Preparing for SAGE in Elementary School

The end of year state assessment is quickly heading our way and with a new testing system, it is very important to help not only prepare our students academically, but with the technology components that come along with the test.  SAGE, Student Assessment of Growth and Excellence, is the new computer adaptive assessment system that aligns to the Core Standards.  Canyons School District, along with schools statewide, will begin implementing this system in the Spring of 2014.

Preparing students in Elementary Schools can look quite different then in Middle and High Schools. As a technology specialist at the elementary level, I feel it is a vital part of my job to support my teachers in teaching and implementation of this new testing system.  Just as teachers scaffold academic instruction, it is important to scaffold our instruction and teaching of technology concepts.

The SAGE Portal offers a Training Test that includes the variety of question types that the students will be exposed to on the test. Click here to link to Training Test. It also exposes students to the variety of tools available.  I would begin my instruction by demonstrating the login process, tools and question types to the whole class and projecting the computer.  I would show the features and discuss the process of answering the questions. Next, have the students login to the Practice Test and explore one test at a time.  Allow each student to explore on their own and be available to answer questions that may come up.  Continue this exploration until all tests that the students will be taken have been explored and would repeat as often as needed prior them taking the test.

Below is a list of features I would be sure to cover with the students.  The better prepared they are a head of time, the less stressful they will be on test day! For more information, visit the Canyons School District Education Technology page: Prolearning.