Once upon a time, the phrase “teaching to the test” carried a negative connotation.

Not so much anymore.

Now, teaching to the test has become something of a point of pride in school districts. That phrase now represents the myriad ways in which schools have learned to take raw test score data — such as the recently released MCA-II scores — and use them to improve classroom learning and, subsequently, student achievement.

Teaching to the test now means using Professional Learning Communities to let teachers collaborate on how to use data to identify, diagnose and treat the strengths and weakness of individual students. Teaching to the test is using intervention programs that take effect right away when data shows a child is slipping in reading or math. Teaching to the test now encompasses a wide variety of district efforts that are established on the nationwide goal made famous by the federal No Child Left Behind legislation: to have all students proficient in reading and math by 2014.

And even though NCLB is on life support, awaiting federal renewal, school officials say they will continue to use data as a way to improve teaching methods and student learning.

“Teaching to the test was once used in a negative context,” said Cindy Amoroso, curriculum director for Mankato Area Public Schools. “It was seen as somehow disingenuous or that it was cheating.

“But more and more, that theory has changed. We need to develop assessments that truly measure what we need to measure. And when we find that, we absolutely need to teach to the test.”

Mankato makes gains
Since 2005-06 when the MCA-II was introduced as the state’s standardized test, the scores in Mankato schools have, with some irregularities, improved and consistently topped state averages.

Those trends, Amoroso said, represent the cumulative effect of a variety of modifications, improvements and complete overhauls to district teaching practices during the last several years.

Reading and math curricula have undergone extensive reviews. Teachers still meet monthly to analyze data and collaborate on classroom improvements. Several intervention programs are available for teachers, and the district employs five specialists whose sole responsibility is ensuring student proficiency in reading and math.

“There’s no way to pinpoint one single factor as to why scores go up or down,” said Amoroso, who cautioned against comparing MCA-II results because the standards on which the tests are based, and even tests themselves, change from year to year.

“With MCA-II scores, we look at the trend data over time. How many students are getting to the standard?”

But while Amoroso said there is cause to celebrate the gains, she also said plenty of challenges lie ahead.

Like many Minnesota districts, Mankato continues to face the challenge of eliminating achievement gaps between students of different ethnic and economic backgrounds. (The state’s adequate yearly progress data, which addresses achievement across several student groups, is due in August.)

And even while those gaps are real, Amoroso said the district also employs a range of approaches — such as career exploration classes, post-secondary courses, English-language learner programs, service-learning projects — to ensure all students meet the goal of being prepared for graduation and the world beyond.