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MARGIN NOTES

March 17, 2010

Facing backlash, state changes test schedule again

by Anna Phillips, at 12:11 pm

Principals across New York State were none too happy to hear that the state had scheduled a test in between two upcoming high stakes tests, but with a stroke of a pen state officials have reversed the decision.

A memo the city sent to New York City principals says that “in response to principals’ concerns,” the State Education Department has moved the field test from May 4 to May 12-14, roughly a week after students finish their last exam.

Initially, the field test — an experimental exam that doesn’t count, but is used by test makers to gauge the difficulty of the test questions — was going to be sandwiched between the high stakes English and math tests that students in grades three through eight take. Principals warned that if students were forced to take three separate exams over the course of twelve days, “test fatigue” could set in and hurt their results.

The new schedule, which was released yesterday, will let schools administer the field test in a single day, or spread it out over several days.

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  • http://www.classsizematters.org leonie haimson

    Why do all students have to take these field tests? why can’t the state use statistical sampling?

  • Gideon

    Why can’t they embed questions in real exams that won’t count for students’ scores, but provide test makers with information about the difficulty of those questions. If students don’t know which are the real questions and which questions are being field tested, they’ll take all of them seriously and provide more realistic data about the questions.

  • http://nyceducator.com NYC Educator

    Very good idea. Perhaps they rejected it as too sensible and practical to be acceptable.

  • Linda Silverman

    Seems to me the kids are being used so they should be paid.

  • ESL Teacher

    Nevermind the fact that from April 26th – May 25th, K-8 ELL students (many of whom, in my opinion should not have to sit for the ELA) will take not only the ELA (2-3 days), Math(2-3 days) and ELA/Math Pilot (1 day), but also the 3 days of NYSESLAT testing (Listening, Reading, Writing)…talk about high-stakes stress!

    At least the Speaking component of the NYSESLAT can occur before the ELA, but the actual window for Speaking goes right through the other tests, potentially adding another day within this one month period.

    Which means, out of 22 school days, a 4th grade ELL (with 2, 3-day tests in ELA/Math) will be under high-stakes stress for AT LEAST 10 DAYS (11 days, if the NYSESLAT Speaking subtest is not completed during the 8 available “window” days prior to the start of the ELA). Oh, and don’t forget the 4th grade Science test as well, kindly overlapping with the NYSESLAT window.

  • kk

    @ESL Teacher

    That’s crazy!!! Maybe you’ll get lucky and have a “periodic” assessment too. Ugh.

    So much for *learning*.

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