After a two-year hiatus, statewide testing is back.
Madison Middle School students started the New Mexico Measures of Student Success and Achievement Tuesday, April 5. The regular test period runs through April 22, with make-up testing scheduled for April 25-29. Students in sixth and seventh grades will take the English language arts and mathematics assessments; qualifying students will take the Spanish language arts test. In addition to the ELA and math tests, eighth-graders will also test in science.
Students will be on a block schedule during the testing period, attending advisory class each day and either even-numbered classes or odd-numbered classes, depending on the day. Classes will be an 100 minutes instead of the regular hour-long classes. According to an April 3 principal’s message from Tammy Crespin, “This has been designed to accommodate the extra time to complete the tests.”
Most recent results
According to data from the state Public Education Department, Madison sixth-graders achieving proficiency in reading was 35% and proficiency in math was 26% for 2018 assessments. Seventh-graders were at a 51% proficiency level for reading, a 29% proficiency level for math, and a 57% proficiency level for science in 2018. Eighth-graders achieving proficiency in reading was 36% and proficiency in math was 15% for the same year. Statewide, eighth-grade students achieving proficiency in reading was 30% for all schools in 2018,and eighth-graders achieving proficiency in math was 22% for all schools for the same year.
A PED 2021-22 fact sheet says students in third through eighth grade will take the NM-MSSA, except for students who take an alternate assessment based on their IEP. According to the fact sheet, “The NM-MSSA is intended to provide evidence to determine a student’s grade level proficiency and progress toward college and/or career readiness.”
Crespin’s message asks parents to talk to students about taking the test seriously and to ensure students are getting plenty of rest, eating breakfast and arriving on time. If students are late, they will have to take a makeup test at a later time.
