In preparation for taking the test, students are encouraged to concentrate harder on the process they use to arrive at their answers.
By: Lea Kahn
To the delight of township school district officials, test scores on the state-mandated Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment have continued to improve for the third consecutive year.
The results of the latest test, given in March 2001, were released to the school board last month by school district officials. The test was administered to students for the first time in March 1999.
Of the 257 Lawrence Middle School eighth-graders who took the language arts literacy section in March, 92.2 percent were considered to be proficient or advanced proficient. This compares to 91.8 percent in 2000 and 89.9 percent in 1999.
In the mathematics portion, 84.4 percent were considered to be proficient or advanced proficient. In 2000, 74 percent met that standard and in 1999, 75.2 percent met that standard.
The science segment was added in 2000. This year, 93 percent were considered to be proficient or advanced proficient. That number was 90 percent in 2000.
"Things are improving," said Bruce McGraw, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. "The scores are improving in most of the measures. I have no idea whether those numbers are statistically significant, but I would much rather them go up."
The GEPA is based on the core curriculum content standards, adopted by the state Board of Education in 1996. The statewide standards set out the skills and knowledge that all public school students must master before graduating from high school.
The test is given to all eighth-graders. It is designed to help identify students who need extra help so they can master the material they need to know to pass the Grade 11 High School Proficiency Test required for high school graduation.
While school district officials are pleased, Dr. McGraw said it is important to remember that three different groups of eighth-graders have taken the GEPA. Each class is different, he said.
Part of the school district’s success may be attributed to efforts to adjust the curriculum to match what may be on the GEPA, Dr. McGraw said.
The students are taught how to respond to open-ended questions or writing tasks, for example, he said. They are shown a picture and then asked to respond to it a skill that had not been taught previously. But that kind of question is one of those included on the test, he said.
The school district wants to teach the students to show how they did the work on a math problem, Dr. McGraw said. They are being graded on the thinking process they used to solve the problem, and not necessarily the result itself, he said.
Dr. McGraw said there is a difference between teaching the test, and teaching to the test. The school district teaches to the test, he said. It does not teach the test.
"Teaching the test" means teaching the children the questions that will likely be on the test, he said. But "teaching to the test" means teaching the skills and knowledge content that will be measured on the test.
"If you are going to get scored on how you answer the question for example, an open-ended math question you have to teach the students to show their work. They are being graded on the process they used. The test wants the students to show that they know how to solve this question," Dr. McGraw said.
The GEPA is divided into three sections language arts literacy, mathematics and science. Students who take the test are determined to be partially proficient, proficient or advanced proficient in each area.
In the language arts literacy segment, students read passages and answer multiple-choice and open-ended questions. They must write an essay in response to a picture. They also must undertake a persuasive writing assignment and read a passage that they must revise and edit.
The mathematics section measures students’ ability to solve problems, using mathematical concepts. Students must answer multiple-choice questions and open-ended questions.
The science portion of the test measures students’ knowledge and skills in life science, physical science and earth science. It includes one open-ended question.
Students who score partially proficient in the language arts literacy, mathematics or science sections of the test are considered to be below the minimum state standard for proficiency, and they may need extra help.

