MMAT RESULTS PLEASE CAPE SCHOOL OFFICIALS

Students in Cape Girardeau Public Schools scored at or above the state average in each of 34 sections of the Missouri Mastery and Achievement Test.

Each student's MMAT results will be sent home along with end-of-the-year report cards, said Richard Bollwerk, director of elementary education for the school district.

Bollwerk also responded to concerns about teachers teaching the MMAT.

"In general, we are real pleased. The scores look real good," Bollwerk said.

He will present a report on the MMAT at Tuesday's school board meeting.

The test has 34 subtests. "We scored above the state average on all 34," Bollwerk said. A score 25 points above the average is considered "significant" by the state.

But, he said, the averages are of little practical use to the district. The district evaluates the test data to see where weaknesses exist.

"The thing we look at is how we can improve," Bollwerk said. "We know there will be buildings and grade levels, which are not at the state average. We also know not all our students at all the grade levels are above the state average.

Bollwerk said several parents have expressed concern about "practice tests" and teachers "teaching the test."

Some of the confusion, he said, might be caused by practice tests given to some students before the MMAT began.

"The state sends us a practice test to give the day before the test," Bollwerk said. "It is designed to get students used to taking the test and the physical format of the test. Each standardized test is done differently."

A practice test is available from the state at each grade level. Teachers have the option of using the practice test or not using it.

He said some teachers gave the test the Friday before test week began. Others gave the practice test just before the tests began and other teachers didn't use the practice test at all.

"We also had students involved in the state sample," Bollwerk said. The students involved in the state's statistical sample took the test three weeks earlier than the other Cape Girardeau students.

Bollwerk said the district also has a test security policy. It was adopted as a state requirement for the MMAT, but has been expanded locally to include all standardized tests.

"We included some penalties in the policy. So if we suspect someone is teaching the test, we have some recourse."

However, Bollwerk explained that the MMAT is a criterion-reference test. Teachers know up front what skills will be tested.

"The state provides a list of key skills, which all teachers have access to," he said. "The state even goes one step further. They provide examples of how key skills will be tested."

For example, if students are supposed to identify the main idea from a passage, a booklet tells teachers that students will be asked to read a passage and then pick out the sentence that states the main idea.

"When the teacher gets around to teaching that skill, he or she can write and word questions in a similar way to prepare students to answer the questions on the test.

"Teachers do know what's going to be tested. Districts have gone about changing curriculum and making sure textbooks and other materials assist teachers in teaching these key skills."

But he said that is not cheating.

"It is kind of like getting your driver's license. When you go in for the test, you know you will be asked to drive the car, to parallel park, to make a right-hand turn. You know the written test will be over information in the booklet.

"The MMAT is the same way," he said. "You know all the things that could be asked. The state doesn't test every single object. And tests vary from year to year."