Timnath parent sees positive side of CSAPs

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

A Timnath woman is trying to get the word out that parents need to explain the purpose of CSAP tests to their children and be as positive as possible about the testing process.

"What I'm trying to do is educate parents about the CSAPs," said Jen Lewis, whose two children have attended Timnath Elementary. "There's a lot of negative feeling out there."

Lewis, a parent volunteer on the leadership team at Timnath Elementary, said she has learned a lot about the CSAP tests since becoming more involved at the school. "The more I have been educated about the tests," she said, "the more I understand the reason behind them."

This year's CSAP tests will be given in February, March and April, and some parents have talked about boycotting the tests by keeping their children at home. Lewis is trying to persuade parents to be supportive instead.

"I'd like to see parents encouraging their kids at CSAP time," said Lewis. "CSAPs are not tests to see how smart you are; rather, it's a report card for the school." She said parents need to explain this to their children.

Dan Balcerak, principal at Timnath, agreed that the accountability piece of the CSAP tests is important, both at the state and federal levels. CSAP scores are used both for the governor's report card and for measuring school progress under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. There's good rationale for the tests, Balcerak said, even though he would like to see them improved.

"It bothers me that CSAP is getting so much negative press," he said. "If parents keep hearing negative news, they may start withdrawing their kids from the test."

Balcerak stated that each school has to have 95 percent participation in the test, or it automatically fails to meet the Annual Yearly Progress requirement of No Child Left Behind.

"This is high-stakes testing now," he said. "Three years with a poor report, and you're in trouble." Last year, he noted, Timnath had 100 percent participation.

Balcerak said he would like to see parents advocate to improve the fairness of the test, rather than trying to get rid of it. A weakness of the test, he said, is that it's "one-shot accountability" and not a complete evaluation of a child's progress. Also, he said, parents have voiced concerns about special needs children taking the test at their grade level, and about children who are not good test takers.

"Yes, the test could be better," Balcerak said, "but without it we wouldn't have the accountability piece. We have wonderful parents at Timnath who really care about their kids and their education, but they need more information (about CSAP)."

Lewis said she will continue to talk to parents about their CSAP concerns and will have a CSAP information table at the school's annual carnival in February.