Technology and Testing:

I've been thinking about this ever since we finished with our "NCLB"-mandated testing. In Texas, it is know as "THE TAKS TEST", for Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. However, since another reality of living in Texas is spring allergies, I've been in that never-never land between can't think because my allergies are so bad and can't function because of all the medicine I'm taking to control said allergies. It's been especially bad this year as I am coming off of 7 months of off-and-0n respiratory infections after having the Swine Flu last fall.

Since I teach Special Education, a number of my students take an Accomodated Test or a Modified Test, each with its own requirements, instructions, etc. One of the greatest horrors of the testing process is the ever present fear of losing a test booklet, and with it, perhaps, your career! In the process of checking and rechecking to make sure I was doing everything correctly, I began to wonder how technology might impact the testing process in the future. In many ways, it seems that many of our present headaches could be eased. Students' tests could be individualized in many ways (large print, oral administration, etc.). I would think that it would be more economical, not to mention saving all of those innocent trees who give their existence for the making of a test booklet. Of course, the ever present problem of test security would change with the fear of hacking into the system to obtain test items or change answers, or whatever it is cyber-cheaters might come up with.

Does anyone know of a state that does this? Perhaps other countries have something similar online. I'd love to hear from someone about this.

A Post-test tired Texas teacher!