It’s state testing day number 6 today! Woo-hoo!
I’m amazed how much time it takes to give our state test, the WASL. Just reading the scripted introduction
and providing the instructions can take ten minutes. Then, the exam itself takes 2-3 hours per test. Yikes! Those poor kids.
On the bright side, I love proctoring the WASL. It’s 12 hours this week to grade thesis papers and projects, which I assigned last week so I could score them all this week. Worked like a charm. I’m busy. Kids are busy. I’m happy. Kids are…quiet.
I hope your testing days go as well.
How lucky for you! We are told specifically (and then checked for compliance), that while the kids are taking the CSAP, which is Colorado’s equivalent of the WASL, that we cannot read, be on a computer and, most specifically, to NOT GRADE PAPERS. We are supposed to actively proctor, which means wandering around the room for four hours.
I hate the FOUR days of CSAP.
I did a pair of reaction blogs to your earlier topic about what is going on in reading. The serious one is called “What is Happening to Reading?” at http://jimvanpelt.livejournal.com/126734.html (I refer to some of the stuff in your post there), and the funny one is called “Making Kids Hate Kissing: Addendum to ‘What Is Happening to Reading'” and it is at http://jimvanpelt.livejournal.com/127139.html
With the Texas TAKS test, the students are allowed to turn in the test whenever they want. With a raise of the hand, each test is collected. They are supposed to read quietly when they finish, but of course, they become discipline problems and require constant supervision. Teachers are supposed to walk around constantly, but are told to never actually look at any of the tests. I was always disappointed that some students chose to turn in the test after about twenty minutes. A lot of them just didn’t seem to care.
I got to read the Science WASL directions to our 400 sophs this morning. Sheesh—it took forever!