Talking

AboutTestsAn Idea Book for State Leaders 

The National Education Goals Panel
It is if you are:

◆ Implementing a new state test and ready to communicate about the test and the underlying standards

with parents in your state so that they better understand and support these school improvement efforts.

◆ Looking for better ways of communicating your messages about standards and testing, whether or not

you are implementing a new test.

◆ Interested in creating reports of individual student test results that are more meaningful to parents.◆ Eager to help your state build the capacity to communicate with parents about the importance of

higher standards and the new tests.

Is This Idea Book for You?

as for state leaders on how to better

ues surrounding changes in statewide

er report the results of those assessments

ore meaningful.

ction I to learn more about the experi

licymaker when confronted with a new

time. Build your understanding of why

es do a better job of communicating

ues surrounding the state test.

on II for recommendations and exam

nts more aware of new tests, their pur

they may bring.

ction III for some ideas on how to better

rents so that they are more meaningful.

on IV for a description of five organiza

o better communication with parents.

e, the coalitions they have built, and the

uce to communicate to parents about

◆ Turn to the tab labeled Section V to find out suggestions from the

states with the best success communicating with parents.

◆ Go to the Appendices for a look at some annotated score reports

and a set of resources to assist you in improving communicationwith parents.

This Idea Book also presents a series of Close-ups that provide stories from states on a variety of issues concerning statewide testing,including:

◆ Reporting test scores using the media;◆ Evaluating communication tools;◆ Helping teachers to engage parents effectively; and◆ Negotiating with the test provider.

For more information, see the Table of Contents, which starts onpage vii.

How to Use This Idea Book
National Education Goals Panel

on Goals Panel (NEGP) is a unique bipartisan and intergovernmental body of federal and state officials creat

ess and report state and national progress toward achieving the National Education Goals. In 1994, the Goals

independent federal agency charged with monitoring and speeding progress toward the eight National

der the legislation, the Panel is charged with a variety of responsibilities to support systemwide reform,

◆ Reporting on national and state progress toward the Goals over a 10-year period;◆ Working to establish a system of high academic standards and assessments;◆ Identifying actions for federal, state, and local governments to take; and◆ Building a nationwide, bipartisan consensus to achieve the Goals.

de eight Governors, four members of Congress, four state legislators, and two members appointed by the

his report are available at no charge from:

National Education Goals Panel

1255 22nd Street, NW, Suite 502

Washington, DC 20037

Phone: 202/724-0015

Fax: 202/632-0957

E-mail: NEGP@ed.gov

e on-line at http://www.negp.gov

l Education Goals Panel. (1998). Talking about tests: An idea book for state leaders. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
The National Education Goals

iv

Goal 1: Ready to Learn

ear 2000, all children in America will start 

school ready to learn.

Goal 2: School CompletionBy the year 2000, the high school graduation rate will increase to at least 90 percent.

 3: Student Achievement and Citizenship

dents will leave grades 4, 8, and 12 having

y over challenging subject matter including

 foreign languages, civics and government,

nd geography, and every school in America

 learn to use their minds well, so they may

tizenship, further learning, and productive

ployment in our Nation’s modern economy.

Goal 4: Teacher Education and Professional DevelopmentBy the year 2000, the Nation’s teaching force will have access to programs for the continued improvement of their professional skills and theopportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to instruct andprepare all American students for the next century.
v

Goal 5: Mathematics and Science

ed States students will be first in the world 

in mathematics and science achievement.

Goal 6: Adult Literacy and Lifelong LearningBy the year 2000, every adult American will be literate and will possess the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in a global economy and exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

ined, and Alcohol- and Drug-free Schools

l in the United States will be free of drugs, 

d presence of firearms and alcohol and will 

iplined environment conducive to learning.

Goal 8: Parental ParticipationBy the year 2000, every school will promote partnerships that will increase parental involvement and participation in promoting the social, emotional, and academic growth of children.
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

OALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

x

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

2

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

MESSAGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

5

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

ess parents’ concerns up front. . . . . . . 7

m parents why the state is making 

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

parents to understand why scores 

ing and what will be done to 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

the new tests in perspective: 

tance of the new tests and don’t 

he more traditional tests. . . . . . . . . . 11

er questions thoughtfully 

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

de examples of what students 

e to do (and let parents know how 

 descriptions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

de examples of test questions and 

k (those that meet the standard, those

dard, and explanations as to why) . . 18

lear and concise language to 

void jargon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Recommendation 9: Provide tips for parents—suggestions 

they can use to encourage their children to develop their skillsand knowledge and improve their academic performance. . . . 21

What are the ways that states can communicate with parents? . . . 23Building mechanisms for dissemination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Using the parent-teacher conference and print media. . . . . . . . . . 26

Creating a powerful parent-teacher conference. . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Using the media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Evaluating your tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32SECTION III: MAKING

TEST

RESULTS

MORE

MEANINGFUL . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Interpretation guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Answering the questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39National comparisons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Answering question four: Helping parents to help their child

improve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Negotiating with the test provider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Interpretation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

SECTION IV: “MAKING

THINGS

WORK” AT THE

STATE

LEVEL . . . . . . . . 53

Delaware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54Maryland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Massachusetts Coalition for Higher Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57Partnership for Learning (Washington State) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Prichard Committee (Kentucky) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61SECTION V: CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63ENDNOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64APPENDIX A: ANNOTATED

SCORE

REPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

APPENDIX B: RESOURCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75APPENDIX C: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

vii

Table of Contents
ADVISORY GROUP ON REPORTING ASSESSMENT RESULTS

TO PARENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS PANEL STAFF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Close-ups: Stories from states on a variety of issues concerning

statewide testing

Close-up I: Strategies to help districts build public 

support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Close-up II: Reporting to parents—Lessons from Georgia . . . 6

Close-up III: Other ways to communicate—Lessons from 

Florida and Kentucky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Close-up IV: Helping teachers engage parents effectively—

Lessons from Kentucky. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Close-up V: Promoting better communication via the parentteacher conference—Lessons from the 

Thompson School District (Loveland, CO) . . . . 29

Close-up VI: Reporting test scores using the media—

Lessons from Indiana and Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Close-up VII: Evaluating communication tools—Lessons 

from Cincinnati . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Close-up VIII: Reporting test scores so they make sense to

parents—Lessons from Washington State . . . . . 37

Close-up IX: Negotiating with the test provider—Lessons 

from Delaware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

State Examples: Illustrate the Recommendations in Sections II 

and III

Example 1: A School Assignment for All Oregonians:

Transforming Oregon Schools to Prepare 

Students for the 21st Century . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Example 2: The School District of Philadelphia “Dear 

Parents” letter (Pennsylvania). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Example 3: Starting Now (Massachusetts Coalition for 

Higher Standards). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Example 4: Here’s the Truth (Partnership for Learning,

Washington State). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Example 5: Understanding the New 4th- and 7th-Grade 

Tests (Washington State). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Example 6: Fact Sheet 6 (Maryland) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Example 7: Coalition Update (Massachusetts Coalition 

for Higher Standards) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Example 8: The New Massachusetts Test for Students. . . . . 14

Example 9: A Parent’s Guide to Student Achievement

(Gwinnett County, Georgia) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Example 10: Fact Sheet on Twelfth-grade Mathematics 

(Ohio) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Example 11: West Virginia’s Instructional Goals & 

Objectives: 1st Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Example 12: Understanding the New 4th- and 7th-Grade 

Tests (Washington State). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Example 13: Grade 4 Performance Assessment: Interpretation

Guide for Families (Rhode Island) . . . . . . . . . . 20

Example 14: Now Your Child Has Good Reason to Act 

Like a Know-It-All (Partnership for Learning,

Washington State). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Example 15: Michigan Educational Assessment Program 

4th Grade Essential Skills Mathematics 

Test Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Example 16: Parent Handbook for Better Schools 

(Maryland) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Example 17: Edmonds School District Calendar 

(Washington State). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Example 18: Kentucky Instructional Results Information

System test item. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

viii
 (Tampa Tribune, Florida). . . . . . . . . 32

Results at a Glance (Maryland) . . . . 36

ducational Assessment Program 

Essential Skills Mathematics 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

tudent Performance Report . . . . . . . 41

chool District Level Test Report

n State) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

al Assessment Program Individual

port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

ssessment Program Student 

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Example 26: Delaware Student Testing Program Score 

Report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Example 27: Connecticut Mastery Testing Program Grade 8

Parent/Student Diagnostic Report . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Example 28: Oklahoma Grade 5 Parent Report . . . . . . . . . . . 49Example 29: Delaware Student Testing Program Score 

Report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Example 30: Michigan Educational Assessment Program 

4th Grade Essential Skills Mathematics Test Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Example 31: Rhode Island Mathematics Performance

Assessment Individual Student Report . . . . . . . 51

ix
x

tive Summary

dents should know and be able to do 

reas are being developed or revised

t states are attempting to align their

at people know the extent to which

lic reporting of this achievement infor

 aspect of most states’ accountability

th these efforts. They are convinced that

ting enough from their students, and as

rt for proposals to set clearer and higher

ut of 10 Americans believe that these

d by tests. But more often than not,

ing how these improvement efforts will

r schools, most parents have been left in

enda report, Reality Check, found that

k a solid grasp of their schools’ academic

mation essential to properly evaluate how

ols are doing.”

h parents about these issues is critical.

and made a part of the improvement

hey are more likely to be the catalyst

e more likely to support their school’s

ctional changes necessary to meet

e issues, state leaders should start 

y the state is moving toward higher

 standards are?

 goals of the tests and what information

 not designed) to yield?

◆ Do parents know what types of test questions will be on the

assessment that is linked to the standards? Do they recognize good(and not-so-good) student performance on these questions?

◆ Do parents understand that the scores might be lower than those

on the previous tests? Do they understand why?

◆ Do parents understand what to do with the results once they

receive them?

It may not be necessary to provide all of the different types of

information listed above. Determining what is best for the parents inyour state will depend on the type of assessment system your stateuses—it’s not a one-size-fits-all. But the best combination will also be

To simplify the complicated messages about the need for higher standards and the newtests designed to measure the standards, the Goals Panel recommends the following:Strategic Recommendations:◆ Recommendation 1: Address parents’ concerns up front (page 7);◆ Recommendation 2: Inform parents why the state is making these changes

(page 7);

◆ Recommendation 3: Help parents to understand why scores may be low in

the beginning and what will be done to improve scores over time (page 9);

◆ Recommendation 4: Place the new tests in perspective: don’t overstate the

importance of the new tests and don’t overstate the failings of the more traditional tests (page 11);

◆ Recommendation 5: Answer questions thoughtfully and honestly (page 13).Content Recommendations:◆ Recommendation 6: Provide examples of what students need to know and

be able to do (and let parents know how they can obtain complete descriptions) (page 16);

◆ Recommendation 7: Provide examples of test questions and examples of

student work (those that meet the standard, those that do not meet the standard, and explanations as to why) (page 18);

◆ Recommendation 8: Use clear and concise language to define technical

terms; avoid jargon (page 21);

◆ Recommendation 9: Provide tips for parents—suggestions they can use to

encourage their children to develop their skills and knowledge and improvetheir academic performance (page 21).
xi

e parents in your state—through the use

ace-to-face communication.

ssages about the need for higher stan

d to measure the standards be simplified?

t states need to simplify these messages

h background and context (strategic rec

tion (content recommendations). The

sted on the previous page will assist

nformation parents will want to better

nding the state tests and how that 

nted; the content recommendations will

t how to make that information clear

(e.g., examples of standards, test items,

aningful

 test, parents want to know the results.

rmation through an individual student

dual student score reports are not very

ports provide too little information.

Parents may have ahard time determining their child’s performance with just apercentile rank, apercentage of questions answered correctly, or a termdescribing a level ofachievement, if thereis no description ofwhat these numbersor words mean. Inother cases, thesereports provide too

much detail and leave parents uninformed as to how their child performed. Translating an individual child’s performance on a state testrequires a balance between providing too little information and toomuch information.

Determining how best to answer these questions and design a score

report that clearly and helpfully communicates the test performancerequires listening to those who would be most interested in thisinformation. It is helpful to recognize that there is a link betweeninforming parents and reporting to parents. For parents to understandtest scores, they wantanswers to a host ofquestions, including: Why did my childtake this test? Whatare the standards?What did this testlook like? What doesit mean to “meet thestandard”? Essentially,parents want states toprovide the information consistent withthe nine recommendations listed on theprevious page.

The purpose of this Idea Book is to help you more clearly inform

parents about state improvements in testing and the underlying academic expectations and, more clearly—and more meaningfully—report the results of those tests to parents.

ng too little

on on individual

mends that states

do?

s or knowledge

eflect?

 perform in com

 school, district,

 are available—

 help my child

States with the best success communicating withparents suggest the following:◆ Listen to the parents in your community.◆ Use clear and concrete language.◆ Take the time to plan.◆ Ensure a consistent message.◆ Coordinate with others.◆ Realize that improving your communication

efforts will take resources.

◆ Recognize that moving toward a standardsbased system takes political will.
Talking About Tests: An Idea Book for State Leaders

1

ten take a set of trips around the state which 

rip I took to Greeley, Colorado, in November

sults of a new standards-based assessment of

e tests showed that only a little more than half of

 better in reading; less than a third could meet

 upset many Coloradans, particularly in

erformed to the state average; this came as a

to reports that their students were “above the

ts and teachers progressed, I heard many frus

e not due to the state’s move to a standards

ed the idea of establishing benchmarks for what

 to do and evaluating their performance on that

elves that proved troubling; most of the parents

ecognized—better than I did—the challenges

was frustrated with the lack of information

 meant. They wanted more than just an individ

es of test items, sample student responses, and

r children succeed. The parents believed this

s of the test meaningful and provide them with

achieve to higher levels.

ed for me that standards and assessments will

n understand and interpret them.

Roy Romer, Spring 1998.

aker’s perspective...

Much of my anxiety as a parent reflected the fact that this new test came aboutwith little advance warning. For many years, the state had used the same test, atraditional multiple-choice, basic-skills test in reading, mathematics, science, andsocial studies. Our district had done very well in previous years; reading scoreswere the third highest in the state.This year though, the state moved to implement higher standards for student performance, just as other states across the country were doing. As part of that effort,the state was looking to change its testing program to reflect these higher standards for students. The subject area the state decided to change first was mathematics. Once a test was chosen, a notice was sent home indicating that all students would be taking a new 90-minute test the following month.The notice used the word “performance test” but did not explain what was meantby the term. No explanation was given as to how this test was going to be different from the test used in prior years. There was no indication of the types of questions my child would be asked, what would be considered “good” work, or howthese questions would be scored. In fact, I didn’t even know what my child wasexpected to know in math—or where I could go to find out.Once I received my child’s individual score, I had even more questions. Forstarters, I didn’t know what the report was telling me. For all the numbers andwords on the one-page report, not one word indicated whether my daughter hadactually done “okay.” The report did use the term “proficient” but nowhere wasthat term defined. From what I could tell, it did not look as though she had donevery well; I was confused by that and concerned, because she had done so well inprevious years. I wasn’t prepared for a lower score. And I didn’t understand howthe results of this test would be used with other district and classroom testing information. In addition, comparisons were not provided, nor was I told where I couldgo for information on how well other districts and schools were doing across thestate. I didn’t know what I could do to help my daughter improve—I wanted additional information so that I could better understand how to help her move to ahigher level of achievement.Adapted from an article that appeared in Education Week on May 14, 1997, by

Robert Rothman.

