School district announces new, state-mandated testing system

By: 
Michaela Kendall

GRUNDY CENTER – This spring will mark the end of an old testing system – the Iowa Assessment Tests – and the beginning of a new, state-mandated testing system – Smarter Balanced Assessments – for students across the state.
But what exactly does this new testing system mean for students and educators in the Grundy Center Community School District? To find out, The Grundy Register sat down with school administrators to discuss just what the new testing system means locally.
In early 2017, students in grades 3 through 11 will take the Iowa Assessments as normal, but beginning in the spring of 2018 these students will switch to the Smarter Balanced Assessments, which test English and math skills. Students in 5th, 8th and 11th grades will also take a science assessment.
One of the biggest changes, according to Superintendent Jerry Schutz , will be in the amount of time spent testing.
“Right now, with the Iowa Assessments, we spend around 45 minutes completing the math and the reading assessments,” he said. “With Smarter Balanced [Assessments] the estimates are that students will be doing about eight hours of testing.”
Schutz said that for students also doing the science assessment, testing could take up to 12 hours to complete, and even if some students finish early, they will have to wait until every last student is done testing before they can leave the testing session.
Schutz expressed some concern with the amount of time spent testing, especially for younger students.
“A couple hours of testing can be grueling on a student, our brains just don’t work like that,” he said.
Another major change that comes with the new testing system is the format.
Unlike the Iowa Assessment Tests, the Smarter Balanced Assessments will be completed entirely online.
Schutz said this new format has pros and cons.
For the full story, see this week's edition of The Grundy Register.

The Grundy Register

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Grundy Center, IA 50638
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