HomeMy WebLinkAboutPR 585 CUR - Use of Commercial Standardized Tests
-1- PR.585.CUR
PROCEDURE PR.585.CUR
TITLE: THE USE OF COMMERCIAL STANDARDIZED TESTS
Date issued: 20 June 2000
Last revised: 17 August 2004
Authorization: Senior Staff: 12 April 2000
1.0 OBJECTIVE
1.1 To provide guidance for the use of commercial standardized testing throughout the
Board's jurisdiction concerning:
a) the circumstances in which standardized testing may be used;
b) the administrative procedures of such tests;
c) the distribution and storage of results.
2.0 DEFINITIONS
In this procedure,
2.1 Standardized Test: a test whose format, administration and scoring have been
standardized; for which reliability and validity data are available; and for which data exist
which permit interpretation and comparison with a defined student population.
2.2 Definitions of other salient terms used in this procedure, as well as more specific
guidelines for selection, use, interpretation, and reporting, are given in the Board
manual Making Effective Use of Statistics and Test Results.
3.0 RESPONSIBILITIES
3.1 Board staff will, within the bounds of available resources:
a) provide test materials (for group testing ) through the Guidance Career Education
Centre;
b) ensure that staff is trained in the use and administration of standardized tests;
and
c) fund the testing associated with the mandated screening for gifted students at the
specified grade level(s).
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3.2 The Staff Advisory Committee on Student Evaluation will make recommendations to the
Director’s Executive Council concerning the use of commercial standardized tests in the
Board. (Ref. Board Policy P.083.CUR: Student Evaluation and accompanying
procedure PR.582.CUR).
3.3 The school principal and superintendent of instruction will review, as necessary, the
purposes, uses, and appropriateness of the school's program for standardized testing.
The superintendents of instruction will communicate system needs to principals and
central staff.
3.4 School staff will:
a) determine the appropriateness (including reliability, validity, and norming
population) of a particular test before deciding to use it;
b) ensure that the use of standardized tests conforms to the principles set out in
Board Policy P.083.CUR and accompanying Board Procedure PR.592.CUR;
c) ensure that the use of standardized tests conforms to the list of recommended
tests (forthcoming);
d) in the case of group achievement tests, inform parents by a general newsletter
that such tests may be administered throughout the school year, including an
explanation of the nature and purpose of such testing;
e) in the case of group tests of ability (e.g., the Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test),
obtain informed written parental consent as requested in Attachment 1;
f) in the case of tests of ability, intelligence, personality, or other commercial
standardized tests which are part of an individual educational assessment, inform
parents as indicated on the Referral Authorization form OCDSB 370;
g) administer the tests exactly as specified in the test manual in order for the results
to be valid and reliable;
h) interpret, as required, to parents/guardians the results of all standardized tests;
i) record and store the results (as indicated in 4 below).
3.5 Central Special Education/Student Services staff will:
a) obtain informed, written parental consent as requested on form OCDSB 371 to
administer standardized tests and/or carry out assessment procedures for
Special Education/Student Services purposes;
b) interpret, as required, to parent(s)/guardian(s) or students a ged 18 years or older
the results of standardized tests administered by Special Education/ Student
Services.
4.0 PROCEDURES
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4.1 Use of tests
a) Commercial standardized tests in the schools of the Ottawa-Carleton District
School Board should be used sparingly, as one method of providing information
concerning student strengths and weaknesses and as one of the bases for
program adjustment or improvement. Commercial standardized tests should be
considered in conjunction with additional data derived from:
(i) classroom observation, teacher-made tests and assignments, and student
portfolios;
(ii) conferences with parents;
(iii) locally-developed (district) testing;
(iv) results and recommendations by Special Education/Student Services staff
based on individual assessment(s).
4.2 Administration of tests
Staff members normally will administer only tests within the expectations of the job
description. The minimum qualifications of staff permitted to administer, score, and
interpret particular types of tests are indicated in Attachment 2 below.
4.3 Reporting of results
a) When reporting standardized test scores, depending upon the audience or
purpose, raw scores will be converted to percentiles, stanines, standard scores,
or descriptive categories. Grade equivalents, on the other hand, should not be
used.
b) Numerical scores for intelligence and ability tests will not be recorded in the OSR
but descriptive categories, percentiles, or standard scores may be included.
