What do the IOWA test results mean?

[floridafam]

We just received our DS's results today in the mail.

We expected him to do well and he did.

How much "stock" should we put into these tests? What do they really say about your child?

Any info out there?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Barb D]

I've done the IOWAs or the Stanfords every year with my homeschooled kids. (They just finished 7th and 5th grades, and have been doing them since K.) I do it partly so that they'll be VERY comfortable taking standardized tests (and they are), and partly to keep a GENERAL idea of where they stand. I say general, because I can see from year to year that they're improving. You can't necessarily trust the score for a specific subject for a specific year.

For example, last year my then-6th-grade DS, who is a HORRIFIC speller, scored "Post High School" in spelling, while my then-4th-grade DD who is a decent speller scored slightly lower than average for her grade level. But *I* know how well they're really doing, so I know to take those scores with a grain of salt. Now if they CONSISTENTLY scored low in a particular subject, I would realize that there might be a problem and put some extra emphasis on that in the future. My DS scored relatively low in math computation for a couple of years, and I realized that it's because that on that particular part of the test there are more problems than you can finish in the time allotted unless you work very quickly. He just didn't have his math facts down well enough to do it fast enough. We worked on that, and his scores improved in following years.

The bottom line is that standardized test scores may be useful for showing you general trends (yes, he is improving in his reading level from year to year...) or for pointing out weak areas. But don't get too upset if one section for one subject is low. Or even if everything is low, for that matter. He may not have been feeling well, or he may have been stressed (I test one kid every year who literally SHAKES on the first part of the math test), or he may have misunderstood instructions, or...


Edited to add: If you're homeschooling, they can also be useful to show to skeptical grandparents to "prove" that you are educating your children successfully! (Not that academic achievement is all that there is to successful education, but at least you have something objective to show.)

 

[ennazus]

http://www.uiowa.edu/~itp/itbs.htm

We just got test results back for our DS yesterday. I just use it as a measurement to know where I might need to suppliment his education. This summer we'll do some extra work in Math as that was his lowest area

 

[floridafam]

He does attend public school.

I just didn't quite know what to do with the results. To be honest, I'm worried he's bored. On the other hand, I don't want to change the direction of his education based on one standardized test result.

I'm hoping the committee working on class assignments for next year will take these scores into account.

Did you receive more than one sheet of results? This one page lists Reading, Language and Mathematics and the Survey Total. It also has about 4 paragraphs off to the side explaining the results.

 

[Micca]

I've always wondered: We took the Iowa tests in Kansas. What do they call the test they take in Iowa?

 

[Deb in IA]

Well, here IN Iowa, we take the test in the first 2 months of school, so it has been a while since I looked at the kids' ITBS scores.

Did you get a narrative explaining the results? We do. It tells you how your child scored, their strengths and weaknesses.

Do you have national and state comparative norms? That will tell you how your child did when compared to others in your state and nationwide.

Our ITBS scores are frequently used to determine eligibility for TAG programs, and other enrichment courses. Our daughter qualified for the Duke University Talent Identification program based on her ITBS scores.

The website that ennazus provided is also good for more info . . .

 

[Barb D]

We get Stanford (similar to the Iowa) results for math and language arts, broken down into subcategories (spelling, capitalization, etc.) We also get scores for science, social science, study skills (dictionary etc.), listening, and probably something I'm not thinking of. I wonder if your ps doesn't give the entire battery, or if they only send the parents part of the results.

BTW, there are a variety of standardized tests out there. The Iowa, the California, the Stanford...they may have started out or been developed for one area, but they're given all over the place now. As homeschoolers, we can order Iowas and Stanfords from BJU Press. (You have to sign a statement SWEARING that you homeschool and that you're not just giving the tests as practice or to get into GT programs.) They score them and send us the results directly.

 

[floridafam]

Thank you for the information.

They only gave us the results for the 3 tests but maybe that is all they took. Maybe the test offers more when you reach a higher grade.

We received one sheet that gave the results and then 4 paragraphs explaining the results.

It didn't indicate anywhere what grade level he is reading at or where he is at in math.

I just felt like I shouldn't just file these away and actually make sure these results are used in shaping his education.

He did very well but I know that could change next year. I also don't know how important the results are-does everyone who listens in class basically score well? Am I reading too much into his scores?

 

[tkd lisa]

I remember taking those tests as a kid. I always scored at the top of the scale. I thought it was funny that I was at a 12th grade level when I was in 7th grade. I was public schooled all along (except 9th and 10th at a private Christian school). I wouldn't worry about your child being bored just because he scored well. Ask him if he's bored, but otherwise I would just ensure that there is enough elective class work to keep him busy.


Basically, I'd just take the test results as a positive indication that your child is doing well, but keep on with the educational program you think works best. If there are electives available to him within his own school, I'd try to put him in them if he wants to. Congratulations!

 

[Barb D]

Maybe you could call the school to see if they have additional results. My kids have had all the subjects since K. I'm also surprised they didn't give you "grade level equivalents." We've always gotten those, too, even with the Iowas. The school may have those scores, as well.

I've been watching the mailbox for our test results.