APPENDIXResearch on Time Used for Test PreparationAlthough there is rich literature on test preparation,very little research exists on the time students spendpreparing for tests. Our study creates a rubric (Table4) for estimating test prep time based on findingsfrom two high-quality studies.Center for the Study <strong>of</strong> <strong>Testing</strong>, Evaluation, andEducational Policy. The 80-item survey <strong>of</strong> teachers(Pedulla et al., 2003) sought to ascertain teacher’attitudes and opinions about state-mandated testingprograms and then analyzed the data according tothe nature <strong>of</strong> the consequences or stakes attached totheir state test results. For districts, schools or teachers,high stakes refers to state-regulated or legislatedsanctions <strong>of</strong> significant consequence such as accreditation,financial rewards or placing a school inreceivership. The low-stakes category included stateswith testing programs that did not have any knownconsequences attached to test scores. If the stakesattached to the state tests did not meet the criteria <strong>of</strong>either the high- or low-stakes definitions, states wereplaced in the moderate category.Responding to the question, “Approximately howmany class hours PER YEAR do you spend preparingstudents specifically for the state-mandated test (i.e.,teaching test-taking skills)?” teachers responded asfollows:In high-stakes states, 13 percent <strong>of</strong> teachersspent 21-30 hours on test prep, and 44 percentdevoted more than 30 hours to test prep.In low-stakes states, 7 percent <strong>of</strong> teachers spent21-30 hours on test prep and 44 percent devotedmore than 10 hours to test prep.The study found that test prep practices vary withthe stakes attached to testing. Chosen from a list <strong>of</strong> testpreparation practices, the largest differences betweenteachers in high-stakes and low-stakes states are:“I provide students with items similar to those onthe test” (75 percent compared to 54 percent);“I provide test-specific preparation materialsdeveloped commercially or by the state” (63percent compared to 19 percent); and“I provide students with released items fromthe state-mandated test” (44 percent comparedto 19 percent).<strong>Teachers</strong> in high-stakes states were much morelikely to report that their districts required or recommendedsummer school for low-scoring students(43 percent compared to 8 percent), or retain studentsin grade (25 percent compared to 3 percent).Consortium on Chicago School Research: Thecenterpiece <strong>of</strong> Chicago’s high-stakes testing programimplemented in the late 1990s was a set <strong>of</strong>minimum test score standards on the reading andmathematics sections <strong>of</strong> the Iowa Test <strong>of</strong> Basic Skillsfor students in grades 3, 6 and 8. Students who didnot meet the test score cut<strong>of</strong>fs at the end <strong>of</strong> theschool year were required to participate in a specialsummer program.Survey data collected by the consortium (TepperJacob and Stone, 2005) showed that teachersdefined test preparation narrowly. <strong>Teachers</strong> didcount giving practice tests and teaching test-takingstrategies as test prep. <strong>Teachers</strong> did not count activitiesaligning content to the test as test prep. Half <strong>of</strong>the teachers, for instance, said they had aligned thecontent <strong>of</strong> their curriculum with the content <strong>of</strong> thetest, but only 4 percent included curriculum contentin what they considered “test preparation.” Based oninterviews, teachers viewed test preparation as themost effective way to improve test scores. <strong>Teachers</strong>used a variety <strong>of</strong> approaches to test prep emphasizing,above all, test simulation and familiarizationwith the layout and format.Data collected from teacher surveys beforeimplementation <strong>of</strong> the high-stakes social promotionpolicy in 1994, and after five years <strong>of</strong> implementationin 1999, yielded teacher estimations <strong>of</strong> timethey spent on test preparation:<strong>Testing</strong> <strong>More</strong>, <strong>Teaching</strong> <strong>Less</strong> 29
Test prep time doubled with the high-stakespressure. Before high-stakes testing, teachersspent 10.5 hours on test preparation comparedwith 21 hours five years into high-stakes testing.<strong>Teachers</strong> in the lowest-performing schoolsincreased test preparation from 14 hours priorto the high-stakes testing policy to 32 hours fiveyears into implementation.Impact was greater in high-stakes grades. Beforethe high-stakes testing regimen, 30 percent<strong>of</strong> teachers in high-stakes grades (grades 3, 6and 8) spent more than 20 hours on test prep.Five years into implementation, 65 percent <strong>of</strong>teachers spent more than 20 hours. Amongthird-grade teachers, test prep moved from anaverage <strong>of</strong> 14 hours to 31 hours.30 <strong>American</strong> <strong>Federation</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Teachers</strong>
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