National Large-Scale Testing:
Comparative Analysis of School-Graduates’
Test Performance
N. Fiaskou,
Director
Republican Institute for Knowledge Control
Since 2006 national tests in Belarus have been administered to make enrollment
decisions in specialized secondary and higher educational establishments. However,
taking into account testing technology and procedure, this form of entrance examinations
helps to monitor the performance of secondary educational establishments graduates as
well. National testing due to some factors has a number of advantages, i.e. the same test
items contents and format, unique procedure of scoring and test administering.
The comparative analysis of the 2006 national large-scale testing results and those
of the previous two years reveals a certain trend of different regions test-takers academic
preparation (see the figures below). A slight decrease of the 2006 mean score in
comparison with those of the previous years reveals decrease of applicants’ academic
preparation.
Minsk secondary educational establishments’ school-leavers scored higher on
almost all the subjects than their peers from other regions. The only exception was
geography and the Spanish language tests performance. The former does not need special
explanation (the level of urbanization is the key factor determining not only the level of
economy development but also the quality of provided education). Then the question
arises why geography and the Spanish language tests performance was relatively low. In
our opinion, among the given reasons for geography underperformance one can name the
contingent of participants, i.e. the BSU geological faculty applicants preferred universitybased entrance exam to national testing. It follows that the most prepared cohort of
geography test-takers did not participate in testing and tests were taken by lower prepared
applicants.
Current year Vitebsk applicants scored higher on the Belarusian and English
languages, mathematics, biology, chemistry, the history of Belarus tests.
Traditionally, Luzhesnyansk gymnasium school-leavers as well as school-leavers
of some regional center educational establishments score high, which is the positive
result of profile regional education.
-2-
Co-operation of Grodno Education Board and Grodno State University in schoolleavers knowledge monitoring and career-guidance has laid the foundations for future
students’ quality education as well as self-education. High annual test scores obtained by
Grodno region applicants on all the tested subjects confirm the aforementioned facts.
Grodno region test-takers mean score on language-related subjects is higher than the
average score of their peers from other regions of the country.
The rating of Gomel and Mogilev regions could have been anticipated from the
2004 and 2005 national large-scale testing performance.
The factors influencing test performance are considered to be extra-conservative.
And any improvement is time-consuming. It is something different from the amount of
prolonged day groups or sports grounds ordered to be organized in educational
establishments. Furthermore, there are a number of factors impacting the test
performance regardless of the attempts of the educational process participants. Often they
are considered to be objective factors (though any objective factor is the result of a man’s
activity).
The aforementioned regions test-takers scored relatively low on the majority of
tested subjects. However, Mogilev region test-takers scored the highest on geography and
their mean score is 45.52 (Minsk test-takers mean score is only 34.67). In Mogilev region
there is a great difference in academic preparation between regional center entrants and
district school-leavers. This tendency is typical of other regions as well. Regional center
graduates perform the average on many subjects. It is a result of a new educational
establishment type introduction, which Mogilev is known for. Mogilev test-takers scored
maximum on a 100-score scale (A. Makarevich scored the highest on Russian and
English tests).
Gomel applicants score relatively low on tests.
The regions’ rating has slightly changed. Some “failures” are the result of low
participation rate, which does not demonstrate the attainment level of the whole cohort of
school-leavers.
Norm-referenced test is used to classify entrants. They are designed to highlight
achievement differences between and among test-takers to produce a dependable rank
order of students across a continuum of achievement from high achievers to low
achievers.
-3-
As far as every tested subject score is concerned, it is significant to note, that it
doesn’t reveal the general attainment level in this or that subject area (though functioning
as such), but prove test items correspondence to (or their variance from) the school
subjects’ curricula.
The absence of significant variations in the mean total score of the analyzed period
(2004-2006) and their correlation confirm that test items are developed in accordance
with the requirements of the educational standards. It follows that assessment practices
have been embedded in the learning process and introduced necessary changes in the
process of education in order to meet performance expectations.
The 2004 total mean score on all the tested subjects was higher than that of the
following years. Among the named reasons is that the 2004 applicants were free to
choose between national large-scale testing and university-bound entrance examinations
developed and administered in accordance with the requirements of a particular higher
educational establishment. Generally, those who preferred national large-scale
assessment to university bound exams were most prepared entrants and scored relatively
high. Since 2006 in accordance with the Admission Rules applicants do not have the
choice of the form of entrance examinations. National test score is a sole criterion for
making admission decisions including extra-mural and evening departments’ entrants.
This explains the 2006 relatively low test scores, though some researches among the
reasons for high failure rate name difficult tasks. Mathematics mean score, for example,
was lower than other subjects’, 1700 test-takers (out of 96726) were not able to perform
even a single task.
For the second consecutive year the Institute has edited electronic collection of
tests statistical data. Mean score assists in educational establishments, districts and
regions rating.