A parent’s perspective...

S E C T I O N I: PERSPECTIVES
ls Panel has created this Idea Book for

have their questions answered and their

ew testing program. They will better

sults, and know what to do with these

with strategies to more effectively com

hat they have the information and

bout the new testing program.

s should know and be able to do in the

developed or revised throughout the

mpting to align their tests to these stan

he extent to which standards are being

 achievement information has become a

accountability systems.3

th these efforts. They are convinced that

ting enough from their students, and as

rt for proposals to set clearer and higher

ut of 10 Americans believe that these

d by tests.5 But more often than not,

ing how these improvement efforts will

r schools, most parents have been left in

genda report, Reality Check, found that

k a solid grasp of their schools’ academic

mation essential to properly evaluate how

ols are doing.”6 As the accounts on the

nts have concerns, they are confused,

hey want answers.

Clear communication with parents about these issues is critical

because parents are important for the acceptance and success of anyimprovement effort.7 If parents are well informed and made a part of

the improvement effort from the beginning, they are more likely tobe the catalyst needed for change—they are more likely to supporttheir school’s goals and to demand the instructional changes necessary to meet those goals.

To address these issues, state leaders should start asking themselves:

◆ Do parents understand why the state is moving toward higher

standards?

◆ Do parents know what the standards are?◆ Do parents understand the goals of the tests and what information

the tests are designed (and not designed) to yield?

◆ Do parents know what types of test questions will be on the

assessment that is linked to the standards? Do they recognize good(and not-so-good) student performance on these questions?

◆ Do parents understand that the scores might be lower than those

on the previous tests? Do they understand why?

◆ Do parents understand what to do with the results once they

receive them?

Report design and audienceThis report is designed to help state leaders begin to answer criticalquestions about their assessment systems. Section II examines howstates can more effectively inform parents so that they become moreaware of and better understand state efforts to improve standards andcreate new assessments. Section III examines how states can more

effectively and meaningfully report individual results of statewidestudent assessments to parents. Section IV highlights state agenciesand other organizations that are performing these functions well.

The intended audience for this report is state policymakers who

shape the testing program and report the results—governors, statelegislators, chief state school officers and their testing staff, and stateboards of education. It is also addressed to those outside govern2

eacher Association definition of “parent”: the adults who

e, since other adults—grandparents, aunts, uncles, step

mary responsibility for a child’s education, development, 
3

CLOSE-UP I:

States and school districts across the country have learned that even the best education reform plans fail without significant levels of public support. As states anddistricts adopt rigorous academic standards, assessments, and accountabilitymeasures, a strategic communications plan should be in place. A communicationsplan not only places everyone—stakeholders, policymakers, and district-levelstaff—on the same page; it also serves as a blueprint for building public supportfor quality education throughout the state.The key to improved communications—states to districts and districts to states—isfor states to share the communications plan with districts, including superintendents, communications directors, assessment directors, teacher unions and leadership, and parent and community organizations. States need to let districts knowthat a plan is in place and that there is a role for them to play in the journey tohigher standards, better assessments, and increased accountability.States can help districts to achieve these goals by providing them with a variety of tools. These tools can foster consistent and clear communication with parentsabout standards and assessments, as well as help encourage more meaningfulconversations between school and home. They are intended to perform a variety of functions:◆ Demonstrating to districts that the commitment to improved communications is

a priority by dedicating time, resources, and expert personnel to communicatingstandards and results.

◆ Developing clear and concise messages with no educational jargon and providing these messages in a series of fact sheets for districts and local schools 

to discuss and distribute to parents, teachers, and other stakeholders on suchtopics as

• The need for developing state-level standards and assessments;• How-to’s for improving student performance results;• Test-taking tips for students and parents;• Suggested guides for parent-teacher conferences; and• Clearly stated and illustrated standards and examples of test questions.

◆ Encouraging assessment and communications staffs (state and districts) to work

together to improve communications to students, parents, and teachers.

◆ Involving district communications directors in developing and evaluating 

communications tools. 

Strategies to help districts build public support

others—who have a stake in building

g about the school improvement efforts

ections II and III show how some

nication pieces targeted toward parents,

igh standards and more rigorous tests;

rds and good performance;

ents so that achievement can improve;

in a more meaningful way.

n the advice of state, local, and federal

C), many of whom are seeking better

nd their children’s test results and the

ate’s academic expectations. These offi

ve set of existing materials sent from the

hief state school officers. Examples in

o endorse states or to offer perfect illus

ht the “real-world” practices currently in

wn documents, they must work hard 

d jargon and are understandable to 

ation

not communicate alone—that commu

rrounding state assessments needs to

h local leaders. That is why this report

how states can strengthen their rela

ist them in building public support

ol improvement efforts aimed at raising

gher, and increasing accountability (see
combination of the following:

andards, assessments, and accountability

o ask their child’s teacher to help them work

vide information to parents

minute changes

urce guides on standards and assessments

y individuals (the Chief State School Officer, 

ers

uch as:

rms 

s communicating results honestly, clearly, and in a

e turnaround time from the state offices to the dis

stricts with a number of tools to assist districts in

g their results.

The Ohio Department of Education recently released a toolkit, Putting the PiecesTogether...A Communications Toolkit for the Local Report Card, to help districts designand implement their communications regarding local report cards. The toolkit contains a number of materials including:

◆ Fact sheets◆ Local report card prototypes◆ Frequently asked questions◆ Questions to consider (questions that districts are likely to hear from the 

community)

◆ Talking points◆ Suggestions on how to get parents and families more involved in school 

improvement efforts

◆ A technical definitions manual (providing the background information on 

how each data element is calculated)

For more information on Ohio’s toolkit, contact the Ohio Department of Education at614/466-3641, or visit their web site at www.ode.ohio.gov. 

4

OSE-UP I:

districts build public support 

continued)
5

nderestimate the confusion about new

t higher standards. Parents come to the

nd a lot of anxieties. Simplifying these

ways easy; in fact, creating a document

want to read is difficult.

d messages be sim

in the purpose of

 standards? The

es need to simpli

 by providing

t (strategic rec

tion (content rec

c recommenda

states in deter

ents want and

 be presented.

ns will assist states in thinking about

n clear through the use of examples

test items, and student responses).

ess parents’ concerns up front;

m parents why the state is making these

parents to understand why scores may

nd what will be done to improve scores

 the new tests in perspective: don’t over

re traditional tests and don’t overstate

 tests;

◆ Recommendation 5: Answer questions thoughtfully and honestly,

such as:• What are the standards?• Who set the standards?• What are the consequences of the assessment?• How are the results of the assessment going to be used?• What if my child has special needs?• When is the assessment scheduled? How much class time will

it take?

• Where can I get more information?

Content recommendations:

◆ Recommendation 6: Provide examples of what students need to

know and be able to do (and let parents know how they canobtain complete descriptions);

◆ Recommendation 7: Provide examples of test questions and examples of student work (those that meet the standard, those that do

not meet the standard, and explanations as to why);

◆ Recommendation 8: Use clear and concise language to define

technical terms; avoid jargon;

◆ Recommendation 9: Provide tips for parents—suggestions they

can use to encourage their children to develop their skills andknowledge and improve their academic performance.

It is probably not necessary to provide all of the different types of

information listed above. Determining the best combination of information for the parents in your state will depend on the type ofassessment system in your state—it’s not a one-size-fits-all. But thebest combination of information will also be determined by listening

to the parents in your state—through the use of surveys, focusgroups, or face-to-face communication.

Georgia is an example of a state that listened. In January 1996,

the Georgia Department of Education released its first annualreport card. Titled The Georgia Public Education Report Card, it provided data on Georgia’s 180 school systems and 1,800 schools forthe 1994-95 school year. Although the public received the reportcard enthusiastically, concerns soon became apparent. In responseto those concerns, and realizing that input from parents would be

ying the Message

CTION II:

Some simple ways to be simple:◆ include graphics and

pictures;

◆ use large print;◆ use jargon sparingly and

define what you mean;

◆ aim to an 8th-grade

reading level;

◆ keep it short.
6

OSE-UP II:

partment of Education released its first annual

ts school systems and schools for the 1994-95

eport card data enthusiastically, concerns soon

m parents suggested that the amount of data on

general public and that ways for parents to use the

s indicated that they preferred information about

mat. The department therefore decided to produce

he 1995-96 school year. One format would be an

e data (with accompanying definitions for educa

ed exclusively for parents.

reating a document to meet their needs. A series

arents was held throughout the state. Participants

overriding questions throughout the focus group

arents want and need about their child’s school?

derstandable format? 3) What other data elements

want included on a report card specifically

 groups with parents included the following:

ise, easy-to-read document that provided general

ocument should encourage parents to feel more

mulate questions about the programs in the

ctively involved in their child’s education.

◆ Parents wanted a simple, one-page document reporting only the data deemed

most important. The majority of parents would not read a comprehensive document.

◆ Parents wanted the document to be titled “Report Card for Parents” to encourage

all parents to become more knowledgeable about their child’s school.

◆ Parents overwhelming agreed that data presented in both graphics and text formats would be more easily understood.◆ Parents wanted all state-mandated test information reported. They were particularly interested in data showing comparisons with other schools in their system, 

the state, and the nation. Parents generally did not understand the differencesbetween norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests. They wanted the text to include an explanation of the purpose of the tests and of the scoring.

The Georgia Department of Education took the results of the focus groups anddeveloped the Report Card for Parents beginning with the 1995-96 school year. The

department produced and distributed 200 copies of the report card to each of thestate’s 1,800 schools. The document was produced on legal-size paper folded inhalf, making it easy to duplicate. Schools were encouraged to produce additionalcopies of the report card as needed and to send it to parents. The report card wasalso produced in an electronic format. Both versions of the report card—the morecomprehensive data report and the Report Card for Parents—were included on a

CD-ROM and on the department’s web page at www.doe.k12.ga.us. Reactions toboth versions have been extremely positive and resulted in the department continuingto develop and produce two formats of The Georgia Public Education Report Card.For more information, contact the Georgia Department of Education at 404/656-2800 orvisit their web site at www.doe.k12.ga.us.

nts—Lessons from Georgia

ds, the department conducted a series

ut school report cards also applies to the

hich is further discussed in Section III);

what parents consider important and in

e time to listen, Georgia was able to rec

d what parents were asking for—to have

comparative information, definitions, graphs, and text, all on a simple, one-page document—and acknowledge that these conflictingdemands present challenges in creating reports that meet parents’expectations.

For details on the inconsistencies Georgia found and the questions

asked, see Close-up II.
parents’ concerns up front

issues that in some states have provoked

ecially what the test covers and how the

 cases, these concerns may go beyond

questions” (see Recommendation 5).

 before they actually become “concerns”

ms later, such as once the test has been

has begun. Some concerns states may

up front include the following:

sics, such as spelling, grammar, punctua

bles?

 multiple correct answers?

—do they reflect the judgments of the

child’s abilities?

system test values and attitudes?

r racially biased?

sed to track children and invade family

e test, will he/she not be promoted to

she not be able to graduate)?

School Assignment for All Oregonians:

 to Prepare Students for the 21st

ided to parents about “Oregon’s school

le 1).

arents why the state is making these

why the state is moving toward a system

her tests is to provide hard facts. States

e status quo is no longer good enough.

Scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress(NAEP), if your state participates, or recent polling or focus groupdata can provide that information. But numbers will not necessarilyspeak for themselves. States need to answer the question—how willthese changes help my child?—by connecting the data to people’slives. States should be clear that current achievement levels are notsufficient to allow students to get a good job or succeed in college—higher achievement is necessary. The link between preparing children for the future and the higher standards and new tests needs to be explicit.

The example on the next page comes from the cover of the

Philadelphia school district’s pamphlet on the SAT-9 for parents. It underscores for parents the link between high expectations andbetter results and drives home the point that the assessment isimportant.

7

Example 1

For more information, contact the Oregon Department of Education at 503/378-3573 orvisit their web site at www.ode.state.or.us.
8

For more information, contact the Philadelphia School District’s Office of Communications at 215/299-7850.

Example 2
s another example of a state linking the

d the new tests in preparing children for

Massachusetts Coalition for Higher

the Boston Globe indicated that Mass

rch Institute (the group that manages

for Higher Standards) “has shown 

imagination in pinpointing the kind of information most needed by students, teachers, parents, and others and has been resourceful inspreading the word.”Recommendation 3: Help parents to understand why scores may below in the beginning and what will be done to improve scores overtimeThe experience of many states shows that initial scores on new statetests are likely to be low. All parents, especially those who are usedto their child scoring in the 90th percentile or higher, will need toknow to expect something lower. Parents need to know that the testsare tough. They need to know that lower scores are not, in and ofthemselves, bad—but that they represent a picture of achievementmeasured against higher standards. States need to explain that thesetests provide information that will help teachers and principals todetermine where a student is academically strong and where additional work and support are needed. Most important, states need toremind parents that these changes will take time to make their wayinto every classroom, while providing a realistic picture of howquickly these changes are being implemented. Parents need to beassured that, over time, these changes will make a positive differencein their child’s education and that instruction will improve for allstudents.

The example on the next page, taken from the Washington State

Partnership for Learning’s brochure Here’s the Truth, addresses this

issue.

9

Example 3

chusetts Coalition for Higher Standards, see

 617/492-0580 or at insight@massinsight.com.
10

Example 4

ership for Learning, see Section IV, or contact the Partnership at 206/625-9655 or visit their web site at www.partnership-wa.org.
 new tests in perspective: don’t overstate

ts and don’t overstate the failings of the

more traditional tests and the new tests

ontest between “good” and “bad.” Many

ational value in more traditional tests—

orried when told that the newer tests

new tests may not have clear advantages

hey may measure a broader range of

dge, and they may also use more sub

ts show what they know (e.g., written

ation). But they may also have disadvan

are more expensive, and they don’t nec

risons.

ifferences between the more traditional

ough a chart that lists the differences.

tanding the New 4th- and 7th-Grade

ashington State Commission on Student

11

Example 5

For more information, contact the Washington Commission on Student Learning at360/664-3155 or visit their web site at csl.wednet.edu.
12

 information in a fact sheet from the

act Sheet 6 answers the following

Example 6

mation, contact the Maryland State Department of Education at 410/767-0473.
 the MCAS test to spur improveen previous statewide standard

 with previous rounds of education

ubt that the state standards and

oduce significant results. Many fear

nly serve to once again stigmatize

 new program, however, is more

vious reform efforts. Unlike previ

ts:

d on the skills needed in today’s

 economy. Research and experience

spond to higher expectations.

ailed results, which teachers and

prove their teaching and curricu

ave broad indications of school

CAS tests will give specific informa

and each skill tested.

y mechanisms, including a gradua

t are making schools and students

harder for improvements.

m set of state academic standards

ool student is learning. Previous

out 50-60 percent of each local

Q & A

n for Higher Standards chose to provide

es between their old test and their new

 in their Coalition Update newsletter:

13

Coalition, see Section IV, or contact the Coalition

assinsight.com.

