Kathy Saenz will be headed to Austin this month to offer her opinion on the questions that could ultimately be placed on state educational assessment tests.

Saenz, a fifth-grade teacher at Thomas Jefferson Elementary, said that she was honored to receive the invitation from the Texas Education Agency.

There is a catch to getting a glimpse at the questions though.

“It is my understanding that I can’t come back and share,” she said.

According to the letter from the TEA, Saenz is the only BISD teacher that is a part of the review committee.

“Thousands of educators have had direct input into the initial and ongoing development of these tests,” said the letter, signed by Gloria Zyskowski, deputy associate commissioner, student assessment. “The Student Assessment Division is currently engaged in reviewing field-test data and developing new test items to be considered for future test administrations.”

Texas is moving away from the current Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills and replacing it with the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness in the 2011-2012 school year.

The new test will be significantly more rigorous than previous tests and will measure a child’s performance, as well as academic growth.

Saenz will be part of the review committee that looks at the questions in the reading section of this test. The committee, however, will only offer its suggestions. Those with the TEA will make the final decisions of which questions to include.

Saenz said that she appreciates that the TEA wants to hear what teachers from throughout the state think of the possible questions.

“I think it is important that teachers who have hands on with the kids... offer their opinions,” she said.

With years of teaching experience, Saenz knows that assessment questions can’t stay static from year to year.

“Technology has affected their learning,” she said. “I don’t think it affects their learning in a negative way though.

“The teacher has to keep up with the students.”

As the Internet makes information more assessable to more people, students, in nearly all age groups, expect their teachers to be knowledgeable about the same things as them.

But this constant bombardment of information also affects how they learn.

Deborah Fulton, curriculum consultant at the school, said that students no longer learn by intensely focusing on one topic but require constant stimulus to keep their attention.

“Everything is immediate feedback,” Saenz said. “We are living in a fast-paced world of technology.”

So, just like teaching has changed, so must the tests.

“The questions shouldn’t stay the same from year to year,” Fulton said.

Students, both Fulton and Saenz agreed, are more knowledgeable on a multitude of topics, including how what is happening across the world affects them here in Beeville.

“Years and years ago, they went to GT (Gifted and Talented program) to learn things like that,” Saenz said. “Now we teach a whole school of GT students.”

Jason Collins is the editor at the Bee-Picayune and can be reached at 358-2550, ext. 121, or at editor@mySouTex.com.