Use the data from school testing wisely

A note to members of the Illinois State Board of Education who are proposing an increase in the amount of high-stakes testing to three times per year. This is a positive idea only if the test data will be used diagnostically to improve instruction to individual students who do not meet expectations.

The board and state lawmakers must recognize that data accrued from such testing is useless unless there is immediate attention given to those students who demonstrate a lack proficiency. Once a need is ascertained, unless a student is provided fine-tuned instruction either individually or in a small group, the testing data is of little use. It also must be recognized by the ISBE and the lawmakers that such a remediation process will incur additional expense.

However, unless targeted instruction is provided to students in need, additional testing will be of a superfluous expense.

Harry Trumfio

Arlington Heights