“This upgrade simplifies the logistics of SOL testing for many schools because principals and testing coordinators don’t have to move hundreds of students through a limited number of computer labs,” Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Steven R. Staples said.
“Students can test in their classrooms with devices they’ve used all year. And the ability to assess more students in less time decreases the amount of instructional time lost to testing,” he continued.
Some students will also experience shorter tests this year. It's the third year of a four-year phase in of adaptive testing. That format allows for shorter tests for some students in grades 3-8.The phase in will be complete with the introduction of adaptive reading tests in grades 6-8 during the 2017-2018 school year.
Those tests start with a question or problem with moderate difficultly. If the student gets the question right, then the computer selects a slightly more challenging question next.
However, if a student gets the initial question wrong, a slightly less difficult question is selected next.
Scores are determined by the number of questions answered correctly and the relative difficult of the correct answers.
“Adaptive testing allows us to accurately measure proficiency and growth with fewer test items and that means significantly shorter testing times for most students,” Staples said.
Reading SOL tests that will be taken by students in third and fourth grade this year have 33 items, which is significantly fewer than the 47 items on the tests last year.
In Hampton Roads, most students take the SOL tests in May and June.
