Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen announced some changes to the TNReady tests.
They're going to re-bid the testing contract and are looking for a vendor who can do it all - everything from test design and development to scoring and reporting.
They will also amend their current contract with Questar for the coming school year.
The transition to online assessments. will also be updated, but due to the problems they had this last year, this is how it will play out:
- Students in grades 3-8 will take TNReady on paper for math, English, and social studies.
- Students in grades 3-4 will take their TNReady science test on paper, and students in grades 5-8 will take their science test online. Science is a field test in 2018-19 because the state is transitioning to new academic standards; therefore, the results will not count for students, teachers, or schools, nor will any public scores be released. This provides an option for all students to experience the online platform and do so in an environment that is low-risk for them. Additionally, it continues our transition to more students and schools into the online environment.
- Students in high school and those taking end-of-course exams will continue to test online.
McQueen said they are implementing new science standards in the classroom this coming year.
