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Smart tests get committee OK

Published (2/25/2010)
By Kris Berggren
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Computer-adaptive testing is a type of online assessment that adjusts questions to an individual student’s responses. The “smart” test is meant to provide an accurate measure of the student’s achievement level, and can quickly give teachers feedback they can use to adjust classroom instruction to align with students’ needs.

A constituent’s experience with how transformative such tests can be prompted Rep. Jeremy Kalin (DFL-North Branch) to sponsor HF3043, which would require computer-adaptive testing for math students in grades three through eight in the 2010–2011 school year and in reading tests beginning in 2013–2014.

Kalin told the House K-12 Education Policy and Oversight Committee that he met a fourth-grade teacher while campaigning in 2004 who said that computer-adaptive tests transformed how he taught reading in his classroom almost overnight, and that he “saw the light bulbs going on” in his students when he made changes.

The meat of the bill, Kalin said, is a provision allowing districts to replace district-purchased computer-adaptive assessments with those that are state-developed and state-funded. Kalin said North Branch has spent $35,000 for its own testing contract despite being among the lowest in the state in terms of districts receiving state aid.

Education Department Director of Research and Assessment Dirk Mattson said the department supports and is developing computer-adaptive testing, but cautioned it doesn’t eliminate the need for other kinds of tests. He also said it is costly to develop new tests when academic standards change, which may happen if the state is awarded a Race to the Top grant that could require Minnesota to adopt a common core of standards.

The committee approved the bill Feb. 24 and sent it to the House Finance Committee with a recommendation to refer it to the House K-12 Education Finance Division. There is no Senate companion.

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