We have four benchmark tests throughout the academic year. They are called the Principal's Test. Each quarter, all students, Fourth through Eighth grade (Kindergarten through Third grade take MAPs) spend a few days testing over all the content areas they are currently studying in that quarter.
The content of the Principal's Test is dictated by the standards that have been identified in the given Goal Clarity Windows for that quarter. More information on Goal Clarity Windows can be found here.
These benchmark tests have been hugely beneficial in terms on my ability to identify holes in my instruction as well as holes in my students' understanding. Specifically, we, as a fourth grade team, have been able to identify problems with our students' critical writing.
In the beginning, the negatives seemed to outweigh the positives in terms of what their mastery. However, despite how ugly those first tests were, they were beyond helpful in helping us focus our writing goals.
We identified that students were not closely reading the questions. Ironic, no? Since the entire focus in Reading this year has been to learn and apply close reading strategies. As a secondary issue to that, we discovered a pattern in question answering. The great majority of our fourth graders were reading the first part of the a multi-step/multi-part question. They would also answer, very succinctly, that first portion of the question. However, they seemed to run out of steam for the rest of the parts of that question. We became keenly aware that we would need to practice perseverance.
These realizations led us to our WRITING TO DEMONSTRATE LEARNING FRIDAYS. Every Friday, one of us creates an assessment that requires students to read carefully a text, answer a multiple choice question or two, and then write to demonstrate their learning using extended response/constructed response questions. As a team, we grade the writing, discuss patterns we are seeing, and plan for how to reteach concepts and assist students in strengthening student writing.
Principal's Tests are useful tools in really making sure I am using the appropriate amount of rigor in my classroom instruction -- with text and writing assignments.
The content of the Principal's Test is dictated by the standards that have been identified in the given Goal Clarity Windows for that quarter. More information on Goal Clarity Windows can be found here.
These benchmark tests have been hugely beneficial in terms on my ability to identify holes in my instruction as well as holes in my students' understanding. Specifically, we, as a fourth grade team, have been able to identify problems with our students' critical writing.
In the beginning, the negatives seemed to outweigh the positives in terms of what their mastery. However, despite how ugly those first tests were, they were beyond helpful in helping us focus our writing goals.
We identified that students were not closely reading the questions. Ironic, no? Since the entire focus in Reading this year has been to learn and apply close reading strategies. As a secondary issue to that, we discovered a pattern in question answering. The great majority of our fourth graders were reading the first part of the a multi-step/multi-part question. They would also answer, very succinctly, that first portion of the question. However, they seemed to run out of steam for the rest of the parts of that question. We became keenly aware that we would need to practice perseverance.
These realizations led us to our WRITING TO DEMONSTRATE LEARNING FRIDAYS. Every Friday, one of us creates an assessment that requires students to read carefully a text, answer a multiple choice question or two, and then write to demonstrate their learning using extended response/constructed response questions. As a team, we grade the writing, discuss patterns we are seeing, and plan for how to reteach concepts and assist students in strengthening student writing.
Principal's Tests are useful tools in really making sure I am using the appropriate amount of rigor in my classroom instruction -- with text and writing assignments.
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