ALEXANDRIA — The test results from that week of school assessments back in April are in, but parents often don't know much about what students are asked on the tests.

Tina Reynolds reviews what her fourth-graders will be covering for the class newspaper. Their school, Woodfill Elementary in Fort Thomas, had the highest CATS score in Northern Kentucky. (Patrick Reddy photo) | ZOOM |

        The Kentucky Core Content portion of the CATS index is designed to assess not only what a student knows but also if he or she can use that knowledge. It's not just fill in the bubble, and it's not just right or wrong.

        Interspersed with traditional multiple-choice questions are a series of open response essay-type questions that test whether a student can apply the lessons in reading, math, science, social studies, arts and humanities and practical living/vocational studies.

        Diana Heidelberg, executive director of curriculum for the Campbell County Schools, said multiple-choice questions are valuable.

        “But tests that only use multiple-choice questions have always bothered me,” Ms. Heidelberg said. “CATS goes beyond that. It gives students a chance to showcase their thinking ability, the ability to answer more than just a multiple-choice question and to apply the content they've learned.”

        An example of CATS content questions posted on the Kentucky Department of Education Web site shows there are lots of multiple-choice questions, such as this one on the fourth grade science test:

        “Which of these is NOT alive? A) mushrooms, B) bacteria, C), fossils, D) moss.”

        The test also includes this essay-type question in the open response category:

        “Ethan and Susan were studying changes in materials. They put some sugar in the bottom of a glass and added some water. After they swirled the water around in the glass, the sugar seemed to be gone. When they tested the water it was sweet.

        “A) Describe what happened to the sugar. B) Give TWO examples where solids and liquids are mixed together and changes like the one noticed by Ethan and Susan happen.”

        Pam Rye, director of curriculum for the Newport Independent Schools, said the open response questions give CATS “more depth” than many other tests that rely more or solely on multiple-choice questions.

        “When working with students on open-response questions you are looking for the student to expand on their answer,” Ms. Rye said. “You see more of a process where they are applying what they have learned in the classroom.”

        CATS measures the student's progress in core content in four rankings — novice, apprentice, proficient and distinguished.

        Distinguished students are typically performing in the top 2 percent of their class, the ones who often go on to be National Merit Scholars, Ms. Heidelberg said.

        Students who grade proficient “have an overall knowledge of a subject and can use that knowledge to solve a problem,” she said.

        “Proficient students can take and apply what they've learned to other situations, to other instances in their life,” Ms. Heidelberg said. “They are more reflective as learners. They can take what they've learned in the classroom, reflect on it, look at a situation and then solve a problem or answer a question.”

        Novice and apprentice students see the surface, comprehending literally what they have learned but needing work in applying it to other areas, she said.

        In elementary schools the highest performance area was reading followed by science. The lowest performance area was arts and humanities.

        Lisa Gross, spokeswoman for the Kentucky Department of Education, said the problem with arts and humanities is consistency.

        “Some schools don't really consider it a core subject, and some schools are more successful than others in integrating it into their curriculum,” Ms. Gross said.

        Ms. Rye said a student's knowledge of arts and humanities “depends on the experiences they've had away from school.”

        “In Newport we are very close to Cincinnati, an urban area that offers a lot of links to the arts,” she said. “But in certain areas of Kentucky, the students may not be exposed to the different types of arts and humanities like you might find in our area.”

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