Today our students, from grade 4 through high school, began the Iowa Assessment test. We are spacing this assessment period over three days during the first three class periods in the morning. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this assessment tool, the Iowa Assessment gauges student comprehension over mathematics, social studies, science, reading, computation, written analysis, as well as spelling, grammar, listening, and punctuation. You can find more information about it here.
This was our school’s first time administering a formal standardized exam, and as such it was our students first time taking such an exam. They did well, I was impressed that my students were able to sit through three hours of testing with minimal complaint (don’t worry, they had a ten minute break in between each section). Seeing the students at my school take this exam brings back memories of when I had to take this exam. It seems so long ago, I too hated it. While this experience is challenging for them, our students will be better for it in the future.
The results of this exam will serve to help my coworkers and I, as teachers, to see how effective our instructional methods are as well as develop better IEPs (Individual Education Plans) for our students based on their strengths and weaknesses. The results will let the students know which subject areas they excel in, and which subjects they can improve in. If students decide to transfer to a different school in the future, or apply for universities, these results will help those institutions develop class schedules with the appropriate difficulty and support.
I hope all of our students see positive results when the time comes.
So, You Think You Can Teach ESL? 