CRT Testing at SJHS

Springville Junior High’s English, science, and math classes are currently taking end of the year testing, called CRTs.  According to Mr. Van Ausdal, principal at SJHS, CRTs are mandated by the state, which means they are a state requirement.  The students will be taking the tests starting on April 15 and going to May 16.  CRT stands for Criterion Referenced Test.  This is a test to show what students have or haven’t learned throughout the year.  According to Mr. Van Ausdal, the objective of these tests are to see students’ learning progress.  On the CRTs, students will receive a numbered score from 1 to 4.  If a student receives a 3 or 4, that student is considered proficient.  If they receive a 1 or 2, they are not considered proficient.  All CRT testing is computerized, which makes getting the students’ scores faster and more efficient.

These tests are a big deal.  Ms. Miley, a seventh-grade English teacher, said, “The CRT is important because it’s one way the state measures the effectiveness of what is happening in our public schools.  Also, teachers can make decisions about what to emphasize in their curriculum the next year when they get the test results back.  For example, if there is a concept that several of my students didn’t know that well on the test, then I can spend more time on that concept the following year.”  According to Mr. Van Ausdal, the tests are important because the state wants to see if our school’s students are learning, and the CRT also evaluates a teacher’s practice.

Ms. Miley said, “Teachers are continually assessing their students, but the CRT is a statewide standardized test that allows the state to compare across schools, districts, and students.”  This is one of the reasons why these tests are such a big deal.  Mrs. Bass, an eighth-grade English teacher, said, “Data that comes from testing is used for many things: how to help a student, what a teacher needs to spend more time on, how our school performs compared to other schools in the district and in the United States, etc.”

According to Mr. Van Ausdal, SJHS’s past test scores are well, and the results of this year’s tests that he’s seen so far, have been excellent, and very, very encouraging.  Mrs. Bass said, “I think most of my students will do really well.  I feel like I prepared them to the best of my ability.”  Ms. McBride, a seventh grade English teacher at SJHS has similar feeling about the test, and said, “I think my students will do a great job.  They have worked really hard this year.  They proved they know their stuff when we were reviewing for the CRT.”  Many teachers expect their students to do well on the test.  Mrs. Carpenter, an eighth-grade science teacher, said, “My hope is that every student will do well on the test.  We will review everything students have learned in science this year.”