Online assessment field test helps educators prepare for 2015
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News from the Montana Office of Public Instruction
HELENA – Last year nearly 98 percent of Montana students in grades 3-8 and grade 11 participated in the field test of the new, online Smarter Balanced Assessment aligned to the Montana Common Core Standards.
A field test is a “test of the test,” not the students. Because questions may be revised or dropped after the field test, no scores will be reported for students, schools, or the state.
The practice run of the new state test gave teachers and school leaders the opportunity to try out their technology, get a look at the style of the new questions, and work out potential scheduling challenges, according to Superintendent Denise Juneau.
Positive things teachers and administrators reported about the field test included accessing tools, training and information from the OPI, using the practice test provided by Smarter Balanced, and developing strong teams at the school level who provided training and support to test administrators.
Common challenges faced by teachers and staff administering the field test included use of the online embedded accommodations for students with disabilities, technical glitches with logging in or getting locked out of a session, scheduling challenges, and the need for more training before administering the test.
The vast majority of Montana schools have the technology and infrastructure in place to successfully deliver the online test in 2015.
“This test is more challenging than our previous state test and will set a new baseline for student achievement in Montana,” Juneau said. “Between now and next year, our office will continue to work with Smarter Balanced and schools to ensure that the issues uncovered during the field test are addressed so the test is valid, reliable and fair for all students.”
For more information, download the Office of Public Instruction’s Frequently Asked Questions about the Smarter Balanced Field Test:
http://www.opi.mt.gov/PDF/Superintendent/Field_Test_FAQs.pdf.
