Does anyone know what these tests are and in particular what scale? They seem to be used at my kids' high school as some kind of general progress test - one at the start of Yr 9 and one at the end. They are not discussed with the students though - presumably the teachers use them. I found out one child got 94 at start of year, but when I found he got 104 at end of year I had to assume it was not a percentage! Other child has now got 93 Start-of-year. so I am wondering - what do these numbers mean?
It may be the Thinking with Evidence test. From the NZCER site:
Science: Thinking with Evidence is a series of 4 multiple-choice standardized tests designed for students in Years 7 - 10. They are designed to assess how well students use evidence to think about scientific contexts and issues.
The tests identify some specific aspects of thinking in science rather than attempting to measure overall achievement in science.
The test results will help teachers to make informed decisions about fruitful areas for future learning.
Thanks Sue. I had found that information too. What i have been unable to find is any interpretation of scores. More worryingly, when I asked the science teacher, she didn't seem to have any idea either!
If the science teacher can't answer your questions, go to the HOD Science and ask him/her what the scores mean and how they are interpreted and used by staff. The numbers you refer to may be raw scores which need to be translated into percentiles to help with grouping and programme planning, but this is just a guess on my part. Good luck!
