Teachers get more time to test K-3 kids
PED extends deadline for new computer reading assessment
Teachers will have more time to administer a new reading assessment that the state Public Education Department announced roughly a month before the start of school.
On Friday, PED sent districts and charters an email extending the first testing window for Istation by 10 instructional days to 40 days or eight full weeks. The deadline for Albuquerque Public Schools is now Oct. 5, rather than Sept. 21.
Administrators at APS and other districts had protested that it would be difficult to switch to the new computerized K-3 exam with such short notice, particularly because it replaces a paper-and-pencil test.
Christopher Ruszkowski, PED deputy secretary of policy and programs, told the Journal he heard the concerns and wanted to ensure there is enough time for the transition.
“Providing for the window to be a little longer seemed like a wise choice given that is what
a couple of our districts were asking for,” he said.
But Albuquerque Teachers Federation President Ellen Bernstein thinks the deadline extension is a small accommodation in a system of inappropriate mandated testing.
“I’m not going to give the PED any credit for extending a window when they imposed and implemented an assessment without input that teachers did not choose, that is not even a valid, researched assessment,” she said. “If the PED were truly responsive to teachers and students, this would not have been a problem in the first place.”
PED informed superintendents about the new test in mid-July after a selection committee recommended Istation based on a review of competitive bids.
It is $1.3 million less expensive than its predecessor, costing a total of $600,000, and the computerized format is expected to save time.
DIBELS, the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, had been criticized because teachers have to leave their classes to test kids individually.
On Thursday, Secretary of Education Hanna Skandera said she has heard good feedback about Istation and many educators consider it a better assessment.
She acknowledged that districts could have used more time to make the switch, but stressed that PED has been flexible on the deadlines.
“There are always more opportunities to better communicate and we own that and own it well,” she said. “This is not me saying, ‘Boy, I can’t believe they didn’t get with the program faster.’ I am saying we did what we thought was good and sufficient, and we are getting feedback, so we are trying to be flexible around that time frame.”
PED is also providing online training and a testing help line manned by four staff members during the first few weeks of school.
Kids in kindergarten through third-grade will take Istation three times a year to assess their reading progress in areas like listening comprehension, spelling and vocabulary. The other testing windows will run from Jan. 9-27 and May 1-19.