3 things parents should know about new year-end tests


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SALT LAKE CITY — Every Utah student will take new year-end tests this year that measure what they've learned. Educators say there are three things every parent should know.

First, there are no No. 2 pencils or bubbles to fill in. These are all computer tests. In fact, they're not even standardized, because the tests are adaptive and change based on how students answer.

“On computer adaptive tests, theoretically, every student will get a different test based on what they know and don’t know,” explained Rick Nye, director of assessment and data for the Ogden School District.

The second thing parents should know about the SAGE tests is that they are much harder that other tests. Scores are expected to go down because students won’t simply pick one of four answers. They will have to engage and interact.

For example, a fourth-grader would have to know how to determine the identity of an unknown mineral with a certain test. And they would have to decide whether to use a scratch test, pressure test, or acid test.

Jill Minnich, computer lab manager at Heritage Elementary, said, “These are questions students haven’t seen before except in class.”

Finally, the calendar shows it's April 1, yet these tests are already underway in schools all over the state, even with 20 percent of the school year left. That's because there are not enough computers to make the year-end tests truly year end.

"That's been one of our barriers is the access to technology," said Suzann Bolar, principal at Heritage Elementary. "We have two computer labs for about 740 students, so that's a lot of kids to get through during testing testing time."

Educators are frustrated by the possibility some children will be disadvantaged because they are being tested several weeks ahead of others on material that might not have been covered yet.

Parents and students can find training tests at sageportal.org/training-tests/

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Nadine Wimmer

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