.png "TEA News Release 2")
Jan. 16, 2008
TAKS test moved to allow schools
to serve as polling places and maintain test security
AUSTIN - Commissioner of Education Robert Scott announced today that he is adjusting the state testing calendar to ensure that no Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills exams are given on the March 4 primary election day.
"By moving testing dates, we can preserve schools as polling places and maintain a calm, quiet, secure testing environment for our students," Scott said.
The commissioner decided to change the testing calendar after consulting with many superintendents, testing coordinators and education service center directors.
Many schools are used as polling places. For the first time, a testing date and election day coincided because of three changes in the law. Lawmakers moved the March election day up by one week. Another law pushed the start date for schools back to late August and, because of that change, a third bill required testing to occur two weeks later than it did during the 20062007 school year.
When public comment was requested on a draft version of the testing calendar this past summer, none of the comments received expressed a concern about conducting testing on election day. But as election day draws near, some district officials began to worry that the steady influx of voters into their building could be distracting to students taking a high-stakes test.
Under the new calendar, all tests scheduled for March 4-6 will be given one day later than originally scheduled. The exit-level TAKS social studies exam, which was originally scheduled for Friday, March 7, will be moved to Monday, March 3.
"We know this change causes additional work for our district and campus testing coordinators so we have not made this decision lightly. We had to balance the long-standing tradition of using schools as polling places with children’s right to a quiet testing environment as they take high stakes exams," Scott said.
Some of the tests that were originally scheduled to be given on Tuesday, March 4, determine whether children are promoted to the next grade or whether they will graduate from high school.
While state tests are not normally administered on Monday, the exit-level social studies exam affects the fewest number of test takers, approximately 10,000 students statewide.
Attached is a schedule that shows the original testing calendar for the week of March 3 and the revised calendar.
About 2.6 million students in grades 3,4,5,7,8,9,10,11 and any senior who has not met testing requirements for graduation will take the TAKS during this week.
ORIGINAL 2007–2008 STUDENT ASSESSMENT TESTING CALENDAR |
Test Date(s) | TAKS† / TAAS | TAKS-M |
Mar 3 (Mon) | No testing |
Mar 4 (Tues) | Grade 3 Reading (English and Spanish)
Grade 5 Reading (English and Spanish)
Grade 8 Reading | Grade 3 Reading
Grade 5 Reading
Grade 8 Reading |
Grade 4 Writing (English and Spanish) Grade 7 Writing Grade 9 Reading Grade 10 ELA Exit Level ELA | Grade 4 Writing Field Test
Grade 7 Writing Field Test
Grade 9 Reading Field Test
Grade 10 ELA Exit Level ELA Field Test● |
Exit Level ELA (retest)
Exit Level ELA-Online (retest) | TAAS Exit Level Writing (retest) |
Mar 5 (Wed) | Exit Level Mathematics (retest) Exit Level Mathematics-Online (retest) | TAAS Exit Level Mathematics (retest) |
Mar 6 (Thurs) | Make-up session for Grade 10 ELA |
Exit Level Science (retest) Exit Level Science-Online (retest) | TAAS Exit Level Reading (retest) |
Mar 7 (Fri) | Exit Level Social Studies (retest) Exit Level Social Studies-Online (retest) |
Mar 8 (Sat) | All make-up sessions for tests scheduled to be administered on March 4, 2008, and included in the calculation of AYP must be completed by this date. These tests include grades 3, 5, and 8 reading (English and Spanish). |
REVISED 2007–2008 STUDENT ASSESSMENT TESTING CALENDAR |
Test Date(s) | TAKS†/ TAAS | TAKS-M |
Mar 3 (Mon) | Exit Level Social Studies (retest)
Exit Level Social Studies-Online (retest) |
Mar 4 (Tues) | No testing |
Mar 5 (Wed) | Grade 3 Reading (English and Spanish)
Grade 5 Reading (English and Spanish)
Grade 8 Reading | Grade 3 Reading
Grade 5 Reading
Grade 8 Reading |
Grade 4 Writing (English and Spanish) Grade 7 Writing
Grade 9 Reading
Grade 10 ELA Exit Level ELA | Grade 4 Writing Field Test
Grade 7 Writing Field Test
Grade 9 Reading Field Test
Grade 10 ELA Exit Level ELA Field Test● |
Exit Level ELA (retest) Exit Level ELA-Online (retest) | TAAS Exit Level Writing (retest) |
Mar 6 (Thurs) | Exit Level Mathematics (retest) Exit Level Mathematics-Online (retest) | TAAS Exit Level Mathematics (retest) |
Mar 7 (Fri) | Make-up session for Grade 10 ELA |
Exit Level Science (retest) Exit Level Science-Online (retest) | TAAS Exit Level Reading (retest) |
Mar 8 (Sat) | All make-up sessions for tests scheduled to be administered on March 5, 2008, and included in the calculation of AYP must be completed by this date. These tests include grades 3, 5, and 8 reading (English and Spanish). |
†Includes TAKS with accommodations |
● For students receiving special education services, the ARD committee will continue to determine a student’s graduation requirements. |
Contact:
Division of Communications
1701 N. Congress Avenue
Austin, Texas 78757
Phone: (512) 463-9000
E-mail: teainfo@tea.state.tx.us