School testing can be good practice for life. Think about the last time you took an exam. For me, it was the state boiler operators’ exam required for a two-year license. Over the years, I have taken formal exams to do teaching work, clerical work, and nursing work.
Kids in school get a lot of practice taking exams. I am the testing coordinator at Oshki Ogimaag Charter School (OOCS) in Grand Portage. OOCS is a K-6 school that offers three or four schoolwide testing sessions each school year.
The mandatory state tests are the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA). These reading, math, and science tests are taken in the spring and can be very long and very difficult. There are no time limits for the tests, but students may be required to answer more than 70 questions on one exam. These days, most tests are taken on computers and the testing software can be very complex. The science MCA test for fifth graders includes audio components, interactive experiments, video clips, and other graphics. Computer testing tools include audio support, calculators, highlighting cursors, red slashing markers, color choices for background and fonts, and zooming in and out for different views on a screen. For students who have trouble focusing on the task at hand, all of these options can be very distracting from the actual work of the test.
Educators get frustrated over the complexity of many MCA test questions. A student may have to define and solve two or three questions correctly to get to the required answer. Also, a test question may have more than one correct answer. Some of these testing techniques feel like trick questions for young elementary school students. You wonder, what is the point of this testing process? Are academic test designers just trying to be clever? If I answer the first two parts of a three-part question correctly, but miss on the last part, what have you learned about my academic skills?
The point of the testing process should be to evaluate and measure a student’s academic abilities. A good testing tool provides a reasonable testing experience for the student and documents his or her progress toward academic goals.
Over the years, I have observed students completely engaged by the testing process, interested in the topics presented and challenged by the questions. One student was very moved by a poem presented on an exam. After the exam, that student went on to explore the poet’s life and work.
I have also observed students completely defeated by the testing process, discouraged, frustrated, and angry. One young boy became very impatient with a reading test. He said things like, “This is taking forever. My arm fell asleep. I need help.” At one point, he yelled at the computer, “I know what a mitten is, okay!” This was a very frustrated little boy.
When students fall into these frustrated states, they are allowed to take breaks, or even to stop completely and continue the test another time. A miserable testing experience is not good for anyone or anything.
At Oshki Ogimaag Charter School, we work hard to create positive testing experiences for our students. As students experience success with testing, they become more confident and are better able to demonstrate their academic skills. Those academic skills become their life skills.
Each month a representative of our educational facilities offers thoughts on Education Today. This month’s contributor is Jean Marie Modl, testing coordinator at Oshki Ogimaag Charter School, Grand Portage.
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