Comparative analysis of the aggregated scores over the stated period outlines
certain trends in the hierarchy of educational establishments and districts. For example,
upon the results of large-scale testing every region had its leaders and outsiders on every
tested subject.
For the first time test scores have been analyzed by the year of secondary
education establishment graduation starting from 1973. Generally, there is correlation
between the dates of acquiring general secondary education certificate and taking tests:
-4-
the less the time gap between acquiring general secondary education certificate and
taking tests the higher the mean score.
ENGLISH
60
50
Mean Score
40
30
20
10
0
Gomel
Mogilev
Minsk
Brest
Minsk City
Grodno
Vitebsk
2004
47,3
48,44
52,46
51,69
52,46
52,69
52,11
2005,00
40,21
38,97
46,84
41,26
45,93
46,23
43,11
2006
41,59
42,51
45,18
45,35
45,88
46,05
47,88
Region
GERMAN
60
50
Mean Score
40
30
20
10
0
Gomel
Mogilev
Minsk City
Brest
Vitebsk
Minsk
Grodno
2004
48,22
47,42
54,22
52,36
53,35
54,22
51,26
2005,00
46,54
41,36
51,38
46,61
48,39
51,66
50,20
2006,00
39,01
41,39
43,87
43,95
44,34
45,46
45,90
Region
-5-
PHYSICS
50
45
40
35
Mean Score
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Gomel
Vitebsk
Mogilev
Grodno
Brest
Minsk
Minsk City
2004
34,54
34,91
37,53
37,32
36,76
40,23
40,23
2005,00
31,77
34,22
31,36
38,69
32,43
36,23
44,16
2006,00
31,08
32,64
32,75
32,87
32,97
33,83
38,34
Region
MATHEMATICS
40
35
Mean Score
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Gomel
Mogilev
Brest
Grodno
Minsk
Vitebsk
Minsk City
2004
30,68
32,09
33,54
33,66
36,02
33,15
36,02
2005,00
28,33
26,58
27,45
30,12
30,91
30,94
32,63
2006,00
27,57
28,83
29,63
30,63
30,68
31,21
34,33
Regions
-6-
RUSSIAN
60,00
50,00
Mean Score
40,00
30,00
20,00
10,00
0,00
Gomel
Mogilev
Brest
Vitebsk
Grodno
Minsk
Minsk City
2004,00
45,50
44,72
48,72
48,24
50,56
49,41
50,54
2005,00
40,94
40,13
43,14
43,04
44,70
44,18
45,84
2006,00
37,90
38,56
41,46
41,78
42,62
42,79
43,75
Region
BELARUSIAN
60
50
Mean score
40
30
20
10
0
Gomel
Mogilev
Brest
Minsk
Grodno
Minsk City
Vitebsk
2004
42,11
42,7
46,09
47,93
47,89
46,74
46,88
2005,00
38,10
38,59
41,77
44,38
44,48
43,02
42,99
2006,00
36,17
37,45
40,32
42,95
43,01
43,20
49,59
Region
-7-
HISTORY OF BELARUS
50,00
45,00
Mean Score
40,00
35,00
30,00
25,00
20,00
15,00
10,00
5,00
0,00
Gomel
Brest
Mogilev
Minsk
Grodno
Minsk City
Vitebsk
2005,00
38,93
39,18
37,48
41,94
44,16
42,45
43,83
2006,00
41,09
42,57
42,70
43,54
44,81
44,91
45,79
Region
SPANISH
70,00
60,00
MeanScore
50,00
40,00
30,00
20,00
10,00
0,00
Brest
Vitebsk
Minsk City
Gomel
Gomel
Mogilev
Minsk
2005,00
47,52
51,71
56,08
60,50
18,50
40,76
55,60
2006,00
42,64
44,54
44,80
49,59
50,85
51,44
56,59
Region
-8-
FRENCH
60,00
Mean Score
50,00
40,00
30,00
20,00
10,00
0,00
Mogilev
Gomel
Brest
Vitebsk
Minsk
Grodno
Minsk City
2005,00
40,94
48,75
44,88
47,63
54,77
51,25
53,44
2006,00
39,32
42,23
43,93
46,20
49,88
50,23
50,54
Region
-9-
CHEMISTRY
60
50
Mean Score
40
30
20
10
0
Mogilev
Gomel
Grodno
Brest
Minsk
Vitebsk
Minsk
City
2004
48,04
48,45
46,97
48,19
53,82
47,52
53,82
2005,00
35,67
37,38
37,31
35,79
38,73
38,51
42,13
2006,00
32,21
32,85
33,34
33,89
34,29
34,89
39,85
Region
BIOLOGY
50
45
40
Mean Score
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Gomel
Mogilev
Brest
Minsk
Grodno
2004
43,68
42,65
42,46
46,23
2005,00
36,56
34,64
36,05
36,26
2006,00
35,49
36,01
36,22
36,35
Region
Vitebsk
Minsk City
44,05
44,5
46,23
37,85
38,55
39,23
37,96
38,60
39,95