It may be called summative assessment in field studies and research, but I know, and every teacher in my school knows, it is THE TEST.

In my fourth grade, five mornings were set aside in the beginning of May for THE TEST, also called the California Standards Test, a criterion referenced assessment written just for California students based on the standards taught in reading and math and used to identify the school’s Annual Yearly Progress, authorized by the No Child Left Behind Act.

In fact, every California public school child, grade 2 to grade 11, got to pick up a pencil and make dark bubbles.

On day one, my students took the practice test, so they were familiar with the test format.  In fourth grade, they must read the test questions in the booklet, but fill in a bubble on an answer sheet.  That’s a skill all in itself and, believe me, the class has filled in many bubbles, not just with the practice test provided by the state testing department.  Of course, you know this, if you’ve been teaching.

Then on day 2, they read passages and analyzed sentences and read more text until, in my view, their eyes crossed.  It’s a long test filled with spelling rules, punctuation and other writing conventions, grammar, and on and on and on.

Then on day 3, at my school another testing section was devoted to more reading, comparing stories, analyzing correct writing skills.  Another morning with a lot of rubbing heads and rolling shoulders to get the kinks out after hunching over their booklets for more than an hour and a half.

That’s all, folks…for the first week.  Two more days the following week were devoted to THE TEST.

Big change on day 4.  The test switched to math which my class tackled with enthusiasm, being high-achieving math lovers.  Well, most of them, but there were some who showed signs of fatigue, a few finishing way too soon, the signal for random filling-in-the-bubbles.

The last day, was more math.  The kids pulled out their rulers and scratch paper.  They turned the test pages sideways to see if that helped them compare polygons.  I forgot to say the class gets snacks each day, the idea being that food helps keep your energy up.  Gummy bears disappeared with abandon.

Then time was up and everyone went out to recess.  No more summative assessment for this year.  Unless a child was absent on one or more test days.  She would not be forgotten.  Someone would sit her down to read and calculate.  I don’t know about the 30 kids in my class, but I was relieved.  And grabbed some gummy bears on my way out to yard duty.

Before school this morning, the day after the last school-wide assessment day, I read an article about turning around 5000 low-performing schools in the nation (San Francisco Chronicle, “Obama wants to turn around…”, May 13, 2009).  How does the Department of Education know a school is low-performing?  From performance on THE TEST.

How has your school been doing?