Frequently Asked Questions - Why we still use the 1970 edition CAT
| • Online CAT | • Paper CAT | ||
| • TestPoint™ | • Recommendation Service | ||
| • Why we still use the 1970 edition CAT |
Why We Still Use the 1970 Edition of the California Achievement Test
Christian Liberty has been using the 1970 edition of the California Achievement Test (CAT) for over twenty years. Our families have used it as an achievement test to assess the progress of their students. In addition, we have used it for placement purposes for both the Christian Liberty Academy School System (CLASS) home education program and for the recommendation service of Christian Liberty Press (CLP).
We are not opposed to modernization; our adoption of the TestPoint Placement Test illustrates our commitment to appropriate innovation (see Update below). We want to improve our programs, however, in a manner that makes a positive contribution to a Christ-centered education for home school students and preserves the God-given authority of the family.
On occasion, individuals or state agencies will question why Christian Liberty Press and CLASS still use the 1970 edition of the nationally recognized California Achievement Test when newer editions are available. With our commitment to godly, quality education and the maintenance of family authority in mind, we urge you to read the following reasons.
Reasons for Using the 1970 CAT
Reason #1
We still use the older version of this nationally normed achievement test because the newer editions reflect a lower academic standard. Most educators will acknowledge the fact that our nation's educational standards, as far as student achievement in the basic skills is concerned, have dropped considerably since the early 1970s. It is our professional opinion that the more recent versions of achievement tests simply do not demand as high a standard of achievement because too many of today’s students are ill-equipped to handle the level of evaluation that was common in the early 1970s.
Reason #2
We are convinced that the older achievement tests reflect a standard much more in keeping with the academic level of our curriculum.
Reason #3
The older achievement tests permit us to compare our students on a national level with students in the public and private schools who were tested prior to the period of the steady decline in student achievement in the government schools during the 1980s and early 1990s.
Reason #4
The older versions of the CAT still accurately measure the basic skill development of students in the time-honored subjects of Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Grammar and Composition, Spelling, and Mathematics skills. Therefore, state officials who insist that private home school students be tested to determine whether they are making satisfactory progress in the basic skills can still rely upon the 1970 CAT. After all, the supposed purpose for state-mandated achievement testing is simply to determine whether children are receiving an education that will permit them to be functionally literate and, therefore, not a burden to themselves or society. The simple fact is that the basic skills have not changed much since the 1970s. In large measure, reading, writing, and arithmetic are still the same as far as the basics are concerned.
Reason #5
To the best of our knowledge, there is no distributor of achievement test materials that will allow any homeschooler to use the latest editions of their tests. Most providers of current achievement tests must approve test administrators before shipping their tests. Suppliers of the achievement test materials most often utilized by homeschoolers and home school organizations will usually not permit their tests to be used without a government-licensed individual being directly involved in the testing process. In such cases, parents are often unable to oversee the testing themselves; they may be required to use proctors to administer the tests. We view this stipulation as an unnecessary intrusion into the privacy and sanctity of Christian home schools in general, and our testing service in particular.
In conclusion, while we are not inherently opposed to using newer tests, we are not in favor of using more recent achievement tests that would be an inadequate evaluation of our customers’ students or require proctoring by individuals who are state sanctioned or licensed. Therefore, for the reasons listed above, we have continued to use the 1970 edition of the nationally recognized California Achievement Test.
UPDATE
CLASS and Christian Liberty Press now offers the TestPoint Placement Test as an option for both CLASS families and CLP customers. Although not an achievement test (please use our CAT for achievement testing), TestPoint Placement Test will help determine whether a student has sufficient knowledge to enter a particular grade level. The results can also be used to help determine what materials should be used by a student within a grade level.
TestPoint does not, however, share the weaknesses of the newer tests described above, and, therefore, we believe that it can make a positive contribution to our CLASS families and CLP customers. The TestPoint Placement Test has been designed for and used by Christian schools around the nation. Its research, development, and field-testing took place over a six-year span beginning in 2002. TestPoint’s development was guided by Joe Haas, Ed.D. Executive Director of the North Carolina Christian School Association, and master test authors. Students and faculty from over 80 schools participated at differing levels during the research and development of TestPoint placement tests. Our version of the TestPoint exam is designed to be taken online by students at home.