ExamView Newsletter January, 2003

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by John Caggiano, Francis Asbury Elementary, Hampton, VA

Preparing Students for High-Stakes Tests
In this era of accountability and high-stakes testing, teachers and administrators need tools that can be used to individualize instruction. A comprehensive assessment system must also help students prepare for the myriad of tests they will encounter.

While searching for such a tool, my research uncovered a program called ExamView that seemed to produce the information I needed. As part of the test-taking process, this program gathers detailed data to produce various item analyses reports. It seemed that these reports would certainly aid in the disaggregation of assessment data. As a result, this information would have a direct impact on classroom instruction. However, as my teachers and I soon realized, this program was capable of so much more.

Building the Question Banks
I first began using ExamView while an assistant principal at a middle school (grades 6, 7, and 8). An important goal was to find a way to help teachers better focus on specific standards. Using ExamView, we wrote questions that correlated to the learning objectives for each 9-week session. After fine-tuning the questions, we then created grade-level tests to administer on a quarterly basis.

Once you enter questions into ExamView, it's easy to create paper tests. For the first grading period, we used the program to create hard-copy assessments. Teachers liked the fact that the question banks can be organized and stored electronically in one central location. They also marveled at the ease of creating a professional-looking assessment in a matter of seconds.

Delivering Tests Online
The second marking period, we decided to administer the quarterly assessments via ExamView's online testing feature. Wow! The teachers were absolutely elated.

To begin with, the software is designed to make it easy enough for anyone to publish a test to the Internet. Once you construct a test, you simply choose Publish Internet Test from the File menu. The program then walks you through a series of five user-friendly screens that allow you to personalize your test (i.e., choose the test options, specify a class roster, designate a test password, etc.).

After publishing the test to the Internet, students access the test by going to the ExamView testing center website (www.evtestcenter.com). Students select the test, enter a password, and then take the test online. The test is automatically graded and the results stored for later analysis. It's that easy.

Getting Results
Upon completion of the testing cycle, teachers can access the results and reports through ExamView's Instructor Center website. Besides the time saved from not having to grade the assessments, teachers also appreciate the fact that they are able to view detailed reports at school or at home. Rather than having to disaggregate testing information by hand, teachers are now able to simply print their students' results. They use the detailed reports to plan re-teaching lessons and create individualized remedial lessons.

Using ExamView for quarterly assessments prompted a teacher brainstorming session to explore other ways to help students. As a result, teachers used the program to create self-graded, practice tests stored on our school's web site. Students are able to access these tests at home. And, since the program provides feedback for incorrect responses, students are able to focus on the areas that need improvement. We have received wonderful feedback from our community on this feature of the program.

Combining the practice tests with the quarterly assessments gave our teachers invaluable tools to make a difference. In this era of high-stakes testing, information is a key factor to effectively helping our students achieve higher levels of performance.

In just one year, the Social Studies scores at Benjamin Syms Middle School went from 55% of students passing the statewide criterion-referenced test to 85% passing. The collaboration that resulted from the use of ExamView was a critical factor in achieving this success. The information provided by the program allowed teachers to make sound instructional decisions. An added benefit was the outstanding dialogue that took place among teachers while reviewing both chapter tests and quarterly assessments.

Conclusion
I cannot say enough about what this program has done for our school. We continue to find more and more uses for ExamView each year. I have yet to come across another piece of assessment software that is as teacher-friendly and flexible as this program. I recommend it without any reservations!

John Caggiano
Francis Asbury Elementary
Hampton, VA