News

Bitterroot schools using electronic testing in Montana

November 5, 2009 /

MATR Sponsor (view all)

Bear Paw Development Corporation is a private non-profit organization created for the purpose of administering programs to help improve regional economic conditions in Hill, Blaine, Liberty, Chouteau and Phillips Counties and the Fort Belknap and Rocky Boy's Indian Reservations.

Bob Connors might just be the little Dutch boy of educators.

As principal at Stevensville Junior High, Connors is continually on the lookout for holes in the educational bulk work.

Instead of his finger, he uses an electronic assessment testing regime to locate and address areas of concern.

The day after the tests are given, the schools can review the results, which are broken down even further to pinpoint where a student, or a group of students, might be falling behind.

“The next day, we can be mining the data,” Connors said. “We look at that data to find out where our kids have holes academically or where we might have holes in our curriculum.”

The online tests, called Measures of Academic Progress, or MAP tests, consist of progressive questions that gauge students’ abilities in reading, language use, math and science.

Stevensville has been offering MAP testing twice a year to its students for several years.

by SEPP JANNOTTA – Ravalli Republic

Full Story: http://www.ravallirepublic.com/articles/2009/11/05/news/news50.txt