As one can imagine this caused a plethora of issues from logistical to safety to just the unexpected.
My school has an EL population of about 60% this year. At the time of testing, many of the EL parents did not realize there was the option of attending the in person program. Others did not realize in person learning already started. A few did not even understand that they signed their child up for in person instruction.
Our rosters of which students we were to test were in constant flux as students switched to the in-person program or back to online or back again to in person. Our administration worked hard to minimize changes, but many were unavoidable. One fourth grade student stands out to me, because even though she signed up for in person instruction, she continued to show up to online Google Meets. No matter how many times the school attempted to communicate with the family, they did not understand. She remains on our roster as a student who needs to make up the test.
Do you remember? Most of the students who needed to take this test were kindergartners, who up until that point had only been in school for about a week. Our district provided us with PPE, and so we were able to lower the physical distancing range from six feet to three. My team used Bluetooth mice and keyboards to help students log in. A half a year of exposure to ChromeBooks also helped students navigate the technological requirements of the test. However, this eased the process for students who were able to communicate in English.
Imagine this process for a five-year-old who understands nothing that is being said or required of them. Now imagine this from the teacher’s perspective as they try to maintain a three-foot physical distance.
The whole process was further complicated by the testing requirement of testing only one classroom per testing location per day. The testing ChromeBooks had also not been updated for a year, and so we only found that out on the morning of testing.
All in all, I am glad we finished the test. Now all we worry about is completing make-ups by the end of May. Thankfully, SBA has been cancelled this year.
State Testing in the Time of Corona
Pages: 1 2
Terrible for those children and for the teachers. On an additional note, state testing is taking away learning time for all students and that time could be used way more effectively. Example – I taught 6th grade math last year. Usually, state testing – preparation and taking it – prevents getting to Geometry which they build on in the 7th grade. Our scores show a need to grow in the Geometry category (duh). If time was spent on the the learning needed to for the next year/to complete the 6th grade, those scores would not be that low. That’s also, in my opinion, the real “learning loss” that is happening in schools – testing instead of learning.
This is so frustrating. I will never understand why in the midst of all this upheaval, schools and districts cling so desperately to these kinds of assessments.
Oh, those poor babies! Such confusion for them. And their parents. And such frustration for you!
I’m glad you got it all done, but I wish there could have been A Better Way.