Recommendation 5: Answer questions thoughtfully and honestlyAlmost all states use the Q&A format to provide answers to morecommonly asked questions about their new testing programs.Examples differ among states but it is critical to select questions that are important to parents, and to frame the answers in clear and simple language. Educational jargon should be used sparingly,and terms should be well defined.

Questions may include:

• What are the standards?• Who set the standards?• What are the consequences of the assessment?• How are the results of the assessment going to be used?• What if my child has special needs?• When is the assessment scheduled? How much class time 

will it take?

• Where can I get more information?

The example on the following page answers questions of this type

and is reprinted from the Massachusetts Department of Education’sThe New Massachusetts Test for Students.

Example 7
14

Example 8

sachusetts Department of Education at 781/388-3300 or visit their web site at www.doe.mass.edu.

nd

wide testing

ion Reform Law of

esting program iswell students are

rning standards in

 In 1998, students

h language arts,

and technology. A

test will be added

ages test will be

 with an amendment

tion

red to take

 grade students in

ols will take the

cludes students in

rter schools.

t

e tests take?

ered in 45 minute

ence & technology

rades 4 & 8, and 4

 English language

 reading and writ

ions. Schools will

 which to conduct

udget about 2 sessions per day, and allow time for make-up sessions. This amount of testing time is nec- essary because (1) the test includes open- ended questions which require significant time; (2) enough questions need to be asked to produce reliable student level reports; and (3) ample time is built into each ses- sion for all students to complete and check their work. Results Will fourth or eighth graders be denied promotion to the next grade if they do poorly on the tests? Beginning in May 1998, students in grades 4, 8, and 10 will be tested, and given individ- ual scores. Promotion policies are local decisions. The statewide test should not be the only evaluation of a student’s perform- ance. What happens to tenth grade students who do not pass the tests? Beginning in the year 2001, students will be required to pass the 10th grade test to grad- uate. Students will have multiple opportuni- ties to retake any part of the test they do not pass. Will any special services or pro- grams be offered to students who score poorly on the tests? Support for students who score poorly on the tests will be a local responsibility. Schools will consider a range of approaches, from improving and supplementing instruction dur- ing the normal school day to providing oppor- tunities for intense assistance after school, during the summer and other times. Will parents be informed of their children’s results? Yes. Parents will receive their children’s test scores. Will the state publish any of the test questions after the test results are returned? Yes. After each administration of the state test, many of the questions will be made available to the public. In the case of open- ended questions, sample questions and answers illustrating a full range of responses (from low to high performance) will also be made available. ★ How do I find out more about the new learning standards, the curricu- lum frameworks, and the new tests? Every school and public library in the Commonwealth has copies of the learning stan- dards and curriculum frameworks. In addition, you may visit the Department of Education’s website at www.doe.mass.edu to review the curriculum frameworks and find out more about the new testing program. Or write or call the Department of Education at 350 Main St., Malden, MA 02148 (781-388-3300) and we will be happy to assist you.
from The Gwinnett County Public

tudent Achievement.

15

o succeed in school and you want to help in any

of this brochure—to give you, parents, a clear

e expected to learn in Gwinnett’s schools, how that

n help your child, and how to get your questions

ett County Public Schools has combined a rigorous

and reliable testing to form a comprehensive

 helped us create. Keep reading so you can be a

d’s “teaching team.”

cellence in academic knowledge, skills, and behav

easured improvement against local, national, and

that we are committed to your child’s academic

me frequently asked questions regarding student

culum, so special?

lls, AKS, was developed by teachers with input

s what parents and teachers feel is essential for

rea at each grade level. The AKS provides a

organized in a way that makes it easy for everyone

learned in Gwinnett’s classrooms.

 the curriculum across the district. Although how

 to class and school to school, what students learn

 grader in any school in any teacher’s class is

econd graders in Gwinnett. The same is true for

 in any course. The AKS ensures it.

if he’s learning the AKS as well as he should?acher is expected to teach, the many ways that a

should tell her something about how he is pro

 projects, reports, quizzes, homework, and daily

classwork. More specific information will come from the Progress Checks in grades1, 2 and 6, and from the Gateway tests in grades 4, 5, 7, 8, and 10.In addition, teachers have learned about the AKS and the Gateway tests throughstaff development and faculty workshops. Particular resources they have asked for,such as sample test items and AKS checklists, have been provided. And technology isplaying a bigger and bigger role in helping them teach the AKS and monitor howwell their students are performing. Gwinnett employs the finest teachers in the profession, and we’re equipping them well for their all-important work with our students.Students are so different as individuals. Will the AKS work for them all?The AKS offers a base of academics, a foundation for learning that teachers build onfor each student. Certainly, students come to school with different educational backgrounds, learning styles, and ability levels. Many even speak a different language.Yet all students will need to learn the essential knowledge and skills included in theAKS in order to be successful in life.So, the difference should not be in what we expect students to learn, but in how wewill teach the AKS and how much time some students will need to learn them. Weare working now to identify the most effective ways of teaching the AKS to studentswith special needs. After the trial runs of the Gateway tests in the spring of 1998 and1999, we will have a better idea of how many students will need extra help, andwhat kind of help will be needed.The concept of the Gateway tests and no social promotion is a little scary. What ifmy daughter doesn’t pass?Be assured we want your child to succeed, not fail. That’s why we developed theAKS and Gateway structure in the first place. It tells everyone what students shouldbe learning and provides checkpoints along the way to make sure they are doing so.Most students will be well-prepared for the Gateway tests through their regular classroom learning. We are working with reputable test developers to make sure theseimportant tests match our curriculum. And we’ve spent a lot of time “testing thetests” in trial runs with our own students.

Example 9
xamples of what students need to know

rents know how they can obtain complete

he test is testing. Whether your state

urriculum framework,” or “goals” to

t a student should know and be able to

this information is effective in helping

 test is all about. In most cases, parents

y standard (and it will be impossible to

include complete sets of standards in an easy-to-read communicationpiece), but they will want to know where to go (such as a locallibrary or web address) or where to call for a more complete set ofthe standards.

In Ohio’s Fact Sheet on Twelfth-grade Mathematics, the learning outcomes are presented in five strands—arithmetic, measurement, data

analysis, algebra/functions, and geometry. These represent the mathematical abilities students are expected to possess and use by the timethey complete high school. On the following page is the descriptionOhio gave parents for arithmetic and measurement.

16

Gateway test on the first try, she will have the

 retest. But first, her teacher and school will work

to be her trouble spots. She may need to spend

aught the information in a different way. Many

ed and will be provided to help her succeed.

ot be able to pass the Gateway even after extensive

nd future success in school, these students will be

 and knowledge they need through an additional

he 10th grade Gateway test will be required for

eral opportunities to retake the test before the end

e better for my child?

 Is it important for students, parents, and teachers

n the classroom? Should all Gwinnett schools be

accountable for providing each student a world-class education? Does it make senseto have consistent standards for teachers to use in planning instruction, interventions,and extensions for students? As a parent, do you want to know with confidence thatwhen your child graduates, he is well prepared for whatever path he will take next?If you feel as we do, you answered ”Yes” to these questions—and in essence havefound the answer to your own.Who can answer my questions on the AKS, Gateway tests, and my child’s education?If you have a question on the AKS or academic achievement in Gwinnett CountyPublic Schools, the best place to start is your local school. Specific questions or concerns about the education of your child should be directed first to your child’steacher. In addition, your school principal can provide a school-level perspective.Questions of a systemwide nature can be answered by the Center for EducationalPrograms at 770/513-6619.

nnett County Public Schools at 770/963-8651 or visit their web site at www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us.

Example 9 (continued)
17

Example 10

 information, contact the Ohio Department of Education at 614/466-0223 or visit their web site at www.ode.ohio.gov.
18

ures targeted toward parents for chil

xample, the 1st grade brochure lists the

tives in six different subject areas: math

ts, science, health education, social stud

tandards presented for English/language

Recommendation 7: Provide examples of test questions and examplesof student work (those that meet the standard, those that do not meetthe standard, and explanations as to why) Including test questions and examples of student work are critical toany communications document; they enliven explanations of thestandards and flesh out abstractions such as “rigor” and “challenging.” In addition, they also provide parents with an idea of what thetest will actually look like.

Including examples of student work that meet a standard (and

examples that do not meet a standard) allows parents to internalizewhat “good” and “not-so-good” work looks like. Explaining howanswers are rated and scored helps parents understand what kinds ofimprovements are needed. Examples can help alleviate some common concerns about the new tests, such as how a mathematics problem will be scored if the student applies the correct concepts andapplications but incorrectly calculates the final number. Finally, providing examples of test items and corresponding student work, inaddition to the standard that the item tests, creates a powerful communications tool.

Unfortunately, few communications documents manage to bring

together the standard, the test item, and sample student responsesthat reflect a range of work. Many include only sample test items. A few states make teacher guides to the tests available for parents.These guides often include descriptions of the scoring method, scoring criteria, and student examples that reflect each of those criteria.However, rarely are these documents useful to parents.

Two states that are trying to bring at least two of these three pieces

together for parents are Rhode Island and Washington. TheWashington State Commission on Student Learning has published aguide titled Understanding the New 4th- and 7th-Grade Tests, which

provides parents with test questions from the three areas tested: reading, writing, and mathematics. It provides an overview of each test’sgoals and explains how the tests will be scored. On the followingpage is an example of a 4th grade mathematics question, actual student answers, and a description of how the answers are rated.

xample 11

 Virginia Department of Education’s web site at
19

hington Commission on Student Learning at 360/664-3155 or visit their web site at csl.wednet.edu.

Example 12
20

formance Assessment: Interpretation 

imilar information. In addition to 

response and an analysis of that

response, the guide explains the standard that the item is testing.Below is an example of a 4th grade essay (which is an “outstanding”response).

e of Rhode Island Department of Education at 401/222-2031.

Example 13
21

r and concise language to define techni

ubject, and it is often assumed that par

logy used in communication pieces

n not, that assumption is incorrect. At 

oals Panel, parents were quick to point

e rank” and “percentage” are confus

d how if a 50% typically represents a

d who performs at the 50th percentile

red “average.” Other terms such as

curve equivalent,” and “proficient” 

nts.

sunderstand “norm-referenced” and 

ds-based”—two other terms that are

appearing more and more frequentlyin communication pieces andreports. What parents may remember from their own testing experiences—number 2 pencils, filling inthe bubbles completely, and howthey did compared to others in theirgroup—probably will not provide

ecessary to understand the differences

n the differences between a norm-refer

ased test is through the creation of a

ssessment Public Engagement Kit presents

derstand the difference between the

sessments most of us are familiar with

essments that are standards-referenced

dents climbing a mountain. A norm

ld tell you which student is in the lead,

und the middle, and who is lagging.

But it will not tell you where they are on the mountainside. Onthe other hand, the results of standards-referenced assessments,such as the one in the Colorado Student Assessment Program(CSAP), will provide the location of any given student in relationto the mountaintop.

The Washington State Partnership for Learning puts it this way:

The goal of traditional tests (such as the Comprehensive Test ofBasic Skills) is to learn how students compare to each other. Inthis way, these tests are similar to the sorts of tests a pediatriciangives a newborn baby. For example, the doctor measures andcompares the height of your baby and then tells you how thisinformation compares to other babies—how many are taller, howmany are shorter, and how many are “about average” for theirage. Think of Washington’s new tests like the tests you take toearn a driver’s license. It doesn’t matter what the average scoreon the test is or whether some drivers scored above or below you.What matters is whether you can show you have the skills andknowledge to “meet the standard” and get a license.

Recommendation 9: Provide tips for parents—suggestions they canuse to encourage their children to develop their skills and knowledgeand improve their academic performanceParents want to know what they can be doing now to help their children improve their educational performance. The tips need to go beyond “make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep prior totesting day,” although such suggestions are important. States thathave begun to include “tips for parents” often embrace some of the following:

◆ Stressing the importance of education at home by setting high

expectations for a child, monitoring homework, and showinginterest in school;

◆ Reading to and with the child;◆ Engaging teachers in conversations about the child’s performance

in school and on the state assessment;

◆ Turning “everyday” activities and chores into learning experiences.
22

od Reason to Act Like a Know-It-All,

ership for Learning offers a list of

arents” can also be provided on the

llowing suggestions appear on the

ment Program’s 4th-Grade Essential

nt report:

States need to make it clear to parents that helping their child prepare for the new types of assessments require attention. Household

projects and family trips can be invaluable in helping children learnsome of the most basic problem-solving, communication, and thinking skills they will need. 

Example 14

 mathematics?

was discussed in mathematics class today.

omework.

oward mathematics by playing number games or

 used in stores, in the newspaper, or on TV.

e mathematical skills; older students need to ask

he ways they use mathematics and technology

xample 15

ership for Learning, see Section IV, contact the Partnership at 206/625-9655, or visit their web site at www.partnership-wa.org.

higan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP)
23

 help you cook. Cooking usually requires read

 materials, measuring out exact amounts, and

er.

, get out the map and have your child plot the

you have to travel. If you’re taking public trans

the best bus route. If you’re taking a car, tell

lon your car gets and ask him or her to figure

will need for the trip. During or after the trip,

vel log to share with family and friends.

a garden, first go to the library with your child

ght want to plant and how to do it. Together,

 let your child help pick some seeds that would

hild to help figure out how much space you will

ou plant.

k for Better Schools goes beyond listing

f household projects to help children

xample 16

What are the ways that states can communicate with parents?After listening to the parents in your state, the next step is decidinghow to implement their wants—what type of tools should be created? States often publish full-color brochures, flyers, or newsletters.An increasing number of states have recently launched web sitesfrom which parents can download information or visit a chat roomand ask questions. Additional ideas on how to communicate withparents include:

◆ video◆ television◆ radio◆ billboards◆ cassette tapes◆ 1-800 line/hotline◆ CD-ROMs◆ calendars◆ religious bulletins◆ leadership institutes◆ workshops

The Edmonds School District in Washington State created a school

district calendar that describes some of the measures used to provideevidence of learning in the district, such as the new WashingtonState test and the district assessments. Each month is dedicated toexplaining a different assessment and provides parents with important dates to remember (see Example 17 on the following page).

