Military families know all too well the good, bad and ugly of frequent moves. Transitions alone are a challenging experience and they are never alone. Lots of other things are changing at the same time. March is upon us, soon the Ides of March, then the vernal equinox and then it will be testing season. You know, sharpened number 2 pencils, scanable answer sheets, sealed test booklets, no bells, no disruptions. It has become as common as robins returning in the spring. From elementary school through high school, our children will be busy taking tests in reading, writing, mathematics, science, social studies; and in many high schools, end-of-course tests as well.
The rub here - and the thing we need to pay attention to - is that these tests, or assessments, are transitioning too, and transitioning differently from state to state. That’s where testing transitions squared comes in. Since December 2008, fourteen months ago, twenty-four states have passed new laws that change their state testing requirements and programs. A total of forty-eight new laws are on the books and being implemented this spring. We will see more rigor in the tests as states strive to ensure that all students are college and workplace ready when they graduate. We’re still using paper and pencils but look for that to change as well. Some states are now requiring that students take tests on a computer to reduce testing cost and return results faster.
The Education Commission of the States (www.ecs.org) keeps track of assessment and other important education issues and you can take advantage of their research and keep up-to-date by taking a look. Here’s a link to all those laws passed by each state:
http://www.ecs.org/ecs/ecscat.nsf/WebTopicView?OpenView&count=-1&RestrictToCategory=Assessment . It may be useful to explore as you make your next transition.
The rub here - and the thing we need to pay attention to - is that these tests, or assessments, are transitioning too, and transitioning differently from state to state. That’s where testing transitions squared comes in. Since December 2008, fourteen months ago, twenty-four states have passed new laws that change their state testing requirements and programs. A total of forty-eight new laws are on the books and being implemented this spring. We will see more rigor in the tests as states strive to ensure that all students are college and workplace ready when they graduate. We’re still using paper and pencils but look for that to change as well. Some states are now requiring that students take tests on a computer to reduce testing cost and return results faster.
The Education Commission of the States (www.ecs.org) keeps track of assessment and other important education issues and you can take advantage of their research and keep up-to-date by taking a look. Here’s a link to all those laws passed by each state:
http://www.ecs.org/ecs/ecscat.nsf/WebTopicView?OpenView&count=-1&RestrictToCategory=Assessment . It may be useful to explore as you make your next transition.
Until next time: may your boxes all arrive when you do and may you bubble in your answer choices correctly!
- posted Dr. Dave Splitek, Vice President of Professional Development, MCEC
