Benchmarking Spring

On Monday afternoon, we had Spring Benchmarking. In student terms this is "that test where you read to an adult three times".

Every class in the elementary school has benchmarking. We sit in the hallway outside of Kurth Media Center. Mr. Greninger's class was with Ms. Leom during the time, so we were working on writing our "five w poems" as we waited our turns. The Title One staff pull students into their rooms one at a time. Students read a passage three times. They receive a score for "words per minute" (wpm) and the number of errors. In the primary grades (K-2), the "ORF" (Oral Reading Fluency) is a data point that can help determine student reading progress and point a student toward more support. It makes sense. A student who has to spend more time sounding out each and every word, isn't able to let the words flow, and their brain focus on the literary elements and plot. In the middle school grades, this is an additional data point that gives us a more complete picture of how a student is progressing. It also helps us track individual students who are in school and how their brain manages the summer break. We benchmark three times a year (September, Winter, Spring). It often takes less than twenty minutes for an entire classroom, and for us, our students are able to continue their regular scheduled learning while our class benchmarks.

Just another moment in our school day.