I received my sons Iowa Tests scores and they are very low, should I be very concerned about this 1 test?
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Parent Answers to "I received my sons Iowa Tests scores and they are very low, should I be very concerned about this 1 test?"
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The IOWA test (ITBS) is a long-established, very reliable test. I would certainly take it seriously. It's a tool; use it to determine the necessity for further action regarding your child's education. Is the school rigorous? Do they require homework and lots of practice? Do they practice "social promotion," which ends up hurting the entire school?
The test--any test--is not perfect, but it's less apt to give subjective, sugar-coated assessments, as we teachers (being compassionate humans) are sometimes tempted to do in our grading.
Best of luck.
John
The test--any test--is not perfect, but it's less apt to give subjective, sugar-coated assessments, as we teachers (being compassionate humans) are sometimes tempted to do in our grading.
Best of luck.
John
Many people question the purpose and certainly the value of standardized testing. Standardized testing is a fairly new thing in history - let's remember that George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt, for example, never took any standardized test. Standardized tests were invented to process soldiers during World War II and were put into the educational process for the first time in the 1950s.
So what does it matter if someone doesn't do well on them for some people certainly don't. Any one who reads slowly or who thinks deeply is at a disadvantage when taking a standardized test. These kinds of tests were meant to be read fast and not over thought.
Do they really measure anything of value? There's questions about that too - doing well on standardized tests really means nothing more than that - you did well on the test. Sadly some colleges still use them for admissions purposes but that's been changing especially over the past few years. That your son did not do well on his first standardized test shouldn't concern you but that it might concern him. Children care very much about pleasing us, pleasing their teachers and doing well on the tests we give them. I taught my sons to take the standardized tests they were required to take but not to take their scores on them to heart.
So what does it matter if someone doesn't do well on them for some people certainly don't. Any one who reads slowly or who thinks deeply is at a disadvantage when taking a standardized test. These kinds of tests were meant to be read fast and not over thought.
Do they really measure anything of value? There's questions about that too - doing well on standardized tests really means nothing more than that - you did well on the test. Sadly some colleges still use them for admissions purposes but that's been changing especially over the past few years. That your son did not do well on his first standardized test shouldn't concern you but that it might concern him. Children care very much about pleasing us, pleasing their teachers and doing well on the tests we give them. I taught my sons to take the standardized tests they were required to take but not to take their scores on them to heart.
Basing all the facts on one test often times will not give you the true measure of your child's true ability. It might raise some red flags that you may want to bring to the attention of the teacher if scores are below average. These tests are to keep the schools accountable but not all children learn at the same pace or are at grade level.
Now if your child has been struggling in school on top of these low test scores you can always request for a full educational evaluation be conducted to rule out or uncover any learning disabilities.
Now if your child has been struggling in school on top of these low test scores you can always request for a full educational evaluation be conducted to rule out or uncover any learning disabilities.
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