For a description of the Kentucky Parent Leadership Institute program and the workshops held by the Florida PTA, see Close-up III

(p. 25).

Some parents may want or beable to take in more informationthan others; communication piecesdisseminated to a particular parentgroup should match its capabilitiesand wants.

ryland State Department of Education at 
24

Example 17

monds School District at 425/670-7047.
issemination

Tools can be effective only whenthey get into the hands of parents.And because, more often than not,states do not send materials directlyto parents, it is critical to buildmechanisms for dissemination fromthe state to the local level and thendirectly to parents. States need toclearly understand who they canrely on for dissemination, as well asidentify the most trusted sourcesthat parents go to for information.

Some ways to build the mechanisms for dissemination to parents

include:

◆ Subsidizing districts’ costs of

using direct mail;

◆ Considering developing public

service announcements (PSAs) to let parents know when testresults will be released—this can actas a reminder to parents to start

o look for the results if they are being

ork with the local PTA and 

cts know and understand the format of

ecific timing of the test score release;

countable for disseminating and com

lts to parents; and

porting practices and communications

urveys and focus group sessions.

25

Parent WorkshopsThe Florida PTA is using its annual convention to share information about the newFlorida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). Parents come from across the stateto learn about:◆ The achievement levels and the implication of these levels for students, parents,

and teachers;

◆ How to more effectively prepare students for the FCAT; and◆ What types of questions the students will have to answer by providing parents a

chance to actually take practice examinations.

For more information, contact the Florida PTA at 800/373-5782 or visit their web site atwww.floridapta.org.

Parent Leadership ProgramThe Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership, a program of the PrichardCommittee for Academic Excellence, the Kentucky Congress of Parents and Teachersand the Association of Older Kentuckians, seeks to engage all parents, includingthose who have the most difficulty being involved. It supports parents as theybecome effective advocates for improved education and increased achievement forall students in their communities. Through substantive, multi-disciplinary learningand interactive curriculum, it:◆ Provides parents with information and strategies to take an active role in their

children’s education as well as in the larger education community;

◆ Motivates parents to assume leadership roles in their public schools and 

communities;

◆ Recognizes parents who have been active education volunteers and moves them

to the next level of involvement.

Each year two hundred participants attend regional institutes that include three twoday sessions, as well as a statewide conference of all participants. Each participantcommits to design and carry out projects to involve other parents in their communities and schools.For more information about the Prichard Committee, see Section IV or contact theCommittee at 606/233-9849 or at cipl@prichardcommittee.org.

CLOSE-UP III:

Other ways to communicate—Lessons from 

Florida and Kentucky
onference and print media

ces of information for parents on issues

hers and print media (see chart below).

arly in the context of the parent-teacher

an effective resource to help parents

ren are expected to know, what they

 kind of progress they are making. The

ularly because of their visibility. Both can

ols.

Heavily or Somewhat Heavily as

ation about Education Issues8

Creating a powerful parent-teacher conferenceCreating a powerful parent-teacher conference requires recognizingthat the standards and new assessments are also new for teachers.While parents are their child’s first teacher, most parents do not have

the background to fully understand the details about the assessment.Their lack of information does not mean that they are uninterestedin knowing more, but it does underscore the importance of providing teachers with training to effectively engage parents in the parentteacher conference. Teachers will need to know how to read andinterpret the assessment and then suggest actions based on theresults of the assessment, both for themselves in their classroomsand for talking with parents during conferences. Tips to help teachers successfully engage parents in discussion about assessmentresults include the following:1. Make sure teachers know the purpose of the state assessment

results. The purpose should be provided in writing and teachersshould participate in discussions about the purpose of the assessment.

2. Make sure teachers know how to accurately read the report.

Parents expect a fairly clear bottom line: the student is doing better, keeping up, or falling behind. Teachers need to be able to provide this type of information. Once they have the “big picture,”parents are ready for details on what they can do to help.Teachers therefore need information explaining how to read thereport. They need to know what kinds of questions were askedof the students and what parents can be doing at home to helptheir child.

3. Make sure teachers know how to tell parents about results that

may not be good. Teachers need models of how to explain lowresults on assessments aligned with challenging high standards. Inaddition, teachers need to know how to explain why the results onthe different tests seem to tell very different stories about the student’s performance. Printed sample scripts that could be used at“back-to-school” nights or conferences are very helpful. Be honestabout the results, and move on to what is being planned to changethe weak results or to celebrate the good results.

26

er Parents

School Officials

Print Media

TV & Radio

82%

72%

68%

45%
entucky on how to implement these

.

etter prepared to discuss the purpose of

ts, the parent-teacher conference can

 Some ways to ensure its effectiveness

 parent-teacher conference to include

ate assessment. Teachers need to under

rpose of the conference is to communi

s as a whole, not just classroom assign

e able to discuss the new standards, the

new assessments, and what the results mean. For tips on how tohelp teachers successfully engage parents in a discussion aboutthese topics, see Close-up IV.

2. Rethink the scheduling of parent-teacher conferences. Teachers

often do not discuss progress on state assessments because they do not have access to the results in time for the conferences. Plan conferences at times when teachers have all the informationneeded to give parents a complete picture on how students areperforming.

3. Maximize the connection between back-to-school night and parent-teacher conferences. Use back-to-school nights to provide

general information about the standards and assessment results

27

purpose of the state assessment results.

o teachers at home.

e for teachers and others for assessment and

ine is staffed by the testing contractor so teachers

about their school reports as well as receive gener

ked to designate a district assessment coordinator

istrict and the state regarding assessment and

 meet with state department representatives as

nt administration, release of test data, and so on.

ricts, each school is asked to designate an assess

son between the district and school.

a web site where teachers can access information

nts including assessment and accountability.

w to accurately read the report.

rve the state. Each center has an assessment and

 available to districts and schools for technical

ning, and information.

the state department prepares a briefing packet

ment and accountability, test data, a glossary of 

terms, and so on. This is distributed to the district and school assessment coordinators for sharing with teachers.

• Prior to the release of test data, the state department holds live broadcasts over

educational television to brief school personnel. These can be watched live ortaped for later viewing.

• The state department produces an “interpretive guide” to help school personnel

understand test data. This is distributed to the assessment coordinators, who are toshare it with teachers.

• Teachers and parents were included in focus groups that looked at individual student and school reports for assistance in designing informative reports.

3. Making sure teachers know how to tell parents about results that may not be good.• Toolkits were made available through the regional service centers so schools could

hold parent and community workshops on performance events, to help the publicunderstand changes in testing.

• The trainer-of-trainers model was used to help teachers understand how to assess

student writing portfolios. This prepared teachers to assess writing and betterexplain good writing to parents.

For more information, contact the Kentucky Department of Education at 502/564-3301 orvisit their web site at www.kde.state.ky.us.

OSE-UP IV:

engage parents effectively— 

s from Kentucky
ults), and then follow up with specific

 parent-teacher conference. This sequence

orb the information and prepare specific

e conference. Give parents some ideas of

he teacher about the state assessment.

ools and districts by providing a sample

 night that effectively incorporates discus

s part of the important information par

implement these suggestions, see 

nicating the assessment results to parents

ed on the graph on page 26, nearly 7 out

edia as a source of information about edu

k recently called the local newspaper the

States can work with the media in myriad

tate test results to parents:

ta;

t items and explanations as to how they

icts or schools that have shown significant

uccessfully aligned standards to the state

tests and shown improvements as a result, and rallied local community support for state tests; and

◆ To provide leads for human-interest stories—linking state tests to

real people, such as individual teachers, parents, business groups,community and religious groups, and principals.

To best use the print media, states should keep certain issues in

mind:

◆ Define scores clearly and provide descriptions of how parents and

community members can use the information;

◆ Ensure direct access to test score data for reporters (electronic or

otherwise);

◆ Provide resources (national experts or state officials) to reporters on

standards and assessments to add clarity and legitimacy to thestatewide testing effort;

◆ Develop background papers, commonly asked questions, fact sheets,

and calendars with key dates; and

◆ Provide reporters with state-level contacts to answer specific 

questions.

See Close-up VI (p. 30) for some ideas from Indiana and Texas on

how to work more closely with the media when reporting test scores.

28
29

ate assessment.

 indicators to provide a more accurate and com

emic progress. Teachers can help parents gain a

ng the child’s performance in situations that

k from the child, such as in state or district testing

m performance where teacher prompts, cues, or

ng work time. Teachers should treat each piece of

assessments, as a piece of the puzzle, each con

ing of the student’s progress.

conference today, I want to share several different

n’s progress in meeting standards. Let’s review

ing, his state reading and writing test results, and

of these can help us plan what instruction John

onference, the parent wants to know if John is on

ectations, and what the parent can do to help.

nferences are scheduled.

nces at times of the year when teachers are likely

out student progress including results on important

ules conferences after the first two weeks of school.

 results from the end of the previous school year

ssment results) and ask parents for information

e a successful school year. The purpose of the

te early collaboration in planning for the student’s

chedules the first conference of the year just six

chers review initial pretesting and expectations for

– Turner Middle School uses the last few days of school to have students individually

present to their parents what they have learned during their three years at TurnerMiddle School. Students can also invite other teachers, principals, and communitymembers. Students can be very insightful when explaining their performance onimportant classroom, district, and state assessments to their parents.

• Schools might consider having an early conference and two follow-up teacher

conferences during the year.

3. Maximize the connection between back-to-school night and the parent-teacher 

conference.

When schools connect information provided to parents at back-to-school nights toinformation provided at parent-teacher conferences, communication between schooland home can be greatly enhanced.• Back-to-school night is used as an opportunity for teachers to share expected standards for students; curriculum maps that outline the units for the year and which

standards are addressed in those units; and what information the teacher will becollecting to document student progress.

• Teachers share rubrics (scoring guides) and sample test items to clarify what students will be expected to learn. Parents leave knowing what the student’s day looks

like, how to contact the teacher, and what level of performance is expected.

Parent-teacher conferences can serve as follow-up to back-to-school night by allowingteachers to discuss assessment results, make classroom observations, and so forth, thatrelate to the standards and examples shared during back-to-school night. The conference can focus on student progress, effort, and attitude rather than how the classroomoperates. Give parents as much of the information as possible before the conferenceso they have time to review it. Many teachers review the information with the studentsduring class time, have the student review the information with the parent before theconference, and then use the parent-teacher conference time for interpretation andplanning based on the information.For more information, contact the Thompson School District at 970/669-3940.

OSE-UP V:

ommunication via the parent- 

—Lessons from the Thompson 

trict (Loveland, CO)
30

ellen Reed decided that media representatives

ion qualifying exam, newly implemented in 1997,

 to parents and the public what is expected of stu

ssembly had required the state to release the con

d open-ended math problems once they were

em to the reporters. Print, television, and radio

e state house on the last day of the statewide

ualifying exam and were themselves administered

ple-choice and constructed response) and one

 took the test as if they were students, using the

nistration procedures. They signed confidentiality

could “describe” the kinds of multiple-choice items

lease only the open-ended items.

h press coverage that described the content of the

t the constructed response items were value-laden.

he kinds of skills measured on the test were impor

d that the test content was “academic,” not person

ntatives are asked about the test, they can respond

n it.

ternal Affairs Office of the Indiana Department of

public school accountability data must be dissemi

ers of the media find the information newsworthy.

media in Texas have historically carried the stories

nt the information. Effectively, the direct reporting

ave spurred a demand for additional media 

gularly communicates with members of the Texas

nd press releases. The agency routinely e-mails its

sts and media outlets as well as to all 20 Regional

 in Texas. The agency also publishes extensive

on its web site at www.tea.state.tx.us. Many school

disseminate district and campus performance data.

The dissemination of accountability data occurs year round, beginning in May andcontinuing through the following March, when the agency distributes its annualSnapshot publication, which summarizes state- and district-level performance data. Inthe latter part of May, each local school district receives the “individual” TexasAssessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) results for each of the students in the district. Inearly June, the Commissioner of Education traditionally holds a press conference torelease the statewide “all students” TAAS results. Local media cover the release of thisinformation. This information is also posted on the agency’s web site.In August, district summaries and district- and campus-level data tables are providedto each school district and RESC. On the same day, the Commissioner traditionallyholds a press conference to release the district and campus performance ratings(exemplary, recognized, academically acceptable, or academically unacceptable).Parents, local school districts, and the media can obtain this data on the agency’sweb site. Both print and electronic media report the ratings of the districts and campuses in their coverage areas.In October, school districts receive district- and campus-level reports from the agency.The Texas Education Code requires local school boards to publish the annual reports.Local school boards must also hold a hearing for public discussion of the report.Taxpayers and parents in the district must receive notice of the hearing. A newspaper ofgeneral circulation in the district and electronic media serving the district must alsoreceive notice of the hearing. State law further requires district- and campus-level decisionmaking committees to each hold a public meeting to discuss their performance.In November of each school year, the agency prepares a report card for each campus. State law requires parents to receive the portions of the report cards that relateto student performance.Independent organizations such as the Governor’s Business Council and the TexasBusiness and Education Coalition further assist with the dissemination of accountability data in Texas. These organizations, whose members come from private industry,invest in independent analysis and reporting. In Texas, the involvement of privateindustry in public education further piques media interest.The combination of strong accountability laws, private industry involvement, mediacoverage, and parental involvement has proved successful in Texas. For years, studentperformance has steadily improved. Parents and taxpayers equipped with informationabout the performance of their schools are able to hold the schools accountable.

OSE-UP VI:

scores using the media— 

m Indiana and Texas
have to be limited to the reporting of

ed prior to test administration too. For

ucky Instructional Results Information

ts, parents, and members of the public

ucky Department of Education and the

once a week to try a sample question

nted at no cost by the Kentucky Press

 various newspapers throughout the

sented a specific area (science, math,

middle, or high school) and included 

 response.

31

y decentralized system, it is impossible to meas

e of the less scholastic inputs to public educa

or media coverage, affect student performance.

makes a difference, so the agency and private

ed involvement of parents and the media in

overnor’s Business Council at 512/261-3447.

OSE-UP VI:

scores using the media— 

ana and Texas (continued)

Example 18

For more information, contact the Kentucky Department of Education at 502/564-3301 or visit their web site at www.kde.state.ky.us.
ed to provide tips for parents (see

n Florida, the Tampa Tribune has recent

ert that includes activities for children

 engage their child in reading and learn

preparing their child for the new

ssment Test (FCAT).

Evaluating your toolsGathering feedback on your communication tools is an importantstep too often overlooked. States need to think about evaluatingthese tools early on (as part of an entire communications strategy)and can start by asking a series of questions:

◆ What indicators or measures will we use to determine how well

we are doing?

