Madelyne Huff- Questions to Consider (15.1)

Question (15.1) Turn to p. 559 in Ormrod’s text.  Now, imagine that you are meeting with Ingrid’s grandmother today to explain her scores on the recent standardized achievement test pictured at the bottom of p. 559.  What will you tell her about Ingrid’s performance? her strengths? her weaknesses? Even though this is not a criterion referenced test, if Ingrid’s grandmother asks you what she could be doing at home to help strengthen Ingrid’s skills, what will you suggest? 

     Based on the results from Ingrid's recent standardized achievement test, it seems safe to say that she excels in reading comprehension, science, and social studies.  In fact if I am reading the graph correctly, Ingrid is considered to be above or well above average in these three areas.  She is about average in her math concept skills, and like the majority of students, Ingrid struggles in other areas such as spelling and math computations.  When discussing Ingrid's scores with her grandmother, I would first begin by explaining that standardized tests are just one way we test our students.  I would say that while they are merely "snap shots" of students overall achievement, they let us see how Ingrid is doing in comparison with her peers.  Then I would probably tell her about Ingrid's strengths.  I would tell her how well she did on the reading comprehension, social studies, and science section.  I would tell her to keep up the good work and continue to practice these skills.  Second, I would discuss the math concept portion of the test.  I would tell her that her scores were average, which is not a bad thing.  Third, I would talk about the areas on the test that appeared to be more difficult for Ingrid.  I would mention again that not all students are great at taking tests, and that certain areas are harder for certain students.  I for one am horrible at taking tests, but that does not say anything about who I am as a person or my capabilities as a student.  It just means that I struggle with taking standardized tests.  Finally, I would conclude our meeting by working with Ingrid's grandmother to come up with things she could do at home to strengthen her test scores.  For example, since Ingrid has trouble with spelling, her grandmother could proofread her homework and check for spelling errors.  When she misspells a word, it might be helpful to have Ingrid write out the word three times in a row to build muscle memory.  Also, it might be useful to have a dictionary out while she is doing her homework.  Finally, when I was little, my mom made me put post-it notes on various objects around the house to improve my spelling skills.  Although it was time consuming, it helped me remember how to spell the words.  As far as math goes, Ingrid's grandmother can check her homework and go over the incorrect answers.  Or, I found mnemonic devices extremely helpful when trying to remember steps to a problem!