Posted inCommon Core, Current Events in Education, Uncategorized

Begin March Madness: Testing and the Smarter Balanced Assessment

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] March Madness is not exclusive to basketball. March Madness signals the season for standardized testing season here in Connecticut. March Madness signals the season for testing in 23 other states as […]

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What Interdisciplinary Writing Assessments Can Learn from Saturday Night Live

This post completes a trilogy of reflections on the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) which will be terminated once the new Smarter Balance Assessments tied to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are implemented. There will be at least one more year of the same CAPT assessments, specifically the Interdisciplinary Writing Prompt (IW) where 10th […]

Posted inCommon Core, Featured, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Uncategorized

On This State Standardized Test, the Story Is Not Literature

March in Connecticut brings two unpleasant realities: high winds and the state standardized tests. Specifically, the Connecticut Academic Performance Tests (CAPT) given to Grade 10th are in the subjects of math, social studies, sciences and English. There are two tests in the English section of the CAPT to demonstrate student proficiency in reading. In one, students are given […]