Use of Standardized Test to Develop Literacy Levels of Students in Primary Schools

Horatio Morgan^1,

¹Research Analyst, Supreme Court of Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica

Cite this paper:
Horatio Morgan. Use of Standardized Test to Develop Literacy Levels of Students in Primary Schools. American Journal of Educational Research. 2014; 2(9):811-816. doi: 10.12691/education-2-9-16

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the Grade Four Literacy Test (G4LT) in Jamaica as a preparatory agent for improved performances in the literacy levels of students who complete the standardized Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT). This research was based on the use of quantitative analysis and variable correlations. Data was collected from a secondary source on performance rates of students who completed the G4LT and the GSAT in the areas of Language Arts and Communication Task from 2003 to 2013. In-addition, data was obtained from the Devinfo Edustatjamaica Database of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) and reviewed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and Micro-Soft Word Excel. The results indicated that indeed there exist a relationship between the performance levels on the G4LT and the GSAT Examinations. It also showed that in both examinations, relative increases have taken place in the national averages of the students.

Keywords:
literacy standardization examination correlation trend effect analysis

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]	Allred, R. A., Comparison of proofreading-type standardized spelling tests and written spelling test scores. The Journal of Educational Research, 77.5: 298-303, 1984.
[2]	Allred, R. A., Gender differences in spelling achievements in grades 1 through 6. The Journal of Educational Research, 83.4: 187-193, 1990.
[3]	James, P, Test better, teach better: The instructional role of assessment (pp. v-vi). Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2003.
[4]	Geske, A., and Ozola, A., Different influence of contextual educational factors on boys' and girls' reading achievements. US-China Education Review, 6.4: 38-44, 2009.
[5]	Gorard, S., Rees, G., and Salisbury, J., Investigating the patterns of differential attainment of boys and girls at school. The Journal of Educational Research, 27. 2: 125-139, 2001.
[6]	Grange, M, GSAT results released, The Gleaner, June 2012.
[7]	Kennedy, E, Raising test scores for all students: An administrator’s guide to improving standardized test performances: N.p. Corwin, 2003.
[8]	Kim, James S., Jennifer F. Sampson, Robert Fitzgerald, and Ardice Hartry, "A randomized experiment of a mixed-methods literacy intervention for struggling readers in grades 4-6: Effects on word reading efficiency, reading comprehension and vocabulary, and oral reading fluency," Reading and writing 23.9: 1109-11029, 2010.
[9]	Kohn, A, The case against standardized testing: Raising the scores, ruining the schools. Portsmounth, NH: Heinemann, 2000.
[10]	Lewis, Y. E. (2010). Literacy in elementary school in Jamaica: The case of the grade four literacy test." University of Iowa, 2010. [Online]. Available: http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/698. [Accessed Jul. 19, 2014]
[11]	Mertler, C. A, Interpreting standardized test scores: Strategies for data-driven instructional decision making (p. 3). Los Angeles: Sage Publications, 2007.
[12]	Ortlieb, E. and Cheek, E. H. (Eds.). School-based interventions for struggling readers, K-8 (Vol. 3). N. p.: Bingley: Emerald, 2013.
[13]	Planning Institute of Jamaica (2008-12). In Planning Institute of Jamaica: An Agency of the Ministry of Finance and Planning. 2008. [Online]. Available: http://www.pioj.gov.jm/AboutUs/MissionVision/tabid/71/Default.aspx. [Accessed Aug. 12, 014]
[14]	Roxborough, P, 4 literacy test said not effective, Jamaica Observer, 2002.
[15]	Taskforce on Educational Reform Jamaica (2004). Retrieved July 19, 2014, from Available, 2004. [Online]. Available: http://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/upload/Jamaica/Jamaica_2004_Task_Force_Ed_Reform_final_report.pdf. [Accessed Jul. 19, 2014]
[16]	White, B., Are girls better readers than boys? Which Boys? Which Boys? Canadian Journal of Education, 30. 2: 554-581, 2007.