Extremely high standards have been set for satisfactory and excellent performance on these tests. But, each year, scores are improving, and MSDE is hoping that we will reach these standards by the year 2000. During the testing sessions, held for 5 consecutive mornings, students are asked to collaborate in small groups, use manipulative materials or study a passage together, and then to write about what they have learned as well as apply what they already know. Between the drafting and revising stages, students may share what they have written with a classmate. Their revisions then are made a day or two after the original draft, approximating the way effective writing is often achieved.
Items are often interdisciplinary, that is, they cover a variety of subject areas.
We have made significant improvement each year. In fact, we are one of the top scoring schools in the county. In the spring of 1992 we met the criteria for excellent in one area, and for satisfactory in two areas. We have just received scores for the spring of 1995. This time we met the criteria for excellent in three areas, and for satisfactory in five areas.