◆ Who are our audiences for gathering feedback?◆ How will we gather the feedback?◆ Are these specific materials (brochures, score cards, fact sheets,

etc.) working?

◆ How will we change our strategy to reflect the communication

gaps?

The Cincinnati (Ohio) public school district, with a student enrollment of over 49,000, measures the effectiveness of its communications tools annually. Each year, parents, teachers, and community

members are surveyed on the quality, timeliness, and effectiveness ofnewsletters, annual progress reports, wall calendars, and back-toschool mailers.

The results, published and distributed to all audiences, are used to

improve the overall strategic communications plan, which is tied tothe district’s five-year plan, Students First. For information on the

type of questions asked, see Close-up VII.

32

billboards, street signs, maps, books, the infor

n schedule channel, their textbooks, library

with your child.

for enjoyment.

portance of reading.

joy reading, so try to help him or her find litera

age and reading levels, dealing with a subject

appening in their head, much like we see a

ly when you are reading and help your child

e some effort at first, but it is an important part

ll have some ideas about helping your child

 strengths and weaknesses your child has and

ooks that he or she might enjoy reading.

d in school, volunteer for a few hours a month

xample 19

mpa Tribune at 813/259-7780.
33

The following are questions asked of parents, their responses, and actions the school district took to capitalize on those responses.

CLOSE-UP VII

Evaluating communication tools— Lessons from Cincinnati

Survey/Focus Group Question Response Action

Have you heard of “StudentsFirst,” the district’s five-yearstrategic plan and where didyou hear about it?

No (67%)Yes (33%)Of the 33% that said“yes,” 29% receivedinformation by mailthrough the district’s communications department.

Developed tool kits and bulletin boardsfor principals and schools on StudentsFirst. Increased number of mailing toparents and included Students First initiative articles. Established web sitelocation dedicated to Students First.Increased communications to principalsand teachers and encouraged discussion at the local school level.

Rate the helpfulness of reportson the Ohio State ProficiencyTests and other standardizedand achievement tests.

Very Helpful (41%)Somewhat Helpful (40%)Not Very Helpful (12%)Don’t RememberReceiving Reports (6%)

Simplified and aligned student progressreports with promotion standards andassessments. Improved the “rubriclabel” that defines the child’s progresstoward promotion and standards.Analyzed standardized achievementtest parent reports with district’s assessment and communications department.

Are you satisfied with theamount of information receivedabout your child’s academicprogress?

1996Very Satisfied (61%)Somewhat Satisfied (26%)Not Satisfied (14%)1997Very Satisfied (61%)Somewhat Satisfied (25%)Not Satisfied (14%)

Although most parents were very satisfied or somewhat satisfied, there wasnot enough progress made over twoyears. District worked with outside consultants to develop more usable classroom tools to help teachers betterunderstand and communicate academic progress to parents. Madeimprovement to the progress reportsand the “rubric” label that measuresthe child’s progress towards promotionthat is sent home quarterly.

Do you feel adequatelyinformed about the standardsin the Cincinnati PublicSchools?

Continue to produce parent mailersfrom the district office on standardsand assessments. Continue to keepstaff informed on the district’s strategicplan.

For more information, contact the Cincinnati School District at 513/475-7001 or visit theirweb site at www.cpsboe.k12.oh.us.

Aware of the Standards(89%)77% of parents whosaid that they are awarefelt adequately informedabout the standards.
ut the standards, the tougher tests, and

s is only the beginning. Once a student

has taken the test, parents want toknow the results.

In many states, reports based on

the results of the state assessmentare created (and sometimes mandated) at the state, district, or individual school building levels. Thesereports can offer comparative information, such as state assessmentaverages at the state, district, orschool levels (which may or may notbe included in an individual studentreport), as well as the average performance of various groups withinthe population. In addition, they

s of performance, such as attendance

her preparation. This additional infor

with a more complete picture of the 

ir child.

ovide parents with the information to

heir child is doing. Individual student

portance of these reports is growing. 

ion of Title I of the Elementary and

Secondary Education Act calls forparents of participating children tobe provided with the following bythe 2000-2001 school year:

School performance profilesand their children’s individualstudent assessment results,including an interpretation ofthose results, in addition to adescription and explanation ofthe curriculum in use at theschool, the forms of assessmentused to measure studentprogress, and the proficiencylevels students are expected to meet.

Too often, however, individual student reports are not very clear. In

some cases, these reports providetoo little information. Parents mayhave a hard time determining theirchild’s performance solely on thebasis of a percentile rank, a percentage of questions answered correctly,or a term describing a level ofachievement if there is no description of what these numbers or wordsmean. In other cases, these reportsprovide too much detail and leavethe parent without an effectiveunderstanding of how their childperformed. “Translating” an individual child’s performance on a statetest requires a balance between providing too little information and too much information.

How is that balance achieved?

How does a state effectively translatean individual child’s performance on

35

esults More Meaningful

CTION III:

John Tanner, Director forAssessment and Analysis in the Delaware Department ofEducation, believes that the parentreport can be used as a tool tocommunicate to parents and staffabout a new testing program. Hetells the following story:When new legislation on testingand accountability was passed inDelaware, constituents—teachers,parents, and local districts—wereconcerned about the changes thenew legislation would bring anddemanded something tangible thatwould clarify the new legislationfor them.Enter the parent reports.Delaware education staff designedhypothetical parent reports withthe kinds of information theyhoped to produce.These mock reports provided clarification in two ways:• The reports left staff with a

clearer idea of the task at hand and helped to create aclear and consistent internalmessage.

• The reports also enhanced the

department’s ability to communicate more clearly with parentsby providing the basis for astandard presentation.

For more information, contact theDelaware Department of Educationat 302/739-6700.
s performance become meaningful to a

 the report in your state—an individual

report or a parent report—to effectively

med on a state assessment and make it

recommends that states answer four

tudent report:

hild do?

f skills or knowledge does his/her per

 child perform in comparison to other

trict, state, and if available, the nation?

o to help my child improve?

nswer these questions and design a score

ully communicates performance on the

test requires listening to those who would be most interested in thatinformation.

Following a strategy similar to Georgia’s school profile report for

parents (Close-up II), the Partnership for Learning in Washington

State convened an informal meeting with parents to examine theindividual score reports for the state’s new assessment.

The lessons of the Partnership for Learning underscore the link

between informing parents and reporting to parents. One of the conclusions that emerged from the informal meeting was that parents

wanted context as well as the test scores. Before they could evenbegin to make sense of the data, parents wanted answers to a rangeof questions, including: Why did my child take this test? What arethe standards? What did this test look like? What does it mean to“meet the standard”? Essentially, they wanted information thatreflected some, if not all, of the recommendations outlined in Section II. For more of the lessons learned from the Partnership for Learning, see Close-up VIII.

36

Example 20

act the Maryland State Department’s School and Community Outreach Office at 410/767-0473.

n parentheses represent state standards.
37

OSE-UP VIII:

so they make sense to parents— 

om Washington State

 a new system of testing that measures every 4th,

portant set of academic standards. Although test

oolwide accountability and instructional improve

est—and his or her parent—also receives an indi

th graders took these tests for the first time in

ased that fall.

fit, business-backed organization working to build

shington State’s new standards and tests, offered

h parents between the administration of the test

o help determine the design and content of the

The goal was to give state officials insights about

who would be most interested in them.

preliminary drafts of the test score reports and

different ways of presenting the information, six

lso context. Parents said the test score reports need

ests in context. Parents have a whole host of valid

wered if they are to make sense of the data, includ

 test? What are the standards? What does it mean

 test?

 language. Parents want to make sense of the

 they need clearly written language that avoids

articular, they told state officials to clearly commu

wledge the tests measure (few parents know what

nse,” and “mathematics process” mean—but these

ate mathematics standards).

ore reports contain new information. State officials

develop a common language and universal words

on the forms (for example, parents did not want

 school and community decide how it will refer to

andards).

arents said they understood the concept of a “stan

rd communicated well. They wanted to see how a

ed to the standard—and thus they suggested that

student performance should be described in relationship to (above, below, or at)the standard. They weren’t in favor of pseudonyms for performance, such as“proficient,” “novice,” or “emerging,” which don’t clearly say how close the student is to the expected level of performance.

4. Don’t expect consensus on how performance should be reported. A key issue on

every criterion-referenced test is how many levels of student performance shouldbe reported. Levels above “met the standard” give advanced students a chanceto shine, and levels below give teachers and parents good information abouthow much work lies ahead for an individual student. In this area, parents don’toffer consistent advice, and state officials can have endless debates about thepros and cons.

Some parents said they believed gradations were important in learning more

about individual student achievement, while others argued the only importantpoint was whether or not a student met the standard. And while parents wantreports to be clear and unmistakable about whether or not their child met thestandard, they disagreed about how brutally honest to be. (For example, someparents didn’t want the reports to mince words; they thought unambiguous phrases like “well below the standard” to describe the lowest-performing students communicated the message best.)

The lesson here is that different parents have a range of responses to questions

about how they want to learn about their child’s performance. Certainly, stateofficials should check with parents in their state to see if particular suggestionsconsistently emerge. But rather than look for strong consensus—which may beimpossible—state officials should strive to present testing information in astraightforward manner with clear explanations (this sort of presentation will communicate well with every parent).

5. Communicate what it means to meet (or exceed or fail) the standard. Parents

need a reference point. At least in the early years of the new tests, a simplenumeric score designating the standards and a “trust me” from the state may notbe enough information. Parents asked what the numbers meant on the test scorereports and how they were chosen. They wanted to correlate the difficulty and thecontent of the standard with the score their child received. Parents frequentlynoted, “I don’t know what the standard is.” To address their concerns, they wanted to see examples of test questions—precise examples of what it takes to meetthe standard.
Interpretation guides

One way to provide answers to the four questions listed on page 36 is to include an interpretation guide with the individual score report.This Idea Book is not advocating that interpretation guides take theplace of informing parents prior to the administration of the state testabout the need for higher standards, the changes in the state test, andso forth. Rather, it is suggested as a possibility because states mightthen be able to provide parents with all of the information they mightwant—such as definitions of achievement or performance levels, scoring guides, examples of student work, and ideas on how to help theirchild reach a higher level of learning. Such information probablywould not fit on a single page.

Rhode Island, Washington, and Illinois are states that provide

interpretation guides for parents. In Rhode Island’s Grade 4Performance Assessment: Interpretation Guide for Families, parents areprovided with scoring guides for the math, health and writing assessments; examples of test questions; and student responses and analyses of those responses.

Understanding Your Child’s 4th Grade Test Scores: A Guide for Parents

comes from the Washington Commission on Student Learning, theOffice of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the WashingtonState Parent Teacher Association, and the Partnership for Learning. It offers something similar to Rhode Island’s guide. (Washington hasrecently released a new publication called Reaching Higher: A Parent’sGuide to the Washington Assessment of Student Learning. This newreport replaces Understanding Your Child’s 4th Grade Test Scores: A Guide for Parents.)

Included in the section titled “Making Sense of the New Score

Reports” are the following:◆ a list of the Essential Academic Learning Requirements

(Washington’s state standards);

◆ a definition of what defines “good enough” on the tests;◆ definitions of such terms as “number sense,” “mathematical 

reasoning,” and “mathematical connections”;

38

rmation they can use to help their child improve.

rts to give them very clear information about what

arning. They looked for information that told

g—and for specific ideas about how to help their

core reports that organized student performance

s” and “weaknesses” columns (as opposed to

content area). They also preferred efforts to make

nd friendly.

bout the design of score reports, two other broad

n became apparent from the meeting:

g how their child measures up against a stan

nce and usefulness of that information. But they

ld performs compared to other children. As they

 the test score reports, they wanted assurances

d be presented in the context of how well their

They wanted this information for a simple reason:

ow whether their child alone struggled to meet

he entire class struggled.

eports from traditional standardized tests such as

c Skills (CTBS). Over the years, these reports have

rmation about a child’s academic strengths and

wledge areas tested. For example, the reports can

gths—subtracting whole numbers—and a child’s

b tense. In comparison, many of the newer tests

e of the scope of content measured—can’t provide

all the attention and cost that has gone into devel

ar standards, parents were surprised to learn that

hese new tests might not give them as much detail

other, more traditional tests.

s-based tests in Washington State now look very

Within limitations of the form and the information

 State education officials ended up with a report

tended parent audience.

or contact the Partnership for Learning at

at www.partnership-wa.org.

SE-UP VIII:

o they make sense to parents— 

shington State (continued)
◆ commonly asked questions about the test and answers; and

◆ sample test items.

Answering the questionsWhether or not you include an interpretive guide with your individual student score report, answering the four questions listed on page36 clearly and simply is a challenge. Parents want to be able to lookat an individual report, quickly determine their child’s performance,and understand what the information means in terms of the skillstested. They want to know whether their child did “okay,” but theywant a great deal of other information as well.

To answer the first three questions—How did my child do? What

types of skills does his/her performance reflect? How did he/she doin comparison to other students in the school, district, and state?—clearly depends on the test the state has developed or uses. In some

ector of the Edmonds School District in

g story:

couple of decades ago. When she was about six

 trains to St. Luke’s Hospital in Tokyo to see how

e saw was quite old but still appeared amused

d. He talked to my daughter gently as he slowly

n he returned her to me with a warmly reassuring

e.”

ears later. We left our initial visit to an efficient

 his weight and height. The percentile laden

 much as 90 percent of babies in some norming

 whether this was a good thing or not.

elieves the same thing happens in testing—all the

ole lot if the parent doesn’t know if the child did

Example 21

39

higan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) Office at 517/373-8393.
performance on a set of clearly defined

ative to a normative group; and still in

of standards and a normative group.

the Michigan Educational Assessment

kills Tests. The example on the previous

formation a parent of a 4th grader who

kills Mathematics Test would receive.

atory language and graphics, parents 

s overall performance, see how far that

cceptable” level, and determine what

ans in terms of skills and knowledge

mines performance solely against a set

ick to point out that the MEAP results

do not report how a child performed in comparison to other students.

Colorado also measures performance against a set of standards.

The Student Performance Report presented on the next page represents a 4th-grader’s performance on the reading assessment. It clearly“checks” the levels of performance a child has mastered and providesa description of the skills and knowledge each level represents. Asdoes Michigan’s report, the Colorado Student Performance Reportstates that “the performance levels have been set by educators andother citizens. They reflect standards for what Coloradans thinkfourth graders should be able to do in Reading. They do not indicatehow achievement of Colorado students compares with that of theirpeers in other parts of the United States or in other countries.” In theexample presented, the 4th-grader performed at the “proficient”level.

