New State Tests Go Smoother Than Expected

Given the angst leading up to the trial run of the new statewide assessments this spring, school administrators were pleasantly surprised with the feedback. At Tuesday’s board meeting, Emilio Handall, assistant superintendent of elementary education, said the technology ran fairly smoothly. He also presented survey results given to teachers and students after the debut of “Smarter Balanced.” Mostly using iPads or desktop computers in classrooms, 54 percent of students said the test was harder than the former multiple-choice standardized assessments. That seemed low, Handall said, and comments indicated students found explaining their work in writing difficult. The actual results will not be available statewide during the transition.