I was totally expecting the worst, and not because I don't believe in my kids. There was a new format to the test this year. In previous years, the first test was a diagnostic, and the following tests were predictive (of how well they'd score on the MAP). Not this year. This year, they completed a CCSS Readiness test. It looked different. It was worded differently. I analyzed the sample questions, and they required a level of thinking that was much more rigorous than previous versions . Well, let me tell you. I should have WAAAAAY more faith in my kiddos because they blew the math portion out of the water. I have 22 3rd graders on my roster (and 3 4th graders....but that's another conversation for another day...). Over half of my 3rd graders scored in range 3 (the new 'proficient'). I am totally impressed with them. There were so many external factors that could have influenced their performance as well, including a district-wide testing fiasco (the servers crashed), a school-wide technology disaster (our computer lab is archaic), and a new test format. I learned 2 major lessons from this all: my kiddos are way more adaptable than I thought, and I need to have more faith in them and myself.
I'll be back later today or this weekend to share more. I can't wait until I get to Trunk or Treat. In the meanwhile, I just checked the time...off to breakfast.
