How is Standarized Testing Integrated into Teaching?

I plan on using the data from standardized testing to help show me where I stand as a teacher. I won’t use the results as a complete representation of my teaching skills because as a teacher I know that sometimes these types of standardized test can prove to be unreliable or invalid. However, anything that can help me improve as a teacher I want to capitalize on the opportunity. By knowing the data I am able to see the subjects that I am not teaching as well on and what areas where my teaching styles prove successful. In these areas I can continue my teaching style and even share with struggling teachers. These tests can motivate me as a teacher to take a second look at established instructional practices. Sometimes teachers tend to be in the same routine of teaching year after year, however this teaching style may not be effective for every class. Each class is unique and different and change is sometimes not only helpful but necessary.
Assessment- criterion relationship is an important concept to look at when going through standardized testing data. Criterion-reference is when a teacher looks at how much of the targeted material the student learned. This is important to use because their will be certain targeted information that will be necessary for the child to score well on the standardized test. This is how I will set goals and encourage students to learn the information. Therefore, I have to look at the construct and decide what should become the content. The students usually do not need to know everything so picking out important and relevant content crucial to criterion referencing. Norm- referencing is another concept that compares a students’ score to other people in the class. This can show a teacher where her students stand as individual and is important to look at when applying assessment in the classroom. This is usually interpreted through a bell curve on standardized test results. After observing these results, I can devise a plan to allow individual attention to struggling students. I will allow time for an intervention for certain students who need help in areas. Sometimes these results can even help determine a learning disability. For example, student could score really high in all areas and score exceptionally low in reading. In certain situations it may give means to have the student tested for a reading disability or in other areas.
Standardized testing data can help me as a teacher set goals for my classroom. When viewing the results from one year, I can set goals as teacher for the next upcoming class. Each year, I want to strive to be better and better and I can set goals for myself to make the most out of each day. I can also set goals for my upcoming class. Showing the class how last year’s grade scored as a whole, (not separately), will help motivate the students. Then we, as a class, can set goals for the students. I want my students to be included in this decision. They can let me know how well or how much better they want to and think that they can score on their standardized achievement tests for the year. Hopefully this will also motivate them to score well. They want to score as well as they say they will. This is also a great way to use data and graphs into your lesson. Using real life data and information works well with older elementary students.
I plan on integrating information from the data in many ways. First of all I want to take the data and devise a plan for the entire year. This will consist of any and all of the ideas that come to mind where I can improve and the class can improve. I will also document on what my class needs to work on. With this plan I will have the information for the entire year to look back on. In the education society today, standardized tests are looked at with high priority. It is important that I do the same. Using the data can only benefit students and teachers and help not only their school year, but school years to come.