Students taking new standardized test that will provide 'valuable data,' superintendent says

Apr. 11—Local educators say standardized testing this month will give them a tool for assessing students that they haven't had since 2019.

Students in the three school districts in Morgan County are joining students across the state taking a new standardized test that was to be introduced last spring until schools were closed in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The test — which is given in-person only — is called the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program Summative test, and replaces Scantron, which was used for two years. Students in second through eighth grades will be tested in English language arts and math, and those in grades 4, 6 and 8 will be tested in science. The second-grade testing will serve as a baseline for third-grade growth.

"It's going to give us valuable data where our students are," said Decatur City Schools Superintendent Michael Douglas. "You read articles about regression, the slide, kids getting behind" because of the pandemic's impact on students. "We didn't give the assessment last year, so we're excited to get some data to let us know exactly where our students are.

"You don't know how to go forward unless you know where you are. So in my opinion, any assessment gives you valuable information and it should help us chart a course for what we need to do to grow our students."

The science portion was underway last week and being administered first, then English language arts and math are next, Douglas said. "We'll be giving the state assessment over the next three weeks. We should be done hopefully by the end of the month."

Morgan County Schools began testing on Tuesday and will finish on or before April 30, according to Patrick Patterson, the district's director of secondary education.

"The state of Alabama will use the ACAP results to measure academic growth and achievement as part of the Alabama State Report Card for schools without a Grade 12," Patterson said. "Morgan County Schools will use these results to determine if our formative assessment products and procedures are properly aligned in order to give our students the best opportunity for success on the ACAP Summative and ACAP Alternate Assessments."

Standardized testing is only one tool schools use to assess students' ability.

"No single assessment of any sort captures the whole picture of a child," said Susan Hayes, Hartselle City Schools' director of federal programs and test coordinator. "This is one of several assessments we will use to determine where a student's strengths are and where a student needs some extra attention."

Hayes said the assessment, which is aligned with state standards, will also be used to determine how a district can improve its programs, through providing professional development and different resources for teachers or other measures.

Testing on campus

All tests must be given "100% in-person," according to Douglas.

"Students have to be physically in a (school) building," Douglas said. "We monitor the test making sure we're following state guidelines."

For virtual students coming in to take the tests, "we'll have a classroom specifically for them or they would go back to their teacher of record if they were a blended student," Douglas said. "Everybody must test in one of my facilities with my people in the room. You can't test at home."

Both remote and virtual Morgan County Schools students are required to participate in ACAP testing, Patterson said. Remote students are those who receive instruction at home from their regular teacher, he said. Virtual students are enrolled in the Morgan school system's Virtual Academy and receive instruction through a virtual platform by teachers from across the U.S., employed by the company providing the platform, not the school system.

"Teachers, counselors and principals are working with parents, on a case-by-case basis, providing opportunities to test on campus on Wednesdays, as well as regular school days if preferred," Patterson said. Remote and virtual students are not receiving instruction on campuses this year due to COVID-19.

"Morgan County Schools are continuing to follow our COVID safety procedures in order to create a safe testing environment for all students and employees," Patterson said.

Hayes said Thursday that in the Hartselle testing that has been completed to date, 87 virtual students have come onto campuses to take their ACAP Summative assessments.

"So as of Thursday afternoon, over 93% of our virtual students who have been asked to come onto campus for testing have done so," she said.

In a normal year, "the state mandates that 95% of your students take the test," Douglas said, but "I think that 95% is going to be waived this year because you've got so many kids statewide that are virtual."

"We're hoping that we're going to get as close as possible to 95%, if not there," he said. "Our goal is to test as many as we can because in our opinion the data is more valid."

Douglas said school officials "feel pretty good" about students who have taken in-person instruction all year. "Those that have been virtual all year, we do have some concerns they may gotten behind, but we don't know," he said.

"This (assessment) gives us valuable data about the kid who has been virtual all year," Douglas said. "It may turn out our virtual kids do well also. You don't know until you get the data back."

— marian.accardi@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2438. Twitter @DD_MAccardi.