FARMINGTON -- Lincoln, Prairie Grove and Farmington school districts are conducting field tests for Common Core this spring in preparation for the real thing a year from now.
These new assessments will replace Arkansas' Benchmark Exams and End of Course exams beginning in the 2014-15 school year. The assessments are referred to as PARCC, which stands for Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. The tests will be based on the Common Core education standards in math, English and language arts.
Terri Strope, Farmington assistant superintendent, said she was pleased with the district's first field tests held April 3. Farmington is testing fourth graders in English and language arts, sixth and seventh graders in English and language arts, eighth graders in math, 10th graders in geometry and 11th graders in algebra 2.
Students will take two PARCC tests each year. One is a performance-based assessment given when 75 percent of a subject has been covered. Students will then take an end-of-year test.
Strope said Farmington benefits from participating in the practice tests because it will provide an understanding of how the process and tests work.
"This gives us a dry run for a computerized test on a smaller scale," Strope said.
The PARCC group will analyze the tests' results to determine if the questions are grade appropriate. The school will not receive any test results or scores.
"The tests are strictly for their (PARCC's) benefit to analyze questions and answers," Strope said.
Strope said Farmington is giving the tests using different scenarios to see which works best for its students. For example, some groups of students will take the tests using Google Chromebooks. Others are using desktop computers. Several groups were placed in classrooms for their practice tests. Others used the library.
Prairie Grove has tested third graders and 10th and 11th graders. The district will finish its field testing with middle school students. Except for third grade, all tests will be taken on computer, as required by Common Core. Third graders will use traditional paper and pencil.
In all, Prairie Grove is testing 275 students.
Missy Hixson, assistant superintendent, said the paper and pencil test is very similar to an Arkansas Benchmark exam.
"That was like a piece of cake," Hixson said.
The district's first online practice tests were conducted at the high school for 10th grade literacy and 11th grade literacy. The morning session was "beautiful," Hixson said, but in the afternoon students had computer problems that were PARCC-related issues.
All students, test coordinators and monitors will fill out a survey on the field tests. Hixson said she is documenting all problems and issues so hopefully everything will be resolved before next spring. She said she learned all students need earbuds and a separate mouse, instead of using a laptop's built-in mouse.
Like Farmington, Prairie Grove is using a mix of desktop computers and Chromebooks. Hixson said Chromebooks seem to work better.
Hixson said students are telling her the PARCC tests "are different."
Two Farmington 10th graders who took the geometry field test both said they prefer paper and pencil to an online version.
"It was complicated," said Sovren Sybrant. "It wasn't user friendly."
Baleigh Beeks said she didn't understand most of the questions or couldn't figure out what type of answer the test wanted.
Her recommendation is that the tests have more detailed instructions for students.
"I felt like I literally only knew what one question was talking about," Beeks said.
Mary Ann Spears, Lincoln superintendent, said the district's fourth, seventh and eighth grade students would be taking the PARCC field test April 17 with sixth grade students testing May 8.
"We will test them at the same time on their Mac computers," Spears said. Students in Lincoln have been using Mac computers for several years.
"This will be implemented statewide next year," Spears said about the test, adding this is the first time Lincoln students have been tested online.
General News on 04/23/2014