Homebound Unbound

We are getting ready for the last of our TAKS administrations for the school year.  (I was going to say the last of how many, but I can’t count that high. )  TAKS is our attempt to  comply with the NCLB assessment requirements.

You may be one of the 5 or so people who aren’t affected and don’t have any idea what an exciting and all-encompassing event this is.  So, today, I thought I would write about what it looks like from my point of view.  

From what I can see, there must be hundreds of people doing the preparation.  Somebody has to order, receive and distribute the training manuals (around 120 pages each) for all the people who will administer the test.  (Divide the district student population by 30). They also have to deal with test booklets, answer sheets, #2 pencils, graphing calculators and high-carb snacks.

Meanwhile, teachers are trying to cram in last-minute TAKS material. Or we are trying to figure out a way to squeeze in some instructional time.  Or we are trying to soothe and encourage our students.  This is because some kids are starting to have headaches and upset stomachs because they know what’s coming.  Some are worried that they might fail and have to repeat a year.  Others believe they are stupid based on previous scores, and have already given up.  A few worry about what will happen to their teachers if the class doesn’t score well enough. 

Administrators are scheduling trainings and rounding up test administrators, assistant test administrators, hall monitors, and bathroom monitors.  They are figuring out what classrooms will be used by whom and when.  They are refining cheating-prevention strategies, honing security for testing materials, and determining again what level of emergency justifies evacuating a classroom without counting and securing test booklets and answer keys.  Seating charts are being developed. Hundreds of cardboard boxes are being labelled and filled with testing materials that have been coded with each student’s information.  Somebody is counting out the # 2 pencils.  Everybody is late for dinner.

 For us homebound teachers,e-mails are flying about training schedules, oath signing, and who is going to help administer tests to our kids, since most of us have 3 or more kids to test on The Day.  This means that counselors, diagnosticians, and support staff are also being included in the fun: training, signing oaths, figuring out where to pick up tests and where the test-takers live.

 And all of this is just what I can see.  I have no idea what more there is.  And I have no idea what to do about it.

But, I do know the good news:  only three more TAKS days this year. 

Filed under: Home base | Tagged: NCLB, standardized testing, TAKS