MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — This spring was different at Missoula’s Hellgate Elementary School District. Instead of the usual end-of-year testing regime, students and teachers experienced scaled-down tests throughout the school year to assess competence in math and reading.
Hellgate Superintendent Molly Blakely noted that the change had its challenges but overall, teachers were positive about the new testing approach. They found the shorter testlets more manageable time-wise and appreciated getting results back in a timely manner to address academic strengths and weaknesses.
All Montana public school students in grades 3 through 8 will now adopt this new model after a successful pilot in several districts across the state. The Office of Public Instruction is gearing up for a statewide rollout this fall, introducing 12 smaller assessments, or testlets, conducted throughout the school year.
These testlets assess a bundle of instructional standards at different points in the school year and align with state subject-area standards. The goal is to provide feedback to teachers and students more efficiently and help tailor instruction based on results.
State and local education officials have been preparing for this shift for months, with the U.S. Department of Education granting a one-year waiver to accommodate the pilot project. The focus is on promoting academic growth and providing timely feedback to enhance classroom instruction.
The pilot program in Montana reflects the national conversation around reforming student assessment, aiming to address challenges with traditional end-of-year testing. However, the transition is not without critics who have voiced concerns about test length and turnaround time for results.
Despite these challenges, officials believe that ongoing refinement and collaboration with testing vendors will address these issues. The hope is that the new assessment system will blend local needs with state standards and federal requirements to improve student assessment.
While the change will not affect high school testing or the administration of the ACT, discussions have already begun about revisiting assessment practices at the high school level. The ultimate goal is to enhance student assessment practices to better serve students and educators.
This story was originally published by Montana Free Press and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
