Many of us have been back from winter break for a few weeks now and are facing middle-of-year (MOY) testing at our schools. One of my priorities after a long break from school is to reestablish routines and procedures so that I can maximize instructional time with students. While trying to provide predictable and consistent teaching and learning for my students, middle-of-year testing can seem a little disruptive to the schedule. However, these assessments are so worth the time! Here are the top 5 reasons I love MOY testing.
1. Celebrate the gains made since August!
When students come back from winter break, it sometimes seems like they’ve forgotten all of the content that has been taught since August. However, when we are able to hook students into lessons and activate background knowledge, we can hit the ground running again. When students complete their middle-of-year tests, we are able to see how much they’ve grown since the beginning of the school year. The gains that students make between August and January are worth taking the time to celebrate!
2. See which students are struggling.
It is important to celebrate all gains, no matter how big or small. However, middle-of-year testing lets us know which students aren’t growing as much as needed to meet end-of-year goals. I love that MOY testing gives me the data that I need to target students that need a little extra support during the second half of the school year. When I allow data to inform the teaching and learning in my classroom, I feel like I am providing the strategic instruction that is needed for my students to succeed.
3. Goal-setting
I love that middle-of-year testing gives students feedback on their progress. It is so important to sit down with students to celebrate how far they’ve come and to discuss where they’re going next. For students that are making progress, I like to discuss what strategies they’ve used to help them succeed. This is a great opportunity to reset goals and to reach higher for the end of the year. For students that have fallen a little short on the MOY tests, we reflect and come up with strategies that can help us reach our goals by the end of the year. It is important to keep a growth-mindset with students and to give them the tools that they need to move forward.
Here is a goal-setting template that I’ve used with students.
4. Feedback from students
The middle of the school year is a great time for reflection. Not only can we reflect on the data that we receive from MOY testing, but we can reflect on the strategies and tools that were used to produce student success. The middle of the year is a great time to ask students for feedback with a student survey. Students can let us know what activities help them succeed and keep them engaged.
Here is a MOY survey that my students complete to give me feedback.
5. Halfway to summer!
The last thing I love about MOY testing is that we are halfway through the school year! My students and I work very hard to make gains throughout the school year. Just a few more months of hard work and we will be able to celebrate our success!