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Thursday, January 12, 2006

State Gets Early Start on Test Prep

Journal Staff Report
    The annual ritual of testing schoolchildren begins next month, and the state Public Education Department opened its campaign Wednesday to prepare children, parents, schools and communities.
    From Feb. 27 to March 24, children in grades three through nine will show how much they know about science, math, reading and writing. Eleventh-graders will be tested in reading and math from Feb. 27 to March 17.
    The standards-based assessment tests, in their second year in New Mexico, will contribute to schools' rankings in "annual yearly progress," a measure mandated by the No Child Left Behind law. Results will be announced in August.
    New Mexico standards have been set high, Education Secretary Veronica Garcia told a roomful of educators, parents, legislators and business leaders at a discussion about the tests and what to expect from them.
    "We're asking kids to do more," she said. "We're asking teachers to do more."
    The state's improved standards, she said, along with professional development for teachers, will raise student academic achievement.
    The tests will measure a student's progress against state standards, instead of against other students.
    Last year's scores were less than stellar; for example, only 52 percent of fourth-graders statewide were at or above proficiency in reading.
    "Closing the achievement gap isn't going to be enough," Garcia said. "It's about raising performance for all of our kids."
    To that end, she asked participants to help get the word out that parents, teachers and students need to prepare.