ITBS testing

Today was the first day of ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) testing at school. It went well. It is taking me awhile to get used to a few things, this year, about the testing. The biggest change is that we are taking the tests in the fall. For the previous 13-14 years that I have been at Payson Seymour High School we have always taken them in the spring. I like the fall setup. When we took the tests in the spring there was only about a month between the ISAT and the ITBS. I don't think that makes for good test scores. That is too much testing in that small time period. I also like how none of the tests are more than 30 minutes long. I think this is a huge benefit to the kids and their test scores. It is also nice to have new test booklets. One thing I don't like about testing in the spring is that not much of what you, as their current teacher, teach will be covered because you only have them for about a quarter before you do the testing. I guess they are more concerned with what the kids are retaining over a longer period of time. Tomorrow we will be finishing up the ITBS testing for another year. I hope all the kids are taking the testing seriously and realize that their best effort is a necessity in this day and age (No Child Left Behind).