FIELD TRIALS OF VIDEOTAPED TESTING FOR MISSOURI ASSESSMENT PROGRAM SHOW PROMISE

Fifth-grade students across Missouri had a new experience during the week of March 20. Students were field testing a statewide assessment in fine arts while watching television.

That is correct. School districts across the state volunteered to have their fifth-grade students participate in the statewide testing using the usual paper-and-pencil testing instrument accompanied by videotaped segments. Students viewed a videotaped production demonstrating visual artwork or representations from performing arts. Other parts of the videotape asked students questions about the arts and required students to respond to the written information shown in the test booklets.

This form of statewide assessment is somewhat unusual for students and teachers alike. So how did they respond? Positive comments were expressed by children: "It was easy. We were never able to take a test like this before by watching TV." Teachers also responded favorably: "The children stayed focused." The video presents instructions then repeats the instructions. Time is provided to respond to each question. This method keeps all children on pace. Children aren't tempted to race one another to finish the test, nor do children simply fill in the bubble to avoid the test. The videotape was a welcome addition to the Missouri Assessment Program.

What is the Missouri Assessment Program? MAP is an educational initiative as a result of the Outstanding Schools Act of 1993. Part of the Outstanding Schools Act called for increased accountability in improving student academic performance. In essence, the Show-Me Standards were developed which defined what students should know and be able to demonstrate prior to graduation from a Missouri public school. Teachers, administrators, parents and business professionals worked together to develop the Show-Me Standards. Furthermore, members from similar groups developed the statewide assessment tool to evaluate the proficiency level of students in Missouri public schools.

Currently, the MAP requires assessment in the areas of communication arts (for grades 3, 7 and 11), mathematics (for grades 4, 8 and 10), science (for grades 3, 7 and 10) and social studies (for grades 4, 8 and 11). The health/physical education assessment (for grades 5 and 9) is voluntary during the spring of 2000, but it is required in the spring of 2001. The MAP fine arts assessment is currently being field tested with required administration anticipated in 2002.

Use of the videotape assessment is believed to improve test scores for students. Evaluation data from the MAP is important to school districts because they are evaluated annually on achievement levels of their students based on the test scores. Teachers and schools feel the pressure to perform well on the statewide assessments because of the emphasis placed on the results in the school district's annual performance report. Poor performance on the assessment places the school district's accreditation status in jeopardy.

Despite stringent test security policies, people administering the test may influence performance, positively or negatively, without realizing the effect. Teachers currently read instruction prompts from a test administrator's manual. Teachers may unintentionally change the tone in their voice or use inflections which could influence the response from a student. Teachers from schools who score extremely well on the statewide assessments are sometimes accused of teaching the test or providing assistance when they shouldn't. The videotaped production would diminish the effect of students being prompted by a teacher to respond a certain way.

What can we learn from this experience? A videotaped presentation of the MAP test similar to the MAP fine arts assessment may be useful in the other MAP areas. Favorable comments from students and teachers influence a video method of presentation in other MAP test areas. Much of the statewide testing has been challenged as a "reading comprehension" test even if the concept is from social studies, science or math. The test should assess the concept, not the child's ability to read. A videotape-assisted method of administering MAP tests is encouraged in other MAP area except when reading comprehension if being evaluated.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is challenged to consider whether reliability and validity would increase through the use of videotaped administration of the test. One videotape could be compared to hundreds of teachers each possessing an individualistic style of giving the test. The videotape could give instructions for the test allowing teachers to focus on students.

DESE is encouraged to investigate the feasibility of implementing video segments in other MAP content areas. DESE should compare current MAP data without video segments to future data using the approach.

Video presentations are costly to produce. However, legislation should be proposed to cover the expense of the process since the state requires the assessment process and wants quality assessment based on the Outstanding Schools Act.

But can we put a price on the achievement of children? Many students do not consider statewide testing popular. Videotaped segments provide another method of instruction appealing to the other senses engaging multiple intelligences and enhancing other learning styles. The current system promotes the use of paper and pencil. Videotaped presentations provide motivation beyond the usual mundane testing environment and make the process more palatable. The information learned from the MAP fine arts testing process should be replicated in other MAP assessment areas.

Share your experiences or comments regarding the fine arts testing process or other assessment areas. Write to Division of Instruction/Student Assessment, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, P.O. Box 480, Jefferson City, Mo. 65102-0480.

Gerald Landewee is the testing coordinator for the Oak Ridge School District.