A Study On Alignment Between Achievement Tests In High Schools And The Curriculum Standards

Since the 1990 s, many countries in the world have carried out the curriculum reform based on national curriculum standards. Under this situation, China starts a new curriculum reform with reference to other western countries. This reform brings more opportunities and challenges for the development of China’s education. New“Basic Education Curriculum Reform” points out that national curriculum standards are the basis of compilation of teaching materials, teaching, and achievement assessments. Therefore, designing achievement tests should base on national curriculum standards.This study, based on “Webb’s consistency analysis model”, analyzes the alignment between final English tests in high schools from four dimensions,categorical concurrence, depth of knowledge consistency, range of knowledge correspondence and balance of representation. So this study is conducted with the following research questions.(1) To what extent are final English tests in high schools consistent with the curriculum standards from the perspectives of categorical concurrence, depth of knowledge consistency, range of knowledge correspondence and balance of representation?(2) Whether do teachers pay enough attention to the curriculum standards? Whether do teachers consider the alignment between achievement tests and the curriculum standards?(3) What aspects do teachers consider carefully for designing test papers?Data used for this study are information from test papers and interviews with middle school teachers. Ten final English test papers are collected from five high schools in Shandong province. Knowledge domain, national English curriculum standards and English test papers are coded and analyzed with reference to Webb’s consistency analysis model and cognitive domain of Bloom’s taxonomy.Semi-structured interviews are used with twenty five teachers, from high schools who ever took part in designing tests, to discuss and analyze whether they consider the alignment and what they have done when designing test papers.The study shows that in general, test papers basically meet the requirements of the curriculum standards. There are four outstanding features.(1) At the aspect of categorical concurrence, Webb proposed “six or more test items are included in the content of the curriculum standards”. Listening and reading reach the acceptable level and they are basically consistent with the curriculum standards. The curriculumstandards propose twelve objectives of writing on the sixth and the seventh level.However, owing to the characteristics of writing item and limitation of item quantity,it is hard to meet related requirements of the curriculum standards. Designers try to increase the number of tasks about writing to make writing item reach the acceptance.For writing, test papers in 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 terms don’t accord with the curriculum standards, and test paper in 2013-2014 is basically consistent with the standards.(2) For depth of knowledge consistency, listening, reading and writing reach the acceptance. Listening and reading basically meet related requirements and“writing” completely reaches the highest standard on alignment.(3) From the perspective of range of knowledge correspondence, 40%-50% of test items in listening and reading accord with the standards, so the acceptable level is weak. For writing, test papers in 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 terms don’t reach the acceptance and the alignment between test paper in 2013-2014 and the standards reach more or less than 50%, so the level is weak.(4) For balance of representation, the indexes of listening and reading in five test papers are between 0.6 and 0.7, so the acceptable level is weak. Listening and reading in other test papers are basically consistent with the standards. Writing in all test papers completely meets the curriculum standards.The interviews show that twenty one teachers pay much attention to national curriculum standards and realize the importance in teaching. Twenty two teachers emphasize the alignment between achievement tests and the curriculum standards.During the process of designing test papers, they analyze and discuss the requirements of the standards for students’ development. Seventeen teachers state that for designing tests, they pay much attention to the requirements and the objectives of the standards.Five teachers explain that they design test items, based on their teaching practice and students’ learning problems. Only three of twenty five teachers say that they design test papers based on their teaching experience.