That is the theme of our achievement testing week.
And before I go any further… yes… my two current client schools are having the students do an achievement test. Both are private schools that have been in person all school year. Both have been able to have strict covid guidelines and maintain in person classes. So it was decided to have the achievement testing this year. Unlike many public schools, these private schools are able to use the results of achievement testing as academic growth indicators and growth over time checks. Not as criterion for retention.
Ok, my slight rant is done.
Show What You Know! Shouldn’t that always be what we are asking students to do on any assessment? In trying to reduce test anxiety, these schools are reminding students that what they know is what we want to know.
Next up, parents. This is what we published in our weekly newsletter prior to achievement testing:
How to talk to your child about achievement testing…
- Deep breaths help to clear your mind when a question is tough.
- Show What You Know, that is all we want you to do.
- Don’t leave any questions blank, take your best guess.
- This test does not tell us how smart you are, it just tells us that you have made progress this year.
- Try your best and that is all we want you to do always!
Yesterday had a conversation with the high school girls I work with. When we discussed their achievement teting schedule, one girl asked, ‘Do I need to stress over these?’ The answer I gave is ‘no, this is only one way we monitor your growth this year.’ I hope she heard me.
How is your school handling achievement testing this year and progress monitoring? Checkout another recent blog post on Catching Up, https://edtechease.com2021/03/29/catching-up/. Let me know through Twitter or Instagram (@edtechease) or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/edtechease/) or email me, swladis@edtechease.com.