Continued: As online testing nears, educators are the ones who are nervous

The new online science test that nearly 200,000 Minnesota students will take for the first time this spring comes with graphics and animation that put it light years beyond traditional paper-and-pencil exams.

But that cutting-edge technology has a price. Educators say that while the state-mandated test will be a better measure of what students know about science, getting ready to give the exam has meant headaches and expense for school districts as Minnesota takes its first large-scale leap into computerized testing.

Some districts have spent big bucks on computers and information technology staff to support the new test, and many techies are nervous after a smaller online exam last year ran into major glitches. In a few cases, schools with aging computers will send students to other buildings for the exam. And many educators point out that online testing will tie up for weeks the computer labs that students use for other lessons.

"It essentially shuts down our labs during the testing," said Don Pascoe, director of research, assessment and accountability in the Osseo school district.

Osseo hired a full-time technician to support online exams.

State officials say they have worked for months to prepare schools for the online tests, through extensive reviews of their technological abilities and setting up detailed checklists of what to do and where to turn if things go wrong.

"Given all the pre-work we've done, I am confident it will go more smoothly than it did last year," said Christy Hovanetz Lassila, assistant state education commissioner for accountability and improvement. "But, again, there are so many opportunities for the process to break down."

Last year, the state gave an online math test to English language learners. System and software problems gummed up the works and caused schools to toss tests that were invalidated by the errors. State officials say about 1,300 tests were tossed last year while more than 23,000 tests recorded valid scores.

Last week, test contractor Pearson was having a software problem that school techies were scrambling to fix before testing starts.

Rick Spicuzza, director of research, evaluation and assessment for the South Washington County schools, said that last-minute move will require technicians to load and test new software on computers in 22 buildings.

Hovanetz Lassila acknowledges that no one is expecting the testing to be completely trouble-free. Anything from a power failure to creaky computer systems could lead to problems, she said.

Big costs

Since last spring, the Minneapolis school district has spent $4.5 million to build or upgrade computer labs for testing, and will have added about 2,500 computers for assessment by the end of 2008.

And St. Cloud schools spent more than $200,000 to replace the computer labs at a dozen schools, said Gary Ganje, the district's instructional technology and media supervisor. It's an expense district leaders weren't happy about, said Julia Espe, executive director of curriculum, instruction and assessment.

"We've been trying to float a technology levy for quite a while. We've run two, and neither one has passed," said Espe. While she's a proponent of technology, she said, "It's not an expenditure that our public thinks is necessary."

Still, she said: "We felt we had to bring our machines up to date in order to perform on the test."

Hovanetz Lassila said the Legislature last year appropriated $150 million to help districts, including covering new technology costs.

Fifth- and eighth-graders, as well as high school students taking biology or Earth Science, will take the online science test between April 28 and May 23.

In Lakeville, where a technology levy failed last fall, students at three elementary schools will bus or walk to nearby secondary schools to take the science test because their computers just aren't up to snuff.

Computers at Lakeville's Century Middle School were so slow that kids taking a pilot of the science test last spring would click on a prompt and wait five minutes before the next image popped up, said principal Catherine Gillach.

"It's still slow, but they've made some modifications to help us limp through the year," she said.

To make sure computers don't overload, the school may "drizzle" kids through the test over the course of a week or two, Gillach said.

At Centennial Middle School in Lino Lakes, 600 eighth-graders will trickle through two 35-computer labs, said Jim Smith, data and assessment coordinator for the school. It will take about seven days to get all those students tested, he said.

"If we don't have to feed the kids, we can do this," Smith joked.

More efficient testing

Still, many educators say that online tests have compelling advantages.

"You can give a better test that's better matched to what our kids are learning, and that's important," Pascoe said of the science test.

The online math exam that non-native English speakers will take again this year gives a much-needed boost by testing the same material in a "language-light" way, he added. And students who do not pass the state math and reading tests required for graduation will be able to take make-up exams online, allowing them to retake the test more frequently.

Several years ago, officials hoped to have tests completely online by 2009. Going online still is the goal, said Hovanetz Lassil. It's just going to take longer than hoped.

"Everybody, nationwide, is moving this way. ... It's a more efficient process," she said.

For now, the science test is a big enough undertaking, said Tom Watkins, director of research and evaluation for the St. Paul Public Schools. St. Paul has to move 8,500 students through computer labs -- for only one test and for only three grades.

"The key issue with computerized testing and the main reasons it hasn't expanded further is the big loss of instructional time to meet the requirements of giving the test," he said.

And some educators, including Pascoe, question whether every test should be online.

"Those three [current online tests] make sense to me," he said. "Now, giving the big math test or the big reading test online? Not so much. I don't see, at this point, much of an assessment advantage."

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