Guidance from Iowa Testing Program (August 2005)

Q: Is it appropriate to provide students with a review of content covered by the test (in this case, inferential understanding) as a form of test preparation?

It depends. A review of content is a common instructional strategy used prior to many forms of classroom assessment. But when the review is narrow and limited to the exact skills that will appear on the accountability assessment, the practice is more questionable. And when such reviews are conducted during the period immediately preceding the administration of the assessment, the practice is unethical. Some forms of review are ethical, but the more closely the focus is on the subskills to be assessed and the more likely the goal is to enhance short-term learning, the more inappropriate the activity would be. Content review geared toward enhancing retention of skills learned previously, however, is a form of sound instructional practice.

The distinction between appropriate and inappropriate subject matter preparation is not always clear. Activities directed towards specific content known to be on the test and conducted shortly before testing time are probably inappropriate. When the purpose is drill for short-term retention, as cramming typically is, the practice is inappropriate. When the purpose is an additional opportunity to review and learn material for which instruction was provided previously, and the focus is on skills that may or may not be covered directly by the upcoming test, the practice is more appropriate. Here are two relevant questions to ask in trying to make the distinction:

  • Would the same content-oriented test-preparation activities be used if the current accountability assessment tool were replaced by another that aligns with the district’s content standards?

  • Would these same content-oriented test-preparation activities be used as scheduled even if the date for administering the assessment were to be moved to two months later?

If the test preparation is designed primarily to fit the accountability assessment tool, or if it needs to be given just before the assessment is scheduled to be given, the activities are probably too narrow in focus and directed too much at short-term effects. They would be considered inappropriate on either basis. (pp. 6-7)

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