After a pandemic-related hiatus, Oklahoma’s public schools are again preparing for state-mandated testing. Marietta has announced its testing schedule along with sharing some pertinent information for parents.
High School
Testing in the high school will begin first. Only juniors are tested at the high school level and are scheduled to start with the ACT test on Tuesday, April 5, then follow up with a state science test on April 6 and history test on April 8.
While the five-hour ACT test is administered on April 5, freshmen, sophomores, and seniors will be going virtual for the day so that there will be plenty of test administrators and monitors available. The test requires the school to pull extra teachers out of classrooms for test administration.
According to high school counselor Tonya Bucher, beginning this year, students’ test scores will be added to their high school transcripts, so there is extra incentive for them to perform well on the test.
“We’re asking that students take extra care to be on time for school those days,” she added, “and because the ACT test is so lengthy, we will be serving breakfast on April 5.”
Middle School
Carrie Tucker, Middle School Principal, said that every middle school grade – sixth, seventh, and eighth grades – will be taking part in testing.
Testing for middle school students begins on Thursday, April 21 with eighth grade science, followed by the seventh grade English Language Arts test on Friday, April 22.
The next week’s schedule includes the eighth grade ELA test on Tuesday, April 26, the eighth grade writing test on Wednesday, April 27, the seventh grade math test on Thursday, April 28, and the eighth grade math test on Friday, April 29.
Testing in the middle school will finish up with the sixth grade ELA test on Tuesday, May 3 and the sixth grade math test on Wednesday, May 4.
All tests will begin in the morning to allow students plenty of time to finish.
“We’re asking our parents to make sure their students get plenty of rest, eat a healthy breakfast, and get to school on time,” said Tucker.
Elementary School
Third, fourth, and fifth graders are tested grades in the elementary school.
Section one of the ELA test for third and fourth grades will be Wednesday, April 20, and section two on Thursday, April 21.
Tuesday, April 26 is date for section 1 of the third and fourth grade Math test with section 2 to follow which on Wednesday, April 27.
Fifth graders will complete the ELA test, section one, on Thursday, April 28. They will complete section two on Friday, April 29, and then finish up with section three on Monday, May 2. Section one of the fifth-grade math test will be on Wednesday, May 4, with section two to follow on Thursday, May 5.
Science testing for fifth graders will also be completed in sections, with section one on Tuesday, May 10 and section two on Wednesday, May 11.
“All students will take their OSTP [Oklahoma State Testing Program] tests on their own individual Chromebooks in their homeroom,” said Principal Dana McMillin, “so students will need to charge their Chromebooks at home on the night before their tests.”
OSTP tests are not timed, so students will be encouraged to take their time and do their best. All modifications and accommodations will be followed according to applicable students’ Individualized Education Program paperwork.
“We’re hoping for some good scores this year as we have implemented afterschool tutoring for struggling students,” McMillin added.
Superintendent Brandi Naylor added this message about testing:
“Although we know state testing can be a stressful time, it is required, and it provides us with valuable data that our teachers and administrators use to coordinate and improve instructional practice. Students have been preparing and practicing for these tests all year long and it's a great time for them to show what they know! It takes all of us working together, including families, to make sure students are at school, rested, eat a good breakfast and are ready for the day.”