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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Central Montcalm elementary curriculum by using the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills to verify reasonable student growth. An additional purpose was to evaluate the possibility of measuring student growth with a nationally standardized test to determine minimum competencies.
The test scores for students taking the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills in 1978 as third graders and then in 1981 as sixth graders and for another group taking the test in 1979 and 1982 were used to determine student growth. Student growth was then used to evaluate the elementary curriculum for fourth through sixth grades.
Conclusions drawn from this study indicated that the curriculum was adequate in all areas except for math concepts. Also, the study indicated that a nationally normed standardized test should not be used to evaluate individual students on basic competencies.
Primary recommendations were:
1. Adopt the use of the CTBS for the kindergarten to evaluate the entire elementary curriculum.
2. Minimum Competency Testing should "be used for early remediation of students not for graduation or exit requirements.