‘The Scores Do Not Tell the Whole Story’

The impending release of test scores from the statewide assessment program (STAR) includes results for California students in grades two through 11 on the Stanford Achievement Test, Ninth Edition (SAT 9), in language arts, mathematics, science and history/social studies. These data will provide valuable information about student learning for nearly 100,000 students in San Diego city schools and 4 million across California. While I welcome this opportunity to assess and report to our public what students know and are able to do, I also want to make sure that Californians understand how to interpret and use the test score data.

In this regard, I offer three cautions: 1) the scores do not tell the whole story; 2) the test scores must be used with other indicators to get an accurate assessment of student learning; 3) the test was given to students for whom it was not intended or designed.

The scores, by themselves, do not tell the complete story about how well a student measures up because the test does not assess all academic standards. For instance, a reading comprehension score on SAT 9 assesses how well students understand what they read. The score, however, does not tell you what students have read, what type of reading the student has done (fiction, nonfiction, poetry or public document, for example), and in what depth they have read.

The language arts scores on SAT 9 do not tell you how well students can write, a very important dimension of English language competency. In summary, the scores only provide a partial indication of what students know. You must look elsewhere and at other pieces of information to get the whole story.

My second caution builds on the first. To fully understand how well students are doing, you have to look at other indicators along with SAT 9 scores: grades, teacher-developed tests and samples of students’ classroom work. These additional measures would allow us to measure reading or writing in depth.

My final caution relates to who took the test. The test was designed for students who know English--students who understand, speak and read English at a proficient level. It was not intended or designed for students who are still mastering English, an increasing proportion of California’s and San Diego’s student population. By state mandate, however, the test was given to students who do not know English. In addition, the norms established by the test publisher are based on a group of students that is very different from those who took the test in California schools. Therefore, the comparisons which will be made across schools, districts and states will be flawed. Schools, districts and states with high percentages of students who are still learning English will be penalized.

In conclusion, I urge Californians to review the SAT 9 test scores carefully and factor in my cautions in drawing conclusions about how well the students of this state are measuring up. No high-stakes decisions about grade retention or graduation requirements or judgments about the quality of public education or the capacities of English language learners can be based on a single measure.