I like Randi, just not the words that come out of her mouth.
Actually, I like Randi, just not her judgment.
On the other hand, I’m not sure that I like Randi any more.
My district just completed MAP testing in grades 2-5. This was the first time my second graders have taken a standardized test using the computer. Within fifteen minutes the program failed and half my class was unable to finish the test during that session. They took the MAP Math test two days later. This session went more smoothly, but even after instructing the class to use their scratch paper to work the problems, or to use the online calculator provided, perhaps maybe one fourth of my class of 22 did so. As I walked around, I read some of the questions. They were most definitely common core type questions, similar to the questions I have seen of PARCC sample questions. The shortest amount of time that one student took to complete the test of 52 questions was 13 minutes.
I stayed in the classroom with half of my class while the other half went back to attempt MAP Reading for the second time. This session went more smoothly for all but one of my students who could not be found on my roster. The shortest amount of time spent on the Reading test, again 52 questions, was 12 minutes.
About 1/3 of my class raced through both tests. As expected, they earned low RIT scores on one or both tests. I only have two really low students in my class, and the other part of that 1/3 are low average. They didn’t invest the time necessary to do their best work on the test. They are like this in the classroom too, rushing as fast as they can to get their work “done.” I say “done” in quotes because I often have to hand their work back to them to finish skipped items, or to do the assignment according to the directions.
I am worried about how students like these are going to influence my evaluation in the future. I think most classrooms have their share of students who don’t invest the time to do well, preferring to “get it over with” so they can do something else. Twelve minutes to complete 52 questions? Come on. How does that possibly reflect on my skills as a teacher, or for that matter, what the student has actually learned?
Fred Klonsky 
Have you seen the anti pension campaign waged by cook county on tax bills? Nothing like it ever!
I like Randi, just not the words that come out of her mouth.
Actually, I like Randi, just not her judgment.
On the other hand, I’m not sure that I like Randi any more.
My district just completed MAP testing in grades 2-5. This was the first time my second graders have taken a standardized test using the computer. Within fifteen minutes the program failed and half my class was unable to finish the test during that session. They took the MAP Math test two days later. This session went more smoothly, but even after instructing the class to use their scratch paper to work the problems, or to use the online calculator provided, perhaps maybe one fourth of my class of 22 did so. As I walked around, I read some of the questions. They were most definitely common core type questions, similar to the questions I have seen of PARCC sample questions. The shortest amount of time that one student took to complete the test of 52 questions was 13 minutes.
I stayed in the classroom with half of my class while the other half went back to attempt MAP Reading for the second time. This session went more smoothly for all but one of my students who could not be found on my roster. The shortest amount of time spent on the Reading test, again 52 questions, was 12 minutes.
About 1/3 of my class raced through both tests. As expected, they earned low RIT scores on one or both tests. I only have two really low students in my class, and the other part of that 1/3 are low average. They didn’t invest the time necessary to do their best work on the test. They are like this in the classroom too, rushing as fast as they can to get their work “done.” I say “done” in quotes because I often have to hand their work back to them to finish skipped items, or to do the assignment according to the directions.
I am worried about how students like these are going to influence my evaluation in the future. I think most classrooms have their share of students who don’t invest the time to do well, preferring to “get it over with” so they can do something else. Twelve minutes to complete 52 questions? Come on. How does that possibly reflect on my skills as a teacher, or for that matter, what the student has actually learned?