Alarming info about TNREADY testing bomb - Momma Bears

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Alarming info about TNREADY testing bomb

Tick-tick-tick... is your child READY?  Because they are about to bomb a major high-stakes test called TNREADY.  When we say, "bomb," we mean fail. 

This year, the state of TN is spending more money than they've ever spent before on a brand new test.  Well, it isn’t actually a newtest, but more like a recycled test since TN leased the test questions from Utah’s old SAGE test.  Anyway, they stuck these expensive questions from Utah in a confusing test platform created by a company in North Carolina, and are now rebranding it as homegrown in TN.  This test is called TNREADY.  

Teachers across Tennessee kept alerting Momma Bears to concerns about the new TNREADY test.  They said TNREADY is intentionally confusing for students, way too advanced for each grade level by several years, they said their schools have been and will continue to be disrupted by the testing schedules and lack of adequate technology, the teachers worry that higher numbers of students are predicted to fail it, and they complained that TNREADY requires even more precious class time to prepare for and administer than previous tests. 

​So, some of our Momma Bears bloggers spent a precious Saturday taking the sample TNREADY tests and trying to get answers.  Here is what we observed on the Sample TNREADY computerized tests:

• Difficult to read passages: A tiny 4-inch scroll window to read long passages of text.  This requires good mouse skills and eye tracking. (see pic below)  Students with knowledge of how to expand the reading pane using the little tab in the middle, and collapse it again to get to the test questions, will fare better.  This format isn't like any of the internet sites or reading apps that most children are accustomed to; they will need to be taught how to navigate those tools for the sole purpose of taking this test. 
• Tiny window for the test questions:  It was barely large enough to show all the answer options, and not large enough to show the “RESET/UNDO” buttons at the bottom of the question unless the student scrolled lower.  See the photo below to understand how students are supposed to write an entire essay response in a text box that is about 4" square.  Typing, mind you, which elementary students aren't fluent in doing; their hands aren't even large enough to reach all the keys properly.  So, they will be hunting and Momma Bears Blog - Momma Bears: