Education students to help Burkburnett with TAKS

Fifty-three students from the West College of Education will be descending on John G. Hardin Elementary in Burkburnett ISD next week to assist with the implementation of the TAKS test.  Here's why. 

Cindy Waddell, assistant principal and former fifth-grade teacher, knew that some kids could read and comprehend better than they were testing.  She found in the TAKS guidelines a permissible adaptation where an individual student is allowed to read the test aloud to a certified teacher and then answer the questions. The teacher is only there to listen and cannot assist in any manner.  Since reading aloud cannot be done in a group setting, MSU education students substitute in primary classrooms (which are not tested), so that teachers can be freed up to listen to individual students.   

When the modification was used in 2005 with 21 fifth graders who had not passed the test, 18 were successful.  

West College of Education assisted in February with students from Drs. Gayle Mullen and John Schreiber's classes. On April 17 and 18, students from the advanced education classes of Jeff Blacklock, Leann Curry, and Dr. Ann Estrada will be released from class to serve the community in this manner.

 The students who are assisting are already placed at WFISD schools where they receive instruction and learn how to plan and deliver lessons before proceeding to student teaching.