40
41

Example 22

mation, contact the Colorado Department of Education at 303/866-6664 or visit their web site at www.cde.state.co.us. Reproduced with

TB/McGraw-Hill.
on, school district, the testing program

rthwest Evaluation Association’s Level

o students in grades 3 through 8. With

parents are provided with a chart that

questions a child is likely to answer cor

uestions that will probably require new

:

he score column closest to the child’s

ead down the column for sample test

ggests that he or she can get about half

ular column correct—the child is consid

g at that level.

◆ Parents are told to examine the items in the column(s) to the left.

The child can likely get most of those correct.

◆ Items in the column(s) to the right probably require new learning.◆ Over time, the chart allows parents to compare items the child

could do in the past to those the child can do now.

For example, if a 4th grade student scored 219 on the Level Test in

Mathematics, he or she can likely get most of the items correct incolumns 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, and 210 (see Example 23 on thenext page). In addition, he or she can likely get correct answers tohalf of the items which appear in column 220; columns 230, 240,250 and 260 require new learning.

42
43

Example 23

monds School District at 425/670-7137. 
grams described on the previous pages,

Program (IGAP) also measures student

standards. In addition to an individual

 Student Report also provides averages

tate.

In the example below, parents of 8th grade students receive their

child’s score, as well as the school, district, and state scores. In addition, through the use of a bar chart, they are provided with anapproximate range within which the middle half of the students in the school scored.

44

Example 24

tion, contact the Illinois State Board of Education at 217/782-4823.
 a system of standards-based assess

 student performance relative to those

ents are meeting the standard, exceed

elow the standard. Less attention has

e doing compared to other students in

s are beginning to realize that reporting

nal percentile rank” is something with

fortable; it represents a common form of

hich they are familiar. Although a per

 information and therefore has limited

ange or improve, more states are consid

configure their assessments. The result is

oviding both information against a set of

al percentile rank.

45

Besides reporting performance against a national percentile rank, states may wantto think about reporting state assessment performance along with another state orinternational assessment—such as reporting performance along with a state’sNational Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) score or the Third InternationalMathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) score. In addition, these tests can serve as atool to check the state’s academic performance against a set of national standards(i.e., NAEP) or international standards (i.e., TIMSS).Missouri recently did a study that linked their Grade 8 Mathematics Assessment tothe TIMSS test. The data indicated a strong link between the two tests in regard tocontent. In a press release, the commissioner of education was quoted as saying,“success in math and science will be one of the keys to Missouri’s economic competitiveness in the 21st century, so it is important for us to know how our studentsand schools are doing in these key subjects. The TIMSS give us a useful tool forchecking progress and evaluating curriculum.”For more information, contact the Missouri Department of Elementary and SecondaryEducation at 800/845-3545.
rovides information on how a student

andards, as well as how his or her per

f other students in the nation. In the

souri Assessment Program Student Report

 to easily determine at which achieve

med and what that level of performance

nts know how their child performed in

s across the nation.

46

Example 25

For more information, contact the Missouri Department of

Elementary and Secondary Education at 800/845-3545.
ed its assessment system to provide

against the state standards, as well as

the example below, parents can compare

with the Delaware Content Standards to

rict, and state; they can also compare

hose of students throughout the country

 sample. For example, the student

700 points on the reading portion of the

e was 440; the average district score was

ore was 430. In addition, the student

r that if comparisons are not easily rep

port (because of space or other con

comparisons against state standards or

arents should be told where they can go

Answering question four: Helping parents to help their childimproveProviding parents with clear information on how their child performed, what the performance actually means, and appropriate comparisons is only part of the picture. Parents also want to betterunderstand what they can do with their children to help improvetheir performance.Negotiating with the test providerWhat kind of information and how much or how little is provided toparents depends largely on the type of contract that is negotiatedwith the test provider. In Delaware, the state testing staff designedthe score reports before finalizing any negotiations. This allowed thestaff to explore the implications of various kinds of scores, using narrative statements (as opposed to sub-scores), and reporting in a variety of categories. They discovered that involving parents early in theprocess is key, so that the design is understood and accepted. Formore information on how Delaware negotiated with its test provider,see Close-up IX.

47

Score Comparisons

Reading Writing

Student 200 - - - - - - -452 - - - - -700 3 - - - - - - - - -11 - - - - - 15

School 200 - - - - - 440 - - - - - - 700 3 - - - - - - - - 10 - - - - - - 15District 200 - - - - - -444 - - - - - 700 3 - - - - - - - - 10 - - - - - - 15

State 200 - - - - 430 - - - - - - - 700 3 - - - - - - - - 10 - - - - - - 15

Certain items on the reading part of the test came from a national sample. The percentile below represents how your child performed on those items compared to students from a national sample:

1% - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 85 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 99% 

Example 26

For more information, contact the Delaware Department of Education at 302/739-6700 or visit their web site atwww.doe.state.de.us.
on provided to parents on how to help

be viewed through an “interpretive

ation is already provided, and parents

teps to guide them as they help their

The Connecticut Mastery Testing Program Grade 8 Parent/Student

Diagnostic Report in Mathematics is an example of a report thatrequires interpretation. The report lists the 40 objectives tested onthe assessment in five general areas. For each objective, the reportindicates how many items were needed to be answered correctly to “master” the area and how many the student actually answeredcorrectly.

48

hat a great many state testing programs face: the

vendor to help design a fairly complex program

n addition, because the state lacked the staff to

ram, it needed a way of communicating with the

understanding of what the state expected of the

expect of staff. In other words, Delaware needed a

or to adjudicate decisions quickly and easily to

th the vendor with two simple ideas in mind:

ght;

cit rules at the beginning of the process, indicate

enforce them.

y doing the following:

ed “Needs” in its Request for Proposal. The section

ate the criteria for the project and the major under

 The state made it clear that the vendors had some

ls so long as they agreed to work within those 

ure,” believing that it was important to make cur

ng-term goals and important for the vendor to do

the same to ensure that the decisions would be consistent over time. In addition,Delaware staff believed that keeping the big picture in mind at decision time wouldincrease the odds that the long-term plan would actually come to fruition.3. Finally, Delaware encapsulated the “Needs” section and its idea of the big pictureinto a score report design. The state sought a simple means to communicate both itsneeds and the big picture, and the score report—the piece that would end up defining the testing program for the most students and parents—seemed the best way todo so. Staff worked with teachers and parents to create a design that each party wascomfortable with. Policymakers were also involved from the beginning so that theycould better understand what the end result would look like and what it could be usedfor. Not only has this proved helpful in defining the program for the state and for thevendor, it also increased that state’s ability to communicate with the public in a concrete and meaningful way.While relatively simple, these ideas enabled Delaware to articulate clearly what itneeded from a testing vendor while providing it with a significant amount of flexibilityin making its proposals. Each of the major testing vendors submitted a bid, giving thestate the ability to select from several it believed best matched its criteria. Helping thevendor see clearly where the state wanted to end up made it easier for the vendor tooffer its service—meaning that it led to their willingness to bid and Delaware’s abilityto choose the bid that best reflected its criteria.For more information, contact the Delaware Department of Education, Assessment andAnalysis Division, at 302/739-6700.

OSE-UP IX:

with the test provider— 

ns from Delaware
e above, a parent would be able to inter

and weaknesses of this particular 8th

 “order of operations” correctly, use for

ons, and represent situations using alge

s solving equations involving one step.

Oklahoma uses a similar approach. In the Grade 5 Parent Report,

Priority Academic Student Skills are listed for all the areas tested,together with the number of questions asked in each area and thenumber correct. In addition, parents are provided with an OklahomaPerformance Index (OPI) score that indicates whether the studentachieved a satisfactory level of performance. Students who achievean OPI score of 70 or greater in a subject area have demonstratedsatisfactory performance in that subject area.

In the example below, which measures a 5th grader’s knowledge of

various areas of U.S. history and civics, parents can quickly determine whether or not their child achieved a satisfactory score on thetest with an easy to understand “yes” or “no.” In this example, theparent can conclude that the child had difficulty in locating anddescribing the states, major climate regions, landforms, and bodies of water, as well as in interpreting various pictorial sources of information.

49

Mastery Criteria Student Score

tep 3 of 4 2

3 of 4 3

ressions 3 of 4 4

braic 

3 of 4 4

xample 27

Priority Academic SkillsHistory/Constitution/Government Satisfactory OPI score of 70 achieved? YES

# of Questions # Correct

Locate and describe the states, major climate regions, landformsand bodies of water. 5 3Identify major events of the Revolutionary War period. 5 5Identify the causes and effects of the Civil War. 5 4Identify the reasons for writing the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. 5 5Identify the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a democratic societyand a free enterprise system. 5 5Identify information using encyclopedias, almanac, atlases,dictionaries and literature. 5 5Interpret various pictorial sources of information such as maps,graphs, charts, globes, pictures and cartoons. 5 2

Example 28

necticut Department of Education at 

 www.state.ct.us/sde.

For more information, contact the Oklahoma Department of Education at 405/521-3341 or visit their web site atsde.state.ok.us.
essentially does the interpretation for the

s instructional needs (based on his or

sment) directly below the student’s

scores. The following example of an English Language Arts IndividualReport provides ideas for what a 3rd grade child should work on to

achieve a higher level in reading and writing:

50

 in READING, your child should work on: To achieve a higher level in WRITING, your child should work on:

make reasonable interpretations • Using effective and varied introductions and closings

based on information in the text • Writing in a consistent style with precise, vivid word choice

esizing information into a clear interpretation within • Writing with a clear logical progression of ideas using smooth 

s, and concepts transitions

ng, and supporting opinions • Responding directly to the prompt

ng inferences about contents, events, characters, 

yle

Example 29

r that providing this type of information

t may give rise to additional questions

 confused if their child’s class work

nce, but the statewide assessment results

arents need to know where they can go

uestions. Research shows that nearly 9

y on teachers as a source of information

 states should encourage parents to con

get a better sense of the child’s level of

achievement and the kinds of tasks they can be doing with theirchild to help him or her improve. Delaware provides this encouragement by stating the following at the bottom of each child’s scorereport:

Please see your child’s teacher for more information 

about achievement in reading and writing.

ct the Delaware Department of Education at 302/739-6700 or visit their web site at www.doe.state.de.us.
uestions that they should ask school

ntial Skills Mathematics Test Report,

he following:

On the Rhode Island Mathematics Performance Assessment Individual

Student Report, parents are quickly reminded that one test cannot

represent all of a child’s knowledge and skills:

Encouraging parents to ask teachers questions doesn’t just have to

appear on student reports. On the back of its Testing, Testing, Testing

brochure, the Partnership for Learning encourages parents to look atthe “bigger picture” and to recognize that looking at informationfrom a variety of tests and assessment tools remains the best way tosee how well individual students are learning.

51

Your child’s answers provide information about his/her understanding of mathematics and show how well your child can apply mathematics to real life situations.Answers also provide a way to measure mathematics problem solving, communication, and reasoning skills. The results do not represent all of your child’s knowledge and skills in these areas. These results, taken with results from other testssuch as the multiple choice Metropolitan Achievement Tests (MAT), and dailyclassroom work, provide a more complete picture of your child’s mathematicalskills.

Example 31

rogram include the state’s Core Curriculum

matics instruction?

es, calculators, and different problem-solving

 understanding?

ental arithmetic and estimation as well as tradi

tation?

n mathematics class by arriving prepared, pay

nments, and asking questions when my child

xample 30

higan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP)

For more information, contact the State of Rhode Island Department of Education at401/222-2031.
stand why their children are being held

They want to be informed about the

ng place in the state test, and they want

ores mean and what they can do to help

want to understand how the results will

re “high-stakes” consequences attached

sions about promotion or graduation.

formation, presented in clear language

nd.

t typically inform parents about these

est results in terms parents understand

e whole, states have invested much

urces in testing students than in

results to parents and students.

The following are examples of state agencies and non-government

organizations committed to clear communication with parents. Manyhave used some or all of the recommendations included in SectionsII and III to help improve their communication efforts. They use

polls and focus groups to understand the concerns of their community, they clarify what they expect of students and provide accurateinformation about the extent to which those expectations are beingmet, they provide action steps that parents can take with their ownchildren to help them learn and improve—but they vary in their specific approaches. They have different structures, they have createdunique partnerships and coalitions, and their coordination efforts arenot alike. But there are at least two similarities among all of them:these agencies and organizations have made communication centralto their reform and improvement efforts, and they have built thecapacity to communicate. Their improved communication effortshave begun to create a better informed public that will demand moreand support schools in reaching the academic goals set for them.They are “making things work.”

53

Work” at the State Level

C T I O N IV:
54

g a better job of communicating with parents prob

state education agencies: parents deserve to

hter is progressing and so we need to work hard to

nding. But it also involves something more; a

cation Week suggested what most educators have

hievement can be heavily dependent on factors

cators this should be seen as a challenge to be

ressed through a clear, coherent message.

ed hard to listen to parents. We’ve used them in

materials, most specifically in the design of the

hem how their children performed. One of the

ain was “please tell us what our children need to

ned and the score report is that much improved as

Constant contact with the state’s parent organiza

eetings, and participation in their conferences

of a clear and coherent message, and we continue

relatively simple “programs” to help each of us say

he testing program. For example, a set of over

h person who presents the state testing program,

g as to how to use them. All presenters are free to

supplement the core presentation with information they find helpful so long as thecore remains intact. The result is that each of us is saying the same thing.Other means of ensuring a consistent message that have been or will be usedinclude brochures, an effective media strategy, interpretive guides to the scorereports written for parents, etc. We are working hard to create a coherent system byplanning each piece within the larger context of when parents will need informationso that our effort at communicating has the highest possible chance for success.Perhaps our most challenging communications effort is yet to come. Next fall, priorto the release of the proficiency levels on our state test that will drive our state’saccountability system, we will conduct public meetings and focus groups for the purpose of validating the cut points on the test. For example, one of the things we hopeto do is to show the public what the cut point looks like on the reading test that willdetermine promotion, and then ask whether or not parents and other constituentssupport the cut point as set. Our intent is to make the cuts as explicit as possible withthe expectation that the reaction will be to immediately form a team of parent, childand teacher that can work together in improving the student’s achievement. Again,only with a clear, coherent message will that be possible.For more information, contact John Tanner, Director, Assessment and Analysis, 302/739-6700.

king Things Work
55

nd learned very early that the task of reforming its

ng effort, multi-layered and devoid of quick fixes,

s. Communications with parents and the public

as education tops the public’s list of priorities.

rtment of Education previously had 24 principal

stem staffs), it suddenly seemed that four million

ol reform. Maryland realized that good policy had

nications must be continuous and dynamic, ever

h the shifting sands of public opinion.

s in Maryland began with the release of the

port in November 1990. A brief press release guid

nto education accountability. A sparse 50-page

he first time how school systems and the state per

nd basic skills graduation tests—with checks to

ere met. While much of the public yawned, the

 numbers.

