The final round of 2016 State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exams will be administered next week.
For third grade students, this will be their first time to take the state-mandated tests. Third grade students, along with fourth, sixth and seventh grade students, will take the math test on Monday and the reading test on Tuesday.
Snyder ISD Chief Academic Officer Dr. Rachael McClain said third grade students have been tracked all year on curriculum-based assessments in both reading and math.
“Based upon potential performance, students were identified for intensive tutorial support designed to bring students to grade-level readiness,” she said. “Additionally, 10 percent of the students were identified as potential for commended performance with additional support in the classroom and after school. Each classroom and individual student has set learning goals and tracked their understanding of the state-based TEKS in data notebooks.”
Students took benchmark tests in March and “instructional groupings were rearranged with students attending Camp Wanna Learn A Lot in preparation for the spring STAAR tests,” McClain said.
“Students in camp celebrated the achievement of personal learning goals and committed to giving their very best effort,” she said.
Ira ISD Principal Dale Jones said teachers have been preparing students for next week since the first day of school.
“In order to prepare for the format of the STAAR, our teachers give benchmark tests throughout the year. This is especially important at the third grade level since it is the first time they will take the STAAR,” Jones said. “Teachers have to spend time teaching students how to take a standardized test.”
Jones said all students should take their time on the test and use all of the strategies they were taught during the year.
“Unfortunately, the STAAR test can be tricky for students because there is usually more than one answer that sounds correct,” he said. “Students are taught how to weed through those answer choices and choose the very best answer.”
For first time test-takers, Jones said it is not important when they finish.
“Younger students also like to rush through tests to be the first one finished,” he said. “It is important to remind students that it is not a race. Parents can help by encouraging students to take their time, use their strategies and do their very best on every test.”
Hermleigh ISD third grade teacher Krista Childs prepared her students by going over previous tests, administered benchmark tests and went over last year’s released test.
Reading teacher Shelia Sorrells said students prepared for the test through benchmark tests and everyday skills.
“The STAAR reading test not only tests a child’s ability to read on grade level, it tests a child’s ability to reason and draw unwritten conclusions, or inferences, using the facts they are given,” she said. “Hermleigh students are taught to use logical reasoning and test-taking strategies to find the correct answer through a process of elimination.”
Hermleigh teachers also had parent involvement by sending benchmark test results home. Sorrells said those benchmarks were broken down by strengths and weaknesses for parents to see.
Also this week, fifth and eighth grade students who did not pass the reading and math tests in March will be able to take a retest. The math test will be administered Monday and the reading test will be Tuesday.
On Wednesday, all fifth and eighth grade students will take the science test. Eighth grade students will take the social studies test on Thursday
End-of-course exams for high school students will be administered Tuesday (English III) and Wednesday (Algebra II).