May 17, 2006 7:03 am US/Central
Education Department To Test Online Testing
St. Paul (AP) ―
The Minnesota Department of Education will begin online tests for English-language students in some schools this fall and wants to move all state assessment tests online by 2009.
Next spring, students will test a new online statewide science test. In addition to students' knowledge, the test should show whether all schools are technologically ready to move to online exams.
A state task force recently questioned whether Minnesota will be ready to switch over to online testing by 2009. Minnesota placed second to last in a recently national report ranking states' ability to integrate technology and education.
The study by Education Week put Minnesota at about the national average with fewer than 4 students per computer, but put the state's ratio of students per classroom computer at 10 to 1.
Trying to test hundreds of students in a school's computer lab, rather than having enough classroom computers for testing, could slow the state's efforts to eventually move all testing online.
Tim Vansickle, director of assessment for the state Department of Education, said the state will ease its way into online testing and considers the early tests a practice run.
All school districts are being asked try out the new tests during the 2006-2007 school year and to test at least half of their English-language learners next fall.
Field testing for the new science test, which will be given to students in the fifth, eighth and, probably, 11th grades, will begin next spring.
Betty McAllister, who directs special programs for Worthington's public schools, said she thinks the district is ready to give online tests to nearly 100 English-learners in elementary, middle and high school.
Steve Schellenberg, assistant director for research, evaluation and assessment for St. Paul's public schools, has doubts.
"There are a lot of technical problems. Right now, I don't think we have the physical capability. But there's a little time yet," Schellenberg said. "I have mixed feelings. I want to make absolutely the best effort possible to do it. But I don't know where the push to get online comes from."
Vansickle said he hopes starting the online tests on a smaller scale will show experts where schools have to beef up infrastructure. He admitted that pushing all exams online in the next few years may be a stretch.
(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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