Testing, testing, testing

Last week, our 8th grade students at Audubon were involved in NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress).  This occurred just one week after we completed the district-mandated Benchmark Assessments in reading and math.  As the school assessment coordinator, I was intimately involved with the scheduling of this assessment.

For those who are not familiar with NAEP, basically they randomly select schools and students from every public school district throughout the nation to administer an assessment each year.  They then publish "The Nation's Report Card" that uses the data they collect from the ONE 90 minute test they administered to students in either reading, math or science.  (Why we continue to place so much stock in standardized test scores, I'll never know!)

Well, this year, Audubon was randomly chosen (AGAIN) and about 180 of our 8th grade students were selected to participate.  This year, the majority of  our students tested in the cafeteria with the NAEP test administrators.  We also needed 8 small group testing environments for those students (English Language Learners and Special Education) who needed testing accommodations.  

So, where's the positive, you say??  The Audubon staff and students, that's where!  The over 150 students in the cafeteria were so well behaved that the NAEP staff told me several times how impressed they were with the level of cooperation and effort during the assessment.  (Try to remember back to taking timed, multiple choice tests for over an hour and then try to remember being an 8th grader, and then you'll understand how impressive this really is!)  

And the 8th grade teachers???  I am so lucky to work with them.  They all pitched in to either staff a holding room for the 48 students who were NOT tested or to administer the test for the students who needed accommodations.  All without ever issuing one word of protest or complaint.  

Our students and teachers gave up an entire morning of instruction to take yet another test and did so with a positive attitude and a spirit of cooperation.  I'm so proud of them and I hope they know how much I appreciate coming to Audubon every day and working with such quality people!