ng more savvy, and the public asked why new state

 3, 5, and 8 showed that no more than a third of

public was baffled when traditional multiple-choice,

ed with tests where students occasionally worked in

 explained their answers. Student performance

re incomprehensible, and parents wanted to know

structional details that had previously been “insider

ward, the language of reform would need to

ation crafted for the public would need to increase

uged through analysis of newspaper clips from the

small-market newspapers. Liberal urban centers

gton-Baltimore suburbs differed dramatically from

ns. Public meetings and dialogues with legislators

d clarify which messages were resonating with pub

ot. The critical nature of clear and understandable

ata, and reform strategies such as sanctions and

of Public Agenda reports, have helped guide

cus of communications to principals and teachers.

maintained a steady stream of information on

at is clear to both the public and educators.

 communications because they oversee that important interface between education policy and children and families. Their knowledge and experience become the real messages to parents. Principals began receiving biweekly bulletins from the Department, and a publication for teachers, initially called Maryland Education Connections, was developed and piloted, eventually becoming Maryland Classroom. The four-page tabloid has become a mainstay of communications with teachers, focusing on information, success stories, and the most current news stories on reforms. A 1994 survey by the Education Commission of the States helped for the first time to gauge the opinions of Maryland parents with those of parents from several other education reform states. The poll helped validate national polls that warned of a public impatient for accountability from their schools and angry when reforms seemed to stray from academics and the basics. Among the communications products that emerged was a 30-page handbook for parents on the state’s testing program for grades 3, 5, and 8—Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP). In the first year of its publication, the handbook was well received by teachers and parents alike. However, it became clear that parents wanted to know how the day-to-day lives of their children would be bet- ter, how they would be challenged. Consequently, the Parent Handbook on MSPAP was revised in its second year to become the Parent Handbook for Better Schools, outlining how school reform meant better teaching and learning and how MSPAP fit into that effort. Distributed initially to parents in the tested grades only, the publica- tion was more recently sent to all parents in grades 1 through 8. A tear-off request form for more information, a toll-free phone line, and a web address listed in the booklet allows parents to access even more information. The web site, which regis- ters more than 85,000 hits per month, shows the MSPAP information portion to be among the most popular features for users. The Department has produced a series of one-page fact sheets in question-and- answer format and in clear language on nearly 40 topics. Three of those fact sheets describe what students experience as they sit down to take MSPAP. A series of posters also helps parents see samples of student responses to portions of MSPAP assess- ment tasks and a list of the basic skills and applications necessary to do well on each test item. Principals are encouraged to distribute the posters during parent con- ferences in which teachers and parents can talk about the expectations for higher student performance with concrete examples in hand. Videos and other materials have been distributed to principals as well as a commu- nications resource binder to encourage a year-long stream of clear and understand- able information on testing. Principals periodically receive copies of camera-ready newsletter columns from the State Superintendent that help keep parents up to date

king Things Work
56

have helped ease a worrisome trickle of misin

by opposition groups.

d, Maryland has been working several years on

on tests that will begin affecting the high school

nter grade 9 in the fall of 2000. A statewide task

d the core learning goals for the tests over two

parents, teachers, and principals revealed the

pectations as well as worries over the details of

cross the state conducted jointly by the

ers aided the State Board of Education and

asmick in developing a phase-in plan for the

ns voiced by parents and educators that the tests

hat too many students would fail.

he Maryland Business Roundtable for Education

w tests to the business community while student

 way to middle schools to prepare students and

c focus anticipated in Maryland high schools.

er communication tools continue a steady

while newsletter columns are distributed to

Association groups, and education stakeholders,

ments with the new tests. Staff from the

 Roundtable have spoken to hundreds of busi

, and other interested stakeholders. Recently, the

amic display booth that operates at conferences

minate materials and build awareness of reforms.

tion and public engagement will only increase

 improving schools. Success will depend on

ose patience with education reformers as

gauntlet of issues to improve schools. The state

nd engagement will be absolutely critical if tax

 for better schools.

Peiffer, Assistant State Superintendent, 

king Things Work (continued)
57

igher Standards was organized in the spring of

sachusetts respond successfully to the primary

 Act of 1993—raising student achievement

andards and “high stakes” tests.

 on statewide tests in other states led to watered

high-stakes tests, the Coalition for Higher

 and community leaders, educators, and parents to

 standards. The Coalition’s grass-roots efforts

o regional collaboratives (representing a total of

reach programs and targeted school improvement

primary goals:

ewide communications and outreach 

upport among parents and the public for high aca

g community efforts to raise student and school

y developing joint projects among Coalition district

ces that increase school capacity to raise student

wide standards and tests.

 implementation by communicating information

ent of Education and state policymakers to ensure

on of the statewide standards and tests.

forts:

Send out a statewide message on the need for

c assumes you are talking about other people’s—

To alert people to the value of education reform in

must operate on a local level.

dren’s teachers. The best way to build parental

ards and testing is to have their children’s teachers

m.

as more credibility. By operating independently

n (DOE), the coalition is able to make statements

OE cannot.

he Coalition focused its efforts on building aware

esting program. Two Coalition information

brochures—the spring and fall issues of Starting Now—were distributed statewide

to broad audiences. The spring issues—which provided an overview of the state’sstandards and testing program and built realistic expectations for first-year results—reached 250,000 parents, teachers, and community members through school andbusiness mailings; 50,000 copies were printed in Spanish. The fall issue—which featured the student Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) reportand addressed the meaning and context of first-year results—was sent to parents ofthe 950,000 public school students in the state; a total of 1.2 million copies wereprinted. The Department of Education funded the printing and distribution of theStarting Now brochures.The Coalition has also produced a larger information packet and periodic fliers,provided editorial briefings to statewide and local newspapers, produced opeds, and publishes a monthly update—all focused on building awareness of the

key points of the statewide standards and testing program.Local Leadership GroupsWorking on a more local level, the Coalition established local leadership groups ofparents, teachers, and community leaders who have committed to making studentachievement a significant and ongoing community project. With information, materials, and organizational support from the Coalition, the groups undertake specialprojects, such as forums to introduce community members to the sample test questions, presentations on the standards and tests to parents on a school-by-schoolbasis, and other projects.The Coalition has shown success at refocusing the efforts and messages ofexisting groups on raising student achievement. Sometimes this involves partnering with local organizations to present a single, unified message about higher expectations and academic standards and tests. Working with the Black MinisterialAlliance and 14 other Boston organizations, for instance, the Coalition helped coordinate a Boston citywide forum, attended by 400 parents (largely from minority communities), on the MCAS tests. In other cases, the Coalition provides short briefings atscheduled meetings of local organizations and talking points to groups for communications with the press or broader public.

Feedback and EvaluationsThe Coalition regularly monitors parental and public concerns and attitudes throughannual public opinion surveys, questions raised at Coalition-sponsored

forums, internal focus groups, reviews of statewide and local mediacoverage, and telephone calls received from parents and the public. The Coalitionupdates its regular information packet (available to parents, businesses, the media,and the other community members) according to the feedback received.

tts Coalition for Higher Standards Is Making Things Work
58

ccess of its efforts to increase awareness and

ndards and tests. The Coalition expects public

easing percentages of the public are aware of

andards and tests. Press coverage indicating

nical issues of standards and testing and sup

ations and higher academic standards will also

ol Improvement Plans

course, is the extent to which change is taking

n’s success, then, will be evident as greater

plans incorporate measurable goals with a focus

. The Coalition works with school site councils

d the principal in determining school improve

r and measurable goals for student improve

ols realign their business and community part

tical to making substantial gains in student

Mass Insight Education and Research Institute

 organization focused on improving

RI also produces special issue reports and runs

atewide briefings to support the implementation

93.

Boston, Concord-Carlisle, Gloucester,

Needham, Newton, Quincy, Rockport, Salem,

atertown, and Woburn, the Pioneer Valley

Alliance (REBA), and the EDCO Collaborative of

cial support from: the Coalition communities

ton, The Boston Foundation, Goodwin, Procter

ett-Packard, IBM, Jessie B. Cox Charitable Trust,

New England Financial, and State Street Bank

Guenther, President, Mass Insight Education and

 or at insight@massinsight.com.

ts Coalition for Higher

Things Work (continued)
59

gle-minded goal: to build public awareness and

ngton State’s new academic standards and school

supported by the contributions of more than 50

tions statewide.

and outreach activities reflect these messages:

ar academic standards for students;

suring the standards;

ts are improving schools and student achievement;

especially among businesses—for the new stan

ate’s efforts to improve public schools and raise

 1993 School Improvement Act. That act set in

er and clearer standards for what students should

ress against the standards, and accountability

d schools to work hard at meeting these expecta

reated the Partnership for Learning in late 1994

empt to change schools needed broad public

ucceed; they wanted to ensure the state (and elect

ver the effort’s long implementation timeline.

short-term but powerful effort to ensure the success

Once the effort is well underway (when “school

schools function and the “new standards” are no

omplete its efforts—probably within the next 5-10

nd Coalitions

nication strategy is specific and focused: to build

mong individuals with the greatest impact on what

eaders, parents, and educators. This clearly

he key to the Partnership’s success. The organiza

es, and decisions about how resources are used

oes a proposed project effectively communicate

Partnership for Learning uses the following channels to inform and improve its work:• A Working Committee (composed of key business leaders, lobbyists, and

communications specialists) meets regularly to provide ongoing direction andadvice for the Partnership’s work. Committee members have the expertise to identify emerging controversies related to the standards and tests, to provide marketing and public relations advice, and to offer strategic direction to the Partnership’sworkplan.

• The Partnership conducts regular public opinion research that tracks what

Washington citizens think about education, the new standards, testing, and schoolaccountability. The research results help the Partnership identify communicationthemes and issues with low public understanding or support.

• A network of community, business, and education leaders in eight

cities helps the Partnership identify local communication needs and projects.These local advisors (in Bellingham, Everett, Olympia, Spokane, Tacoma, the TriCities area, Vancouver, and Yakima) help ensure that Partnership publications,events, and projects are relevant, timely, and effective in each area of the state.

• Informal focus groups are used to review Partnership publications—ensuring

that these publications address real concerns and are presented with the rightlevel of detail.

• The Partnership is working to use community agencies and organizations

to distribute information and Partnership materials. Rather than trying to reproduce local expertise and contacts, the Partnership increasingly is asking localorganizations—churches, service clubs, agencies serving families—to help distribute information.

• Finally, the Partnership maintains a close working relationship with the

state agencies responsible for the new standards and tests: the Commission onStudent Learning and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All theorganizations work together to ensure themes and messages are consistent andthat their efforts reinforce (and don’t duplicate) each other’s.

The ultimate measure of the Partnership’s success has been the steady progress thatWashington State has made. Despite sweeping political changes since the law wasenacted in 1993, the legislation and strategy have stayed in place, the state hasmaintained its funding support, and school districts and schools are beginning to orient their efforts to helping students reach higher standards.While the Partnership alone can’t take credit for these successes, its existence hashelped state and local leaders stay focused and has demonstrated the business community’s serious commitment to this issue.

 for Learning (Washington State) Is Making Things Work
60

nication activities fall into two categories: broad

wn) and grass-roots and community outreach 

ude:

Community Outreach

o 25,000 citizens • Community events and 

andards and tests workshops

• Statewide speakers’ bureau• Trained, engaged cadres of

hools local activists

• Tools/support for 

community action

...—comparing the new state tests with the more

ng what information parents and teachers will get

r Child’s Academic Success—providing an in

andards and tests and suggestions for how parents

 new standards.

• A Businessperson’s Guide to Washington’s School Improvement

Strategy—showing businesspeople (from top executives to front-line employees) how they can ensure that their efforts to work with schools are effective.

• Help Your Child Succeed in School and Anything Is Possible—offering quick information (flyer format) about standards and tests in five languages:

Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, Cambodian, and English.

• Understanding the New 4th- and 7th-Grade Tests—explaining the

new state tests and how they are scored (co-produced with Washington State’sCommission on Student Learning).

The Partnership also widely distributes copies of Washington’s new standards andsample test questions and produces ready-to-use newsletter articles for schools andparent organization. To better reach parents, the Partnership also has co-sponsoredseveral publications with the Washington State Parent-Teacher Association.Partnership for Learning serves as a credible, non-government source of informationabout Washington’s school improvement effort for citizens throughout the state. Allpublications and events produced by the Partnership are free of charge.For more information, contact Bill Porter, Executive Director, at 206/625-9655 or atbill@partnership-wa.org.

 for Learning (Washington State) Is Making Things Work (continued)
61

ttee?

emic Excellence is a non-profit, non-partisan group

to improving education in Kentucky at all levels. It

to study higher education but became independent

scope to include elementary and secondary edu

e allows it to speak out as a voice for citizens and

effectiveness.

mittee is to provide a public voice advocating for

Kentuckians. Its goals are to:

n education is made;

ms;

overnors, and education officials; and

arents and citizens.

atewide town forum to listen to public sentiment

recruited to organize local meetings through PTAs,

mbers of commerce, school districts, community

 business conducted a statewide ad campaign to

Educational Television connected the 145 commu

citizens and parents gathered to talk about educa

ge to state policymakers—Kentucky citizens wanted

s comprehensive, standards-based education

mittee’s role changed from advocating for legisla

r implementation of the new law. Recognizing that

ck meaningful school reform, the Committee 

 as a major strategy in advocating for school

 Prichard Committee, the business community cre

Schools, which made a 10-year commitment to

ation. These two groups are housed together and

aborate to support reform efforts.

How Do They Communicate With and Listen to the Public?In many cases, activities and programs of the Prichard Committee and thePartnership serve dual purposes—sharing information with the public and solicitingfeedback. The following are examples:• Eight regional coordinators work with local communities and parents to support

efforts to improve student achievement; they share information with the public;they also listen to what parents and citizens are saying.

• “Parents and Teachers Talking Together,” four-hour structured dialogues focused

on expectations for students, are conducted in schools across the state; regionalstaff train volunteer facilitators and support local hosts who organize these events;in the first three years, more than 5,500 parents and teachers had participated.

• A toll-free telephone line and a resource center make clear and accurate information available to the public; about 1,500 people use this line each year.• The Partnership identifies and prepares Education Ambassadors, some of

Kentucky’s most able high school students who promote school reform from a student perspective; with training, some of these students facilitate focus groups of other students.

• A speaker’s bureau offers knowledgeable speakers to local groups.• For four years, a school bus outfitted as a traveling information exhibit on school

reform traveled the state, stopping at schools, local fairs and festivals, and specialevents; more than 250,000 citizens toured the bus.

• Recently, to more fully engage parents in Kentucky’s standards-based education

system, the Prichard Committee established the Commonwealth Institute forParent Leadership, along with the Kentucky PTA and the Association of OlderKentuckians. (See page 25 for more information.) Parents with leadership potential are identified with the help of former institute graduates, PTA, family resourcecenters, schools, and family literacy programs. Each year 200 participants areinformed, trained, and offered resources and technical support to get other parents involved in improving student achievement. One specific activity has parentsexamining student writing, creating a standard for good writing, and learning howthey can help their children develop writing skills.

