Photo by Erin Nelson.
Vestavia Hills Education Assessment
Students in Mary Katherine Johnson’s fifth grade class work on Chromebooks during class at Vestavia Hills Elementary East on March 2. The state of Alabama will be implementing new assessment testing for elementary students.
A new state assessment has been designed in an effort to help educators and parents better measure the progress of students in elementary and middle school.
The Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program, created by educators across the state, is a test that students will take this spring. It will be based on Alabama standards, which is the coursework students should have been taught throughout the year in the classroom, as opposed to previous comprehensive exams based on standards set outside of Alabama, said Jennifer Bailey, director of student services for Vestavia Hills City Schools.
“I feel like because it is based out of those standards, it gives us a better picture of their growth,” Bailey said.
Students in grades 2-8 will be tested on English language arts and math, while students in fourth, sixth and eighth grade will be tested on science, Bailey said.
Educators can use the results of the assessment to target an individual’s achievement, as well as identify areas that may need improvement. Bailey said the assessment will help students receive targeted help, as well as help teachers know which students are proficient in certain areas, so they can move on to more challenging lessons.
Teachers are preparing students year-round, as they teach to state standards, and they also have some resources online as well, Bailey said. Students should eat a good meal and rest the night before the assessment, she said.
Each school will test sometime between early April and May 1. Parents can find out test days by going to vestavia.k12.al.us/Page/2 and clicking on their child’s school calendar.