South Carolina pupils in third through eighth grades begin state standardized testing Tuesday with the new Palmetto Assessment of State Standards.
The first-year test replaces the 10-year-old Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test and promises faster results and a more accurate measure of a pupil's academic abilities, according to state Education Department officials.
The quicker results are a welcome relief to teachers, who often didn't receive the previous year's PACT scores until well into the fall of the next school year. By 2010, results will be available by mid-June and give educators more time to analyze them and implement changes.
The results are used to determine the Adequate Yearly Progress of a school for No Child Left Behind, which has some teachers nervous, said Nikki Mock, a Hammond Hill Elementary School teacher.
"A kid may have a bad night or may be sick and not do well on the test, but that decides if we meet AYP. If we don't meet it, then we don't meet improvement standards and it leads to interventions in the classroom," the fifth-grade teacher said.
Ms. Mock and other teachers have used sample questions on the state Education Department Web site as practice with pupils over the past several weeks.
"We're showing them how to look for the answer and explaining that sometimes you have to look for inferences or draw conclusions to figure out what the answer is even though it isn't in front of them," Mrs. Mock said.
The new test also offers clearer results for parents and pupils. PACT scored results on four levels and even if a child met standards at a basic level, only scores on the proficient level were good enough to meet national standards. PASS scores on three levels -- exemplary, met and not met. The scoring is better aligned with No Child Left Behind standards and should offer a better representation of how pupils perform nationally.
Ms. Mock said the state has detailed standards in a way that challenges the teachers to create better lessons. That prepares pupils to answer the PASS questions, which require more critical thinking and reading than PACT.
"I think it (PASS) will more accurately assess the student's knowledge and give us a better picture of what the child's abilities are," Mrs. Mock said.
Reach Julia Sellers at (706) 823-3424 or julia.sellers@augustachronicle.com
KEY DATES FOR PASS TEST
TUESDAY: English language arts (reading and research)
WEDNESDAY: Math
THURSDAY: Science or social studies (Pupils in grades 3, 5, 6 and 8 will take either science or social studies. Pupils in grades 4 and 7 will take science.)
FRIDAY: Social studies (Pupils in grades 4 and 7 will take social studies.)
MAY 19: Field tests
MAY 15, 18, 20, 21, 22: Makeup tests
All questions this week are multiple choice.
TIPS FOR PARENTS
DON'T:
- Get upset because of a test score. Scores aren't a perfect measure of a child's ability.
- Place too much emphasis on scores. Too much pressure can influence performance.
- Schedule appointments during test week.
DO:
- Encourage children to do their best.
- Provide a quiet study place.
- Make sure child gets enough sleep. Exercise is important, too.
- Serve balanced meals.
Source: S.C. Department of Education
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