4.4 Access to standardized test results.
a) The results of group-administered achievement, aptitude, and intelligence tests
shall be available according to need, as indicated in this chart:
GROUP RESULTS
Classroom teachers
Class results
Individual pupils results
Learning Resource Teachers
ESL teachers, Guidance Counsellors
School results
Individual pupil results
Class results
Principals, Superintendents,
Director of Education, Central staff (for
purposes of
Individual pupil results
Class results
School results
System results
b) Publication of any standardized test results other than as described above shall
respect the anonymity of all pupils, classes, teachers, and schools in accordance
with Policy IMA subject to the requirements of the Municipal Freedom of
Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
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c) Results from standardized tests administered by school staff to individual pupils
will be transferred, subject to the requirements of the Municipal Freedom of
Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Ministry of Education Ontario
Student Record (OSR) Guideline , to other school systems in Ontario through the
pupil's OSR, as required.
d) School systems outside the province of Ontario may obtain a pupil's standardized
test results upon receipt of written consent from a parent/guardian to forward
such information.
e) No standardized test results for a pupil will be released to persons or agencies
outside the school system without the written consent of a parent/guardian.
4.5 Recording and storage of results.
a) Results from group or individual standardized tests administered by school-
based staff will be recorded in the pupil's OSR in the form indicated (see section
4.3 above).
b) Results from standardized tests administered by Special Education/Student
Services staff will generally be incorporated in a written report which will be
housed in the pupil's OSR except where parent(s)/guardian(s) request in writing
that the report not be forwarded to the school. Raw test data generated by
Special Education/Student Services staff will be retained in their private discipline
files.
c) According to the Ministry of Education Ontario Student Record (OSR) Guideline,
an adult student or the parent(s) or guardian(s) of a student who is not an adult
may a) determine that information contained in the student’s OSR is inaccurate ly
recorded or not conducive to the improvement of the instruction of the student
and b) request that the information be corrected or removed from the OSR. The
principal may comply or may refuse; in the latter case, there is an appeal
process.
5.0 APPENDICES
Attachment 1: Consent For Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test (CCAT)
Attachment 2: Minimum Qualifications of Staff Permitted to Administer, Score and Interpret
Types of Tests
6.0 REFERENCE DOCUMENTS
The Education Act, 1998, s. 237, 4-5
Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
Making Effective Use of Statistics and Test Results, OCDSB 1999
Ministry of Education Ontario Student Record (OSR) Guideline
Board Policy 083.CUR: Student Achievement and Evaluation
Board Procedure PR.582.CUR: Student Evaluation Committee
Board Procedure PR.583.CUR: Student Evaluation – Elementary
Board Procedure PR.584.CUR: Student Evaluation – Secondary
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PR.585.CUR
Attachment 1
Date:
Dear Parent(s):
Re: Consent for Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test (CCAT)
We would like your consent for your son/daughter to take the Canadian Cognitive Abilities
Test, a standardized group test of ability.
The results of this test will be used by school personnel to help us gain a better understanding
of your child's needs. Central staff may also use test results to establish a basis for the evaluation of
existing programs and assist in planning appropriate curriculum and instructional programs at the
system level. Individual test results will be treated confidentially and any data used for purposes of
reporting to the public will be done generically without disclosure of identifying information.
This test will be administered by school personnel and will not involve anyone from outside the
school.
Would you please indicate on the bottom portion of this form your consent for this testing of
your child, and return it as soon as possible. A copy of the results will be placed in your child's
Ontario School Record.
Thank you for your support and cooperation.
Yours truly,
Principal
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Consent for Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test (CCAT)
I, do / do not give my
consent for my
Parent/Guardian (Please print)
son/daught
er,
to take the Canadian
Cognitive
Child’s Name
Abilities Test (CCAT).
Name of School
Date Signature
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Personal information on this form is collected under the authority of the Education Act and will be
used for the purpose of registering appropriate authorization for the student’s participation in CCAT
testing. Test results may be used at a system level for evaluation and development purposes. If you
wish to review the results, or any generic reports prepared at the system level, please contact the
principal of the school.
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PR.585.CUR
Attachment 2
Minimum Qualifications Of Staff Permitted To Administer, Score And Interpret Various Types
Of Tests
TESTS MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS STAFF
Group achievement, Basic training in the Principals, Vice-
aptitude, and intellectual nature, administration, Principals, LRTs,
ability tests and interpretation of classroom teachers
standardized tests
Individual testing of University course or LRTs,
achievement, aptitude, equivalent in the theory Special
and interest (inventories) and application of testing Education teachers,
Guidance counsellors
Individual intellectual Post-graduate degree in Psychologists
ability tests and psychology registered in
individual personality Ontario or those
tests under the direct
supervision of a
registered Psychologist
or Psychological Associate
Standardized tests and As required by job Educational and
procedures appropriate to descriptions Psycho-Educational
specific job Consultants,
responsibilities Psychologists,
teachers of the
hearing impaired,
teachers of the
visually impaired,
Speech and Language
Pathologists registered in
Ontario, Social Workers