Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Classmates rally to cheer on takers of Benchmark Exams
Rally seen as way to calm nerves as stressful week nears
SPRINGDALE — Loud chants of “Let’s get fired up!” and “We are fired up!” filled the hallway at Willis Shaw Elementary School in Springdale as kindergartners, and first- and second-graders wished good luck to their peers in the third-fifth grades on this week’s state Benchmark Exams.
The younger elementary children waved pom-poms and held handmade posters, including one that read “Keep Calm and Shine On,” reflecting the school’s star mascot.
The teachers of third-fifth grade students waved banners as they led their pupils into the cafeteria for the annual pep rally that included music and games that mimicked the TV show Minute to Win It. The rally kicked off Bikes, Blues and Benchmark day at the school in northwest Springdale.
“We have been working all year — all year — for this big event,” Principal Cynthia Voss told the students. “Finally you get to show what you know.”
Benchmark testing will take place Monday through Friday in all public schools in Arkansas.
Schools across Northwest Arkansas organized activities last week to boost children’s spirits ahead of the annual exams in math and literacy. Fifth- and seventh- graders are also tested in science. Results of the tests are used to evaluate school districts and their campuses.
Festivities organized before a big week of testing unite a campus around defeating the Benchmark Exam, similar to uniting a student body around the high school football team before a big
game, said Robert Maranto, 21st Century Chair in Leadership for the Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
“It should put you and the teacher and your fellow students on the same side,” Maranto said. “All of us are going to try to do well and help each other and make our school look good.”
Shaw’s Bikes, Blues and Benchmark day included a picnic and a parade led by motorcycles in the tradition of the annual Bikes, Blues and Barbecue motorcycle rally that takes place every fall in Northwest Arkansas.
“We do this celebration to get their minds off of being anxious,” Voss said. “We want our kids to celebrate the fact that they have learned so much throughout the year.”
Fifth-graders spent time this year learning to add and subtract fractions, and about cells and the components of atoms, Jeremy Grindstaff, 11, said. The rally Friday was exciting, he said.
“It helps uplift people and have fun instead of having all the guilt that Benchmark is coming,” Jeremy said. “It feels good. I just kind of want to get it over with.”
The annual Benchmark testing will continue for two years for pupils in third-eighth grades. In the 2014-15 school year, the state will shift to a new standardized test based on the Common Core State Standards for literacy and math, said Phyllis Stewart, spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Education. Until the new exam is in place, students will continue to take Benchmark and End-of-Course exams that are based on the Arkansas Mathematics and English Language Arts Curriculum Frameworks.
Science exams for fifth- and seventh-graders are based on the Arkansas Science Curriculum Frameworks.
Curriculum standards outline the body of knowledge that children should learn at each grade level through graduation, Maranto said. The Benchmark Exam exists to show whether children have learned what’s expected for their grade level, Maranto said.
“If you’re doing your job all year, then the kids will probably do well on the benchmarks,” he said.
Students at Ruth Hale Barker Middle School in Bentonville spent time Monday and Wednesday going to the classrooms where they will be testing. Also, middle-school students, who are in fifth and sixth grades, attended a pep rally Friday with cheerleaders from Bentonville High School.
Sixth- grader Madison May, 12, tested out different breakfasts last week to find a nutritious option that would keep her from getting hungry during testing. One breakfast she plans to have during Benchmark testing week includes yogurt and two pieces of toast with peanut butter, she said.
She liked taking some extra breaks last week to learn about testing rules.
“I kind of like math,” said Madison, who feels prepared but a little nervous about the tests ahead. “The multiple choice, it’s not too hard, but some questions are tricky.”
Jennifer Behrens, a fifthgrade science teacher, answered last- minute questions from fifth-grade pupils Wednesday who will be testing in her room. She told them to expect to be taking tests for several hours each morning. She told them to write in their test booklets, to make an educated guess if they aren’t sure of the right answer and to avoid spending too much time on any one question. The tests are timed. Behrens encouraged the children to get to bed early, eat healthy breakfasts and to have confidence in themselves.
“You guys know it,” she said. “You have it. You can do it.”