CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State School Superintendent Dr. Jim Phares told state lawmakers Monday he believes the state’s standardized achievement test will be given very close to the last day of school for students within three years.
Phares said having the Westest totally online, like it was this past school year, will allow state education officials to move the test back toward the end of the year.
“The later in the school year the more advantageous, the more immediate response the students and teachers get,” Phares said. “We want the students to know the day they walk out after they take their last sub-test whether or not they are proficient.”
This year schools were allowed to give the Westest in a 12-week window, Phares also anticipates that being sliced to a five-week period to get the testing done.
The superintendent said in many ways having the Westest online this year was in many ways a test of its own and he said, although not perfect, it passed with flying colors.
“We wanted to find out about broadband, we want to find out if we had the software and hardware capabilities to do what we’ve been doing and I’m pleased to say we do,” Superintendent Phares said.
Several lawmakers urged state education officials to move the testing times as close to the end of the school year as possible to help eliminate behavioral problems that can surface after the testing is over and there are sometimes a month or more of school left.
Phares said the Westest results would be back sometime in the August-September time frame.