The hotly discussed Common Core State Standards will hit schools across the state this week, with field testing on the new academic standards beginning Tuesday.
Teachers and students have been preparing all year long for the Smarter Balanced test based on the Common Core State Standards. The test is unlike any other that students in Connecticut will take, and with that challenge comes some criticism. Although this year’s test is a field test, meaning scores are only for feedback and students won’t receive their results, there is still a lot of skepticism surrounding the initiative.
Some feel students are not prepared to take the test. Another concern is that teachers feel they haven’t had enough time to phase in new curriculum.
The new test replaces the Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) and the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) and is fully computerized, has audio and visual components and is not timed so students can take as long as they want. Testing is for students in third through eighth grade as well as students in 11th grade.
While pilot testing begins this week, it will be phased in with other districts taking the test in April of May.