The testing window opened today for our Common Core Exams. The test is much more time consuming this year than last. They allocated some money for us to help with the testing, We could use it for subs while we test or we could be paid for testing outside of our contracted school day. As a grade level, we opted for working after school to test. So this week we are each staying after school for an hour and a half and testing kids. I have 5 kids each night. I’m testing one on one and the others can play on the computers, or the Smartboard while I’m testing. We won’t get all of the testing done after school, but I think it is really going to cut down on the class time that has to be taken away from instruction time.
So far, I’m really impressed with the growth my students have made from just the beginning of the year.
Teaching Kindergarten/1st Grade 
Wow, that sounds like a barrel of laughs! I actually don’t know anything about the CC tests. Sounds very time consuming. Do you still have to DIBEL?
We do a version of Dibels on Aimsweb, but not until January. Some progress monitoring is going on with some kids, but someone pulls them to do it. But we start the whole class in January.
What test are you giving?
It’s this district generated Common Core Test that is supposed to cover all the standards, we give the same test 4 times during the year, at the beginning and again at the end of each trimester. Because kindergarten is entry level, there isn’t any pre-existing data, hence the test (during the first two weeks of school)at the beginning of the year. This is them moving towards merit pay and basing our evaluations on the success of our students. It’s a horrifically LONG thing, and by both the natures of the children and the test, mostly done one-on-one.
Seems a shame the district doesn’t do some sort of assessment during ‘kindergarten round-up’ and then you’d have at least a little something to work off of. Good luck!
Yeah, pre-screening would be wonderful, along with actively encouraging some students to wait a year. Most of my problems in class stem from children who are developmentally not ready for school.
We test CC, but a few standards at a time, in the classroom during the regular day. Of course I have half as many children. In the spring we are supposed to give a standardized test, in addition to GATES and DIBELS, but I don’t know which one yet.