Natalia Wyszkowski is a little nervous about the upcoming Connecticut Mastery Tests.
Wyszkowski, 8, will be taking the state assessment tests for the first time this March along with her third grade class at Bradley Elementary School in Derby.
On test day, she’ll have encouragement in the form of notes from her teachers, friends and family.
“Before every test starts, we’ll have these to look through,” Wyszkowski said, holding up her CMT autograph book. “We can read them, and get encouraged and have confidence and feel more relaxed.”
About 100 third, fourth and fifth grade students at Bradley Elementary School made the autograph books as a way to get psyched for the upcoming exams, which will take place over 12 days in March.
It’s an activity to help the students stay calm about the tests, and feel good about what they’ve learned, said school principal Christine DiGrazia.
“It’s called the ‘Know It, Show It Book,’” DiGrazia said Friday. “This takes the onus off that the test is sure to be stressful, and rather lets the students celebrate that the test is about stuff you know.”
Background
The CMT pressure is on across the state.
Connecticut students in third to eighth grades take the Connecticut Master Tests, and high school sophomore take the CAPT exams each year.
The percentage of students who read different levels on the tests affects the school and district’s standing for No Child Left Behind requirements.
In Derby last year, student achievement dropped in several places — most notably in seventh and eighth grade math, reading and writing. Click here to read a detailed article about the scores.
Irving Elementary School students showed growth in almost every area. Last year Bradley School students showed growth in several areas too — except in sixth-grade writing, and fifth and fourth grade math tests.
Superintendent Stephen Tracy has said the district is targeting the younger students in order to catch them up before it’s too late. Tracy has said the district’s long term goal is to have every child reading well by third grade.
The Autograph Books
The outward pressure can trickle down to the students, DiGrazia said, when the goal of the tests is to show that they have been learning the right things all year.
“There’s a lot of discussion on CMTs all year,” DiGrazia said. “There gets to be a level of stress. We want to alleviate that.”
In third grade — the first year students take the tests — that pressure is complicated by the unknown.
“The third grade has never taken the test before,” said teacher Alicia Olenoski. “Quite a few of them were a little nervous. I think this made it more fun.”
The autograph books are small books with blank pages. The students colored personal pictures on the front, and have written notes to each other on the “Friends” pages. Teachers have also signed the books, and the students will take them home over the February vacation to get siblings, parents and even pets to chime in.
“Maybe I’ll have my little sister sign it, and my dog’s paw, maybe,” third-grader Rachel Gall said.
When asked what kind of message he would like to see, third-grader Xavier Gonzalez said “Learn it with your soul.”
Riley Miller likes the message: “Don’t stress the test.”
Third grade teacher Sarah Burr said she has been writing notes telling students “You’re such a smart boy or girl,” she said.
“It makes them feel good,” Olenoski said.