• The Partnership works closely with businesses to evaluate and support the work

it does with schools. Activities include sponsoring conversations between business leaders and students; a brown bag lunch series at places of business;encouragement for employers to ask applicants for evidence of academicprogress such as test results, portfolio entries, and high school transcripts; andproduction and distribution of a KERA Briefing Notebook; Education: WeMake It Our Business: A Planning and Resource Guide; and Ready for

Work: Essential Skills for Kentucky Jobs.

mmittee (Kentucky) Is Making Things Work
ork closely with state agencies, the state cham

ducation associations to make maintain good

tivities.

gies

per insert explaining assessment, was created

tributed.

 the Partnership, are placed every week in a

 to share information with parents about helping

achievement.

ublished and mailed to 15,000 parents and citi

by staff and distributed to the news media.

ool law, finance, and other programs are pub

understandable to the public.

escription of parents’ rights and responsi

Updates, offering information about each seg

nges have been implemented, has been pro

pes designed for use in schools and businesses

with the Department of Education. It coordinat

mittee guidebook on the primary program.

have been used to share information.

education and editorial writers in the

d, providing a source of information for those

hrough volunteer members, regional staff, the centers, media, schools, and PTAs.

Work

p adjust their work based on focus groups,

luations, and feedback from parents and citi

ms.

rt F. Sexton, Executive Director, at 606/233-9849 or

62

mmittee (Kentucky) Is Making

ed)
ea Book is to help states think about

inform parents about state-level im

g and the underlying academic expecta

nd meaningfully—report the results of

xamples in Sections II and III have been

ementing the recommendations in your

ction IV offer you a glimpse of how

ng it work.

lly provoke you to look carefully at

ents and determine where they can be

ovide parents with lists of what all stu

ble to do, as well as places to go to get

r state offer parents sample test items,

d and not-so-good), and explanations of

 explain what it means to “meet the

les in this Idea Book will help you make

you begin to move forward, keep the

d:

our community.

cus groups, surveys, or face-to-face com

ow the parents in your state and commu

sure that their wants are well represent

unity to engage parents in their own

ze, however, that there are different

p called “parents.” “Informed” parents

tion than would the “regular” parent.

nguage.

he state is moving toward higher stan

 tests, or answering parent’s more com

ing language that parents can understand will help to build awareness and support for your improve- ment efforts. ◆ Take the time to plan. Once you have listened to parents, regroup and plan accordingly. Ask yourself, How best can we respond to these suggestions? ◆ Ensure a consistent message. Research shows that parents are more apt to look to teachers for information about education issues than to any other source. For that reason, teachers need to be provided with good information on the changes that are taking place and how these changes affect the classroom. They need to understand that the assessment is part of an aligned education system—not a random or discrete act. ◆ Coordinate with others. Whether you are listening to your audience, creating documents, or disseminating information, recognize that state departments of education cannot perform these functions alone. Others have a stake in building awareness and understanding of the improve- ment efforts as well. In many of the examples cited in Section IV, there is a high degree of business involvement. Business can help deliver a strong message to the public that students need different and better academic skills to succeed in the workplace than they did a generation ago. They can also provide critical staying power if initial results of the new assessments are disappointing. ◆ Realize that improving your communication efforts will take resources. While states should not promise parents more than their budgets or technology can deliver, setting aside the resources to describe the need for higher standards and the results of the assessments should be a priority. ◆ Recognize that moving toward a standards-based system takes political will. Education improvement does not happen in a vacuum. It takes leadership, and this leadership needs to come from more than one

person.

63

Conclusion

E C T I O N V:
ng standards matter: An annual fifty-state

mic standards. Washington, DC:

hers.

nnealy, S. (1997). Annual survey of state

Washington, DC: Council of Chief State

, J. (1996). Americans’ views on

blic Agenda.

6Public Agenda (1998). Reality check. New York, NY: Public Agenda.7Education Commission of the States. (1996). Listen, discuss and act:

Parents’ and teachers’ views on education reform. Denver, CO:Education Commission of the States.

8Ibid.9Olsen, L. A new accountability player: The local newspaper.

Education Week. June 17, 1998, pg. 1, Volume XVII, Number 40.

10Education Commission of the States. (1996). Listen, discuss and act:

Parents’ and teachers’ views on education reform. Denver, CO:Education Commission of the States.

64
 the National Education Goals Panel

eting with parents. The 11 participants

oss the country and were recruited from

l PTA and the National Coalition of

to assess what parents believed to be

nforming and reporting” communication

provide information about their child

sts and the underlying standards.

meeting asked participants to pretend

an average school district and that they

trict was typical when it came to educa

ct’s children did well on the tests, others

ll in the middle.

asking parents to pretend that they had

laining that the state had begun the

process of choosing new tests aligned with the state’s higher standards, and for this first year, a new mathematics tests would be usedwith the students in their child’s grade this coming fall. The lettercalled the test a “performance test” but did not explain what wasmeant by the term. Parents were then asked what they would wantto know about the new state test.

Part B of the focus group meeting then asked parents to imagine

that they just received a report from the state with their child’s testscores. To facilitate this part of the discussion, parents were providedwith a set of sample score reports from the following publishers:CTB/McGraw-Hill (Terra Nova Home Report and Terra NovaPerformance Level Report), Harcourt Brace (Stanford 9 Home Reportand Stanford 9 Student Report with Performance Standards), theNational Center on Education and the Economy and the Universityof Pittsburgh (New Standards Performance Report), and Riverside(Iowa Tests of Basic Skills Profile Narrative Report). The parentswere asked what they liked and disliked about these reports. In addition, the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills National Performance StandardsReport is included. Although parents did not see this report duringthe focus group, it is included for the reader’s information.

Comments on these reports are provided on the following pages. 

65

ed Score Reports

PPENDIX A:
66

CTB/McGraw-Hill 

Terra Nova Home Report

(front)

TB/McGraw-Hill, Copyright © 1997. Reproduced with permission of CTB/McGraw-Hill.

Shading made thechart easier to understand.

Most text was largeenough to readwithout strain.

Parents liked explanationsof what the scores mean.
67

CTB/McGraw-Hill 

Terra Nova Home Report

(back)

CTB/McGraw-Hill, Copyright © 1997. Reproduced with permission of CTB/McGraw-Hill.

ated

d

rt.

Multiple types of bulletswere considered confusingby parents.

Parents would have preferredexamples. These comments were“too vague.”
68

CTB/McGraw-Hill 

Terra Nova Student Performance Level Report

(front)

CTB/McGraw-Hill, Copyright © 1997. Reproduced with permission of CTB/McGraw-Hill.

Parents likedbeing able totell at aglance howtheir childhad done.

Text was easyto read. Parents preferred

“personalized” reports.
69

CTB/McGraw-Hill 

Terra Nova Performance Level Report

(back)

CTB/McGraw-Hill, Copyright © 1997. Reproduced with permission of CTB/McGraw-Hill.

Parents generally likedthe skill set listing.

The type was considered too small to readwithout straining theireyes. Many parents believed descriptions

were too technical.
70

Harcourt Brace 

Stanford 9 Home Report

The term “percentile” was problematic for many parentsbecause they confused it withthe term “percentage.”

Parentsliked thehorizontalbars.

A number of parents thoughtthe text was too small to readwithout straining their eyes.

Parents liked subtest areadescriptions and appreciatedlearning what could be done toimprove a student’s score.

Stanford Achievement Test: Ninth Edition. Copyright © 1997 by Harcourt Brace & Company. Reproduced by permission. All rights reserved.
71

Harcourt Brace 

Stanford 9 Student Report with Performance Standards

hievement Test: Ninth Edition. Copyright © 1997 by Harcourt Brace & Company. Reproduced by permission. All rights reserved.

Most of the text onthe report was considered too small.

No definition of“raw score.”

Lack of subtestdescriptions lessenedunderstanding. Definitions 

supplied were“too complex.”
72

nal Center on Education and the Economy and the University of Pittsburgh

New Standards Performance Report

NEW

ded

ment

Suggestions forimproving performance wereconsidered helpful.

Percentages fromstudent’s schoolprovided context.

Use of shadingwas consideredhelpful to draw eye toimmediatelyknowingwhether thestudentachieved thestandard.

Parents liked descriptionsof what skill areas werebeing assessed.

right © 1997 by the National Center on Education and the Economy and the University of Pittsburgh. All rights reserved.
73

Riverside 

Iowa Tests of Basic Skills Profile Narrative Report

Parents did not like the use of acronyms andstrongly believed that more explanation was needed beyond merely “spelling out” the acronym.

Parents likedthe fact that the report waspersonalized.

Because the natural flow of reading is from left to right, parentsfelt comfortable with the horizontal bars.

Parents didn’t understand what theyshould do next after reviewing the results.

Shading behind thebar chart made iteasier to read.

Copyright © 1996 by The Riverside Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
74

Riverside 

Iowa Tests of Basic Skills National Performance Standards Report

Copyright © 1997 by The Riverside Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
port for Schools: A Practical Guide to

s, A-Plus Communications and

of the States

l 303/299-3692 or visit their web site at

 That Count: A Business Leader’s Guide,

e

 202/466-3509 or visit their web site at

for Families and Communities, U.S.

n

l 800/USA-LEARN or visit their web site

mericareads. Copies are free of charge.

n Action Handbook for Family-School

 U.S. Department of Education

l 800/USA-LEARN or visit their web site

Compact. Copies are free of charge.

ups: A Low-Cost Way to Listen to Your

Commission of the States

l 303/299-3692 or visit their web site at

6) National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Programs,

National PTA

◆ To request a copy, call 800/307-4PTA or visit their web site at

www.pta.org.

7) Standards Mean Business Leadership Kit, National Alliance of

Business

◆ To request a copy, call 800/787-7788 or visit their web site at

www.nab.com or www.bcer.org.

8) Strengthening Your Child’s Academic Future, Education Excellence

Partnership

◆ To request a copy, call 800/USA-LEARN or fax 202/466-3509.

Also available at the Education Excellence Partnership website at www.edex.org, the U.S. Department of Education website at www.ed.gov, and the National Alliance of Business website at www.nab.com.

9) Successful Strategies Booklet Series [highlighting the business role

in a variety of education topics], National Alliance of Business

◆ To request a copy, call 800/787-7788 or visit their web site at

www.nab.com or www.bcer.org.

10) Working with the News Media, American Association of School

Administrators

◆ To request a copy, call 888/782-2272 or 301/617-7802, or

visit their web site at www.aasa.org.

75

Resources

PPENDIX B:
Book for State Leaders, was designed

nce. Special thanks are due to members

oals Panel’s Advisory Group on

ts to Parents, especially the co-chairs,

anoff, and those who contributed to the

n Section IV: Linda Bond, Cindy

on Peiffer, Bill Porter, Billie Sherrod,

, Sylvia Soholt, and Monica Solomon.

a Neri for her contribution to Section

her contribution to the Close-ups. Mary

e, Katie Gerringer, Armen Kojoyian,

Communications contributed expertise

port production, and editorial support.

 Lease of Westat provided meeting and

nks are due to John Barth, Christopher

z at the National Education Goals

cknowledge the states for their assis

fforts and participants in its focus

 versions of this document.

Advisory Group on Reporting Assessment Results to ParentsCo-ChairsDavid Ice, West Virginia Department of Education and the ArtsAndrew Romanoff, Office of the Governor, ColoradoMembersJulie Bell, National Conference of State LegislaturesLinda Bond, CTB/McGraw-HillAdriana de Kanter, U.S. Department of EducationJanet Durfee-Hidalgo, Ohio Department of EducationGale Gaines, Southern Regional Education BoardMatt Gandal, AchieveAimee Guidera, National Alliance of BusinessCindy Heine, The Prichard CommitteeCraig Jerald, Education WeekBarb Kapinus, WestatLatha Krishnaiyer, Florida PTADane Linn, National Governors’ AssociationMaggie McNeely, U.S. Department of EducationRon Peiffer, Maryland State Department of EducationAndy Plattner, A-Plus CommunicationsBill Porter, Partnership for LearningBillie Sherrod, Georgia Department of EducationJohn Tanner, Delaware Department of EducationInvited GuestsLinda Glecker, Thompson School District, ColoradoSylvia Soholt, Edmonds School District, WashingtonMonica Solomon, Cincinnati Public Schools, Ohio

76

nowledgments

PPENDIX C:
Ken Nelson

Executive Director

Program Staff

John W. Barth

Senior Education Associate

Christopher R. Harrington

Education Associate

Leslie A. Lawrence

Senior Education Associate

Cynthia D. Prince

Associate Director for Analysis and Reporting

Emily O. Wurtz

Senior Education Associate

Administrative Staff

Cynthia M. Dixon

Program Assistant

Sherry George

Secretary

John Masaitis

Executive Officer

77

National Education Goals Panel Staff
iii

Foreword

have seen great strides in education. Governors, state and district leaders, and federal policymakers across the country are

setting high standards and expectations for what our children should know and be able to do. More and more states are aligning

s to their assessment systems. But none of these efforts will amount to much unless they are understood and, in turn, supported

 parents more familiar with standards and assessments—in some cases, even by making parents aware that these tools exist—we

port for school improvement.

is Idea Book shows how states can communicate more effectively with parents, whether the subject is the need for higher 

tests. The recommendations and examples in this book reflect in large part the work of the National Education Goals Panel’s

ssessment Results to Parents. Nearly all the group’s members work on the front lines of standards and assessments reform; many

ng parents make sense of their states’ expectations and monitor their children’s progress in meeting them.

rs to strive for better communication with parents. We hope this report will assist you in meeting this challenge.

Sincerely,

Underwood Roy Romer

98), National Education Goals Panel, Member, National Education Goals Panel,

rnor of West Virginia and Governor of Colorado

igan

sas

r.

arolina

ucky

son

nsin

tman

ersey

Members of the Administration

Michael Cohen

Education Advisor to the President

Richard W. Riley

Secretary of Education

Members of Congress

Jeff Bingaman

U.S. Senator, New Mexico

Jim Jeffords

U.S. Senator, Vermont

William F. Goodling

U.S. Representative, Pennsylvania

Mathew G. Martínez

U.S. Representative, California

State Legislators

G. Spencer Coggs

State Representative, Wisconsin

Ronald Cowell

State Representative, Pennsylvania

Mary Lou Cowlishaw

State Representative, Illinois

Douglas R. Jones

State Representative, Idaho
National Education Goals Panel

1255 22nd Street, NW, Suite 502

Washington, DC 20037

Phone: 202/724-0015

Fax: 202/632-0957

E-mail: NEGP@ed.gov