Testing More, Teaching Less - American Federation of Teachers

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approximately four hours to student testing time toaccount for administrative tasks with students—nearlya full day of instruction out of each school year.Online testing may require more time for administrativetasks with students even though test booklets,pencils and scoring sheets are not used. Pennsylvania’sinterim/benchmarking test, the ClassroomDiagnostic Tool (CDT), is an online computer adaptivetest. Before taking the CDT, students take onlineassessment tutorials (nine to 15 minutes) for eachcourse tested, and they are allowed to repeat thetutorial as often as desired or needed. Pennsylvaniarecommends giving students at least 20 minutes to gothrough all questions in the online tools training foreach course tested.For estimates of time spent on testing, our studyadds 20 minutes per testing session for administrativetasks with students. Table 2 shows the hours per gradeconsumed for administrative tasks with students thatneed to be added to the time students spend readingand answering test questions. In Eastern School District,students in many grades spend two full schooldays just on getting directions, handing out test booklets,handing in answer sheets and similar administrativeactivities.Table 2Time for Administrative Tasks with StudentsState-Mandated, Benchmarking and Local TestsMidwestern DistrictEastern DistrictSessions Hours Sessions HoursK 6 2.0 2 0.71 11 3.7 5 1.72 12 4.0 5 1.73 15 5.0 18 6.04 15 5.0 20 6.75 21 7.0 22 7.36 16 5.3 29 9.77 17 5.7 29 9.78 23 7.7 35 11.79 16 5.3 25 8.310 14 4.7 27 9.011 12 4.0 41 13.712 7 2.3 19 6.3Testing More, Teaching Less 17
Direct Cost of TestsCosts of Test Development and Implementation.A recent Brookings Institution study (Chingos,2012) calculated that states spent roughly $27annually per student tested on contracts for statemandatedtests. In another highly regarded study(Topol et al., 2012), the Assessments SolutionsGroup (ASG) calculated higher state costs than theBrookings study. Finding that the average currentstate spending on mathematics and ELA summativeassessments required by NCLB is approximately$25 per student tested, additional state spendingon non-NCLB required assessments (additional assessments,subjects and grades) added roughly $10per pupil tested. In addition, the ASG study concludedthat school districts are spending an averageof $15 to $20 or more per student on interim/benchmarking assessments. The combined costsof typical state and local spending on interim andsummative assessments in ELA and mathematicsare in the vicinity of $35 to $55 per pupil tested.Our study’s calculation of direct costs of testingapplies the ASG direct cost estimates for state-mandatedtests ($25 for ELA and math plus $10 for eachadditional test) and interim-benchmarking tests($20) to the testing regime in Midwestern and Easternschool districts. Additionally, our study addsthe direct costs of other local assessments based oncosts reported by the school districts or on pricescharged to school districts by the test developers onthe Internet. Appendix Tables A and B describe thegrade-by-grade, test-by-test direct cost estimates.Midwestern School District spent more than$80 per pupil tested in grades 5-6 and 8, butless than $60 per pupil in grades K-1 and 12.See Figure 2A.Eastern School District spent around $50 to$70 per pupil tested in most grades. Grade8 costs hit $80 per pupil, and grade 11 costssurpassed $100 per pupil tested. See Figure2B. CBAs are not included as a direct cost inFigure 2B because they are developed by districtteachers and staff rather than purchasedfrom a vendor.The direct cost of state testing in the two districtsrepresents less than 1 percent of per-pupil spendingon K-12 education. U.S. education spending averagesabout $11,000 per pupil in 2010-11 and reaches18 American Federation of Teachers
Page 1 and 2: Testing More,Teaching LessWhat Amer
Page 3 and 4: Randi WeingartenpresidentLorretta J
Page 5 and 6: ation. Instead, public policy and p
Page 8 and 9: Executive SummaryOBJECTIVESStudents
Page 10 and 11: associated interim/benchmarking tes
Page 12 and 13: The Testing LandscapeState-mandated
Page 14 and 15: Table 1BAssessment Inventory, Midwe
Page 16 and 17: Midwestern Public SchoolsTesting Ca
Page 18 and 19: added teacher assessment, class siz
Page 22 and 23: $20,000 per pupil in the highest-sp
Page 24 and 25: Instructional Time Lostto Test Prep
Page 26 and 27: proximately three hours per week. T
Page 28 and 29: Time Initiative estimated that incr
Page 30 and 31: ReferencesBruno, Robert, Steven Ash
Page 32 and 33: APPENDIXResearch on Time Used for T
Page 34 and 35: Appendix Table ADirect Cost of Asse
Page 36 and 37: Appendix Table CEstimated Hours of

Testing More, Teaching Less - American Federation of Teachers

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