W1_Reading

My first four AR resources are all related to standardized test taking.  My project is dealing with using technology, specifically Study Island, to raise standardized test scores, Ohio Achievement Assessment, OAA.  Therefore, I am starting my research with standardized test research.  Here is my summary of these sources.

Daytime Nap May Boost Memory 
Photo from copyright free www.google.com http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/01/health/webmd/main3780856.shtml

Napping May Give The Brain A Chance To Reinforce New Memories, Sleep Experts Say

WebMD and CBS News report

·      Matthew Tucker, PhD, and William Fishbein, PhD

·      Work done in psychology department of the City College of the City University of New York.

·      “In one test, they had to learn and remember pairs of unrelated words, such as "alligator" and "cigar." In another test, they had to navigate and remember a maze shown on a computer screen. And in the last test, the students had to copy a complex drawing onto a sheet of paper, and then

sketch the drawing from memory.”

·      45 minute nap

·      control group and variable group

·      3 tests of short-term memory

·      larger gains on tests after naps

·      Nap makes memory sharper

·      More alert

Test Problems: Seven Reasons Why Standardized Tests Are Not Working

http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Test_Problems_Seven/?page=3

Research conducted by McGraw and Hill

·      tests are not fair to all students

more money = better opportunity for ed

·      learning styles not taken into consideration

·      lower grad rates = more dropouts

·      more teaching time spent on test taking skills not on learning

·      sacrificing for higher test scores

·      flaws in tests

·      teacher stress

·      some subjects stress more than others

Improve Test Scores

http://www.learningbooks.net/xtest.html

·      missing figures – comparing low, challenged, average and advanced children

·      need to have a more equal way of comparing kids

·      need to increase long-term memory

·      test taking skills on how to take tests need to be taught

o   how to read questions

o   find main concepts

o   double-check answers

o   think through all answers

·      reduce test anxiety

Tougher Test Requirements Hurt Ohio Students Performance Scores

http://diverseeducation.com/article/9080/

·      Ohio Department of Education report

·      Social Studies and Science portions much tougher

·      Lowered overall ratings

·      Students not passing need to be the focus

·      Large gap between races and abilities

·      “The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires achievement goals to be met in the aggregate and also within specific subsets of students based on race, ethnicity, income, disability and English proficiency.”