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Posted on October 19, 2014 8:07 pm
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aMaDyS
aMaDyS
Reps: 99
Administrative Woes
Mrs. Banks and her sixth grade colleagues are having an issue with giving assessments. The district mandates each content-area department to give a nine-weeks exam that covers all material taught during each grading period. The assessment contains between thirty to forty multiple-choice questions and two constructed-response questions for each content area. Many students are not finishing the assessments within the one class period allotted; therefore, teachers are taking two days to give nine-weeks exams. The administration have instructed teachers to give the exam in one day, whether the students have finished or not. How should Mrs. Banks and her team handle this situation? Should the teachers test for one day and not allow the students to finish to appease the administration? How will they collect effective data if the students do not complete the assessment?
 
     
     
 
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Solution 1
Posted October 19, 2014 8:14 pm

eWuNep
eWuNep
Reps: 101
This is a difficult situation, as it is often difficult to get around administrative conditions. I would suggest working with the other teachers to set up a different schedule for test days. This schedule would allow students enough time to complete their tests. They can present this suggested idea with the argument that incomplete tests will not provide adequate data in terms of determining what students have and have not mastered.
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Solution 2
Posted October 19, 2014 8:15 pm

ejeSaq
ejeSaq
Reps: 103
Maybe the test should be modified to a shorter length so that students can finish it in one class period. Maybe twenty multiple choice questions and one constructed response would work well enough to effectively assess students.
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Solution 3
Posted October 19, 2014 8:12 pm

Mallorie Hyatt
Mallorie Hyatt
Reps: 96
The best solution may be to initially adhere to administrative direction-- not doing so may result is consequences for the teachers involved. The best approach may be to seek out the administration in a formal meeting as a team to voice concerns with the policy and attempt to work out a solution.
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Solution 4
Posted October 19, 2014 8:18 pm

myNepu
myNepu
Reps: 103
I think the sixth grade team needs to address this matter with their administration explaining that the data collected from these incomplete assessments are not reliable, nor are they a good representation of what the students have learned. It sounds like this mandated assessment is one of those requirements that makes no sense, but if implemented properly, it could be effective. I would suggest altering the schedules to give the students more time to complete the assessment in one day, which would require each class to test on different days. For example, first, third, and fifth period test on Thursday, and second, fourth, and sixth period test on Friday. If I were on the sixth grade team, I would compile a schedule in advance to show administration, as well as have the ideas I want to present documented to show that I am not trying to get out of the nine weeks assessment, but instead, I am trying to make it more beneficial.
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Solution 5
Posted October 19, 2014 8:18 pm

ahubeT
ahubeT
Reps: 120
In my experience, administration wants teachers to give students extra time, especially if there are many students not finishing. They take this complaint themselves to the district to let them know the assessment is too long for a class period. At our school, the tests must be checked in at the end of each day, so if administration does not want the teachers to take longer, there is no way for them to take longer. I would say this grievance needs to be expressed to administration with the reasons why this does not seem fair to students. Is the district exam a part of student grades? If so, I would think that everyone wants to give students every opportunity to succeed. All of our assessments in math are 30-40 questions with 1-2 constructed responses, and students get these completed in a class period, which means they will have no problem with a district assessment that models this format. I am not sure how this works out for other subject areas. In the beginning, students get a shock with the length and time allotment, but they adapt and learn to study more and use test taking strategies.
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Solution 6
Posted October 19, 2014 9:00 pm

QyWyBy
QyWyBy
Reps: 102
It is only right to give the students two days to complete the test,but if administration says that one day is all that is provided then it must be done.
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Solution 7
Posted October 19, 2014 9:44 pm

yMyTyq
yMyTyq
Reps: 100
Maybe the constructed response questions could be answered and completed at home. Students could either submit their answers on paper or students could submit their answers electronically.
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