1975-11-24-SC-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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LEXINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE MINUTES November 24, 1975 Page 222 A regular meeting of the Lexington School Committee came to order at 8:05 p.m. at Jonas Clarke Junior High School. Present were Mesdames Swanson and Berchtold. Messrs. Rotberg, Wadsworth. Also present were Messrs. Spiris . and Monderer, and Miss Quinn. The entire meeting was devoted to a discussion of the testing program currently in use in the Lexington Public Schools. Invited to offer their perceptions of the program were Dr. Fritz Mosher of the Carnegie Corporation; Mrs. Helen Grush, a Lexington resident and former testing committee member; and Dr. Bernard Harleston, a Lexington resident who served four years on the Graduate Records Examination Board. Dr. Monderer opened the meeting. He noted that the testing program has these major characteristics: it uses a standardized, norm-referenced, group administered test to measure general achievement of pupils` basic skills each year from grades 2 through 8; in addition, a measure of aptitude for learning is used in grades 2 and 4. Dr. Monderer continued with a description of other evaluations used as a child progresses through the grades. These include kindergarten screening, placement tests and level tests in the elementary grades, and specially re- quested supplemental evaluations when a specific area of concern is noted. Dr. Monderer continued his presentation, reading a statement of the goals of the testing program as set forth by the Testing Committee in their 1974 report: 1. To identify periodically pupil strengths and weaknesses in terms of skill development in relation to self and peers 2. To provide meaningful test information that is easy for teachers to interpret. 3. To assist the teacher with methods of applying test data to improve the instructional process 4. To determine a child's basic learning potential 5. To identify children with special needs 6. To provide school administrators and the community at large with an index of pupil achievement Dr. Monderer closed by admitting that there are many concerns, both local and nationwide, about the whole concept of testing. While many decry the over- use of testing, still others demand accountability and measurement; this evenings ' meeting is an attempt to address that dilemma. Dr. Monderer then read a statement from Dr. Celia Schulhoff, a Lexington school psychologist, who was unable to be present for the meeting. Dr. Schulhoff confined her remarks to the area of IQ testing. She noted the complexity of the whole concept of "intelligence", the nature of IQ tests in general, and some major uses of IQ tests. Dr. Schulhoff then noted some abuses of IQ tests. Among these are: 1. treating an IQ score as if it were a fixed unchangeable trait 2. ignoring relevant factors which affect IQ scores, and 3. expecting definite levels of achievement in specific areas of the curriculum based on IQ scores.