eNews Archive & Articles | BJU Press Testing and Evaluation

Testing Solutions is a monthly enewsletter from the BJU Press Testing & Evaluation service that offers resources for the Stanford or Iowa Tests, as well as testing tips and reminders.

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	Improving Your Reading to Improve Your Test Scores As you analyze your student's scores, try to look for specific skills that may be improved—rarely is an entire subject weak. Low scores in reading-related areas are especially noteworthy because reading comprehension affects almost every other area of learning. However, the key to improving literacy lies in using a variety of purposeful, rather than simply repetitive, activities.
	Looking for a REALITY CHECK? Love it or hate it, we all need a reality check once in a while. Homeschoolers especially come under a lot of pressure from scoffers, skeptics, and supporters alike. Is your child really as brilliant as you think? Will Johnny really grow out of his fear of reading? Have you really covered everything you need to? We think we know the answers, but what if the reality is different?
	Pencil-Biting Scenarios For some reason, we all seem to have a bit of morbid curiosity when it comes to “the worst” situations our fellow testers have faced—though we hope we never experience the same ourselves! But for those with such a curiosity, we’ve pulled a couple of “case files” for your enjoyment (and warning!).
	No Need to Test: Fact or Fiction? FICTION: Your curriculum tells you everything you need to know about your child's progress. FACT: Good curriculum can tell you a lot, but it can't tell you how your child compares to national standards.
	Going on Record Sometimes we are asked if achievement scores go on a student’s permanent record. Although the answer is “No, we report the scores only to you,” there are some records you should consider keeping on your own. Good records are useful for future school enrollment, for driving discounts (you’ll need them before you know it!), honors societies, and college scholarships.
	Listening with Your Eyes Toddlers love to have their ears "pulled off" in fun, but sometimes we wonder if our kids really did lose their ears--how else could their listening skills be so terrible?! But good listening uses more than just ears-it uses the eyes, and sometimes even the fingers and mouth. Like other skills, listening can be developed and improved with practice. Here are some fun, simple, and creative ways to increase listening ability.
	'Twas the Night Before . . . Testing? 'Twas the night before testing And all through the house Not a creature was cramming, Not even a mouse. . . . With a simple checklist, you can enjoy a peaceful slumber on the "night before testing" with visions of success dancing in your head . . .
	The Humble Pencil Much has been said of the "mighty pen" but what of the humble pencil? From elegant handwriting to charcoal sketches to improvised hair pins, pencils fill many roles! At this busy time of year we take a moment to spotlight this simplest of tools, without whose help students would never be able to take our tests. Next time you use your humble pencil, take a closer look and learn a few life lessons. Remember that …
	The (Politically) Correct Answer Education has long been a favorite plank in political platforms. Each candidate has his own ideas and values. When you add to that various state and national standards, publishers can find themselves pulled in many directions. So just how much does this disparity affect standardized testing?
	Opposites Attract What do reading and math have to do with each other? Quite a lot. While the skills may seem very different, most real-life situations use a mix of both. A great way to pull math and reading skills together is through maps, charts, and diagrams.
	Confident Scoring Standardized test scores are often criticized for trying to measure a student’s academic achievement based on just a few hours of testing. This is a valid question, but there actually IS a way to tell how much confidence you can put in the accuracy of the scores. Our testing service uses a score-report style that includes “confidence bands.” This is a way of showing the actual score and how sure the statistics are of its accuracy. Here’s how it works...
	Comparing Test Scores: Your Student vs. Norm Have you ever wondered who your student is keeping up with when he takes an achievement test? Let us introduce you to “Norm.” We’ll call him “Norm” for now, though he isn’t a “normal” student in the normal sense of the word. In fact, he isn’t a student at all—he is a group of several thousand students called the “normative group” or control group that your student is compared to on test scores.
	Common Homeschool Testing Concerns Flexibility is one of the many advantages of homeschooling. While you can customize your curriculum, this can complicate things when you get to a “standardized” achievement test. Here are some answers to some common questions and concerns.
	Shipping Out Once your achievement testing is done, it's time for the materials to "ship out." Here are a few tips to assure your testing materials have a smooth return trip.
	“Go Green” with BJU Press Testing & Evaluation Testing Services It seems that everybody these days is “going green.” While some folks may take it to an extreme and mistakenly worship the earth, there really are ways to “go green” and still honor God—by taking care of what has been entrusted to us. Here are a few of the ways BJU Press Testing & Evaluation testing services “goes green”—and how it can “save green” for your pocketbook!
	Teach Higher-Thinking Skills the Fun Way: With Games! A merry heart doeth good like a medicine—and it can help with learning skills, too! Games offer children an opportunity to develop higher-thinking skills that can relate to their schoolwork but without the pressure of a formal setting or the feeling of being under inspection. It’s also an ideal way to bring the family together for both competition and teamwork. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
	A Major or a Minor? Most young people “try out” different dreams as they grow, from firefighter to doctor to teacher. As they near college, most have narrowed their goals to a specific field but still typically change their major at least once. Thorough research, sound advice, and good planning save a lot of hassle, time, and money down the road. Here are some tips to help your young person with the process of choosing a career path.
	25 Years of Testing As Thanksgiving is upon us, we, the staff of BJU Press Testing & Evaluation, extend a heartfelt thanks to you for partnering with us for over 25 delightful years of testing service.
	The Practical Side of Test Scores “Planning your work and working your plan” helps with more than scheduling your errands—it can make a big difference in organizing your teaching, too. It’s much easier to work through a subject or a grade with your student when you have a plan to follow.
	A Peck of Possibilities Invest a few moments to explore the possibilities for using test scores and you'll reap a bushel of benefits!
	Navigating Testing Norms Compasses, GPS systems, and maps are useful tools when it comes to navigation—unless you are trying to navigate your way through the results of achievement tests! But with a little bit of explanation, you should be able to understand the types of scores that you'll see on achievement test results and understand how to apply them.
$Mystery Math: Insights from a Math Teacher$	Mystery Math: Insights From a Math Teacher We asked Kathy Kohler, a professor of mathematics at Bob Jones University to help solve some of the mystery of math. Here are some of her insights on curriculum, algebra readiness, sequence, and more.
	Books That Fit: Reading with Lexile Measures Your daughter comes into the kitchen and tosses a book on the counter. "I can't read this," she says. "It's too hard." You pick up the book. "What do you mean?""The words are too long. I tried looking them up, but there are just too many." Does this scenario sound familiar?
	The Final Analysis: Grading Writing Dawn Watkins discusses the difficult task of grading a student's writing. Focus on what is rather than on what should be. Consider the paper as a whole and look for audience adaption, the message, and the effect on the reader. Then look at the support for the message. Then look for things such as organization and form. Finally, mark spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors.
	Special-Needs Testing Testers often ask how to accommodate a student’s special needs. Here are some of the most common needs and suggestions. Please feel free to call and ask about a specific situation. We love to help!
	The Smart Start Guide to Test Preparation We've all done it—the night-before-the-test "cram" session. Does it really work? There's certainly a lot to be said for reviewing material. On the other hand, there's only so much you can review—or learn—in a few hours. The key is not to study harder (or faster) but to study smarter.