Many students across Northeast Mississippi will sit down at a computer this week and go through the process of completing the required Mississippi Assessment Program for English and math subjects. The test not only will be used to determine how well that student has mastered the subject matter, it also will impact the way his or her school and district are graded by the state department of education. The general process of state testing has been used in Mississippi and across the country for some time, although the standards covered by state tests have shifted over the years. But one important part of that testing process changed for the first time last year in Mississippi, and it brought about significant challenges for many districts across the state. Last year, the state test was administered completely online for the first time. This required districts to not only have enough computers and equipment for all the students that were testing, but also to have the network infrastructure to make sure those machines could connect to the internet and complete the test. The Lee County School District, for example, did not have enough devices to minimize the time students spent testing during the 2016-17 school year, according to superintendent Jimmy Weeks. Since then, the district has purchased several hundred more devices, but still not enough that everyone can test at the same time, according to Daily Journal education reporter Emma Crawford Kent. However, each grade will be able to take the same section at the same time this year, which condenses the amount of time spent testing. The more days spent testing, Weeks said, the harder it is for students to focus. Since last spring, the Houston School District has added wireless access points in every classroom at Houston Middle and Upper Elementary schools. Last year, the district’s wireless network did not have the capacity to test as many students simultaneously as it needed, so some students were kicked off the wireless network mid-test and had to start over. As beneficial as technology can be in the classroom to help teachers show students more of the world around them than ever before, it also brings significant challenges in terms of having up-to-date equipment and a network infrastructure that’s able to keep up with hundreds of students. And those challenges are likely going to be felt more and more across the state if funding for these technology initiatives decreases. We hope more funding becomes readily available for districts across our state to continue making technology and infrastructure upgrades. Students have enough to focus on when it comes to state testing with the subject matter alone.
Our Opinion: Technology Woes Unfortunate Reality For State Testing
Daily Journal, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
Wed, 05/03/2017 - 6:24am
Sections: u.s.
Topics: Mississippi Lee County Tupelo
RELATED ARTICLES
- Powerball jackpot grows to $386 million after no winner Monday. See winning numbers for Aug. 30.
Powerball jackpot continues to grow after no winner Monday. See cash out amount and Wednesday's winning numbers. More - See how Jackson area and state schools ranked in U.S. News and World Report rankings
One of the Jackson area's public high schools has been ranked in the Top 10 in the state. More - The bizarre story of how a Rankin County election was decided by just one vote
Thousands of ballots were cast. One vote decided it. Imagine winning or losing by the slimmest of margins. More - More than half of dog owners are suspicious of rabies and other vaccines, new study finds
Another 40% were concerned that routine vaccines could cause their dog to develop autism, a belief that has long since been disproven in humans. More - Pringles debuting Everything Bagel-flavored crisps, available in stores for a limited time
The limited-edition Pringles Everything Bagel flavor is available at selection retailers beginning in late August. More
Welcome to Wopular
Wopular is an
online newspaper rack,
giving you a summary view of the top headlines from the top news sites.
Senh Duong (Founder)
Wopular,
MWB,
RottenTomatoes
MoviesWithButter : Our Sister Site
- "Expendables 4" Starts Shooting This Fall, Says Randy Couture at the Arnold Sports Festival more
- “Expendables 4” Gets Funding Interest from “Ip Man 3” Financier more
- "Ip Man 3" Distributor Suspected of Box Office Fraud, Parent Company Loses $200M in Market Cap more
- Yen Targets "Ip Man 4" for 2018 Release; Discusses Film with Director, Producer more
- "Ip Man 3" Shatters Expectations with $72M Opening [China Box Office] more