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New state testing starts today in Kentucky

May 07, 2012|By Bob Flynn | The Winchester Sun

When students in Clark County public schools and across Kentucky began taking their yearly state assessments today, they were faced with much longer, more difficult tests than they had to take in previous years.

The new tests are the first of the Kentucky Performance Rating for Educational Progress (K-PREP) tests that replaced the old CATS — Commonwealth Accountability Testing System — tests that had been used in Kentucky for decades.

While the subjects being tested remain the same, the new tests reflect the more rigorous Common Core Standards in reading and math that were adopted for Kentucky two years ago as part of Senate Bill 1 The bill mandated a new school assessment system and accountability program as well as more rigorous academic standards.

When the new testing system was announced, Kentucky Department of Education Commissioner Terry Holliday said the more rigorous tests would probably result in some lower scores across the state initially, but he expected them to improve as teachers and students became more comfortable with the standards.

Many people across the state share Holliday’s view, but Clark County Assistant Superintendent Pat Rosenthal said she doesn’t think there will be an appreciable drop in local scores.

“I really don’t expect our scores to be lower. Our teachers feel good about the tests and I think we’re ready for them,” Rosenthal said. “I know our teachers have been teaching exactly to our curriculum, which is made up of the standards, and we’ve been testing them on mastery tests after each unit all year to make sure they are learning it as they go.”

The district has been publicizing the tests on its website and also sent letters to parents, Rosethal said, to try to get all the students there this week to take the tests.

“The most important thing with these test is that students need to be there to take the tests with their peers,” Rosenthal said. “Statistics show that they do better when they take the test during regular testing time rather than doing a make up test. So we’ve been trying to get that message out to our parents.”

Students in grades 3-8 are being tested today through Friday. Students in grades 10 and 11 are only tested in on-demand-writing, which will begin Thursday.

K-PREP tests compare student scores against those of students in other states, not only against other Kentucky student scores.

The new tests will also be used to assess school’ performance standards as part of the No Child Left Behind law.

Kentucky was one of 10 states that were granted a waiver from NCLB allowing them to use their own systems to assess whether schools were making adequate yearly progress.

Unlike NCLB which used only test scores to measure progress, Kentucky’s system also included graduation rates and college and career readiness in the equation.

Teachers and administrators feel confident that their students are prepared as well as they can be, Rosenthal said, and feel like the test scores will show it.

Contact Bob Flynn at bflynn@winchestersun.com.

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