Test scores a disappointment:
Test scores a disappointment:
Parshall schools seek solutions to student testing problems
By Jerry W. Kram
The average student at Parshall Public Schools starts with a disadvantage and falls further behind as time goes on.
That’s the conclusion that was laid out for the Parshall School Board by the school’s counselors, Teri Webberley and Brandon Stoermann. The pair presented their analysis of standardized tests required of all students by the state of North Dakota and federal No Child Left Behind standards.
“When the kids enter kindergarten they are half a year behind (the standards),” Stoermann said. “By fourth grade they are a full year behind, on average. By sixth grade, some are a full three years behind.”
Stoermann said the tests probably overstate the deficits somewhat. He and Webberly said the sheer number and length of the tests cause some students not to try their best on every one. A state required test was followed just a month later by a federal mandated test that took eight hours for students to complete.
