-credit-bearing courses unrelated to a student's actual program goals.
Stephanie Moran
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