This is a printer friendly version of an article from coloradoan.com
To print this article open the file menu and choose Print.


Back

Article published Nov 25, 2005
Pair create site to help students study
By COURTNEY LINGLE
CourtneyLingle@coloradoan.com

It's four months and counting until CSAP tests are given, and many teachers and students already have the dreaded tests on their minds.

So do Littleton residents Diana Kastelic and Susie Tschetter, founders of a new Web site that aims to boost confidence and prepare third- through eighth-grade students for standardized tests.

“The basic concept has been to provide opportunities for kids to practice so they can get better at their reading and math skills,” said Kastelic, who along with Tschetter also founded the popular homework help Web site www.bandwidthmoms.com, which launched five years ago. “We felt if students had the opportunity to practice regularly in their homes they could gain confidence.”

The newly launched www.fastests.com offers grade-specific practice tests, tutorials, educational activities and links to Web-based resources in math and reading. Parents can access their children's test results with detailed descriptions highlighting the skills the student has mastered and the areas in which they need to improve.

Fastests.com randomly selects grade-appropriate, skills-based questions from a nationally recognized database to create 15-question tests for reading and math.

While the questions at this point do not directly align with state standards in Colorado or any other state, Kastelic said they are aligned with skills that education experts recognize as being universally taught at specific grade levels. These same skills are likely to be tested on standardized tests used to measure student achievement and gauge whether students are performing up to par under the No Child Left Behind Act, Kastelic said.

After checking out the site's demo, Boltz Junior High School principal Dana Calkins said she thinks Fastests.com could be a great tool for students and parents, even though it isn't totally comprehensive.

“I think it does a good job of testing some skills, like inference and helping students to work on a multiple choice type question,” Calkins said.

The site does not offer practice on constructive response questions, where students have to write out answers to questions about something they've read, she said.

“I think anytime they're practicing it would be beneficial. A lot of test-taking is knowing how to properly take a test. For better or worse, that's kind of our reality with CSAP, the ACT, the SAT,” Calkins said.

The principal said even from just a short demonstration, she could tell that Fastests.com does more than just offer test practice - it works on skills in a way that is interactive.

“That's what kids are looking for anyway. So many kids are tuned in to video games. Having interaction in that way is at least attractive for them,” she said.

After taking a test, students can click on Internet and Learning Station software links to practice skills such as fractions, decimals, prepositions and following instructions through tutorials.

Tschetter said Fastests.com provides an affordable alternative to tutors, who often are more expensive. Monthly subscriptions to Fastests.com are $12.95 per student, or $11.95 without the software, with a sliding fee scale for families with multiple children using the site.

Fort Collins parent Michelle Bush said she was impressed with the site and will consider subscribing when her first-grade daughter, Nikki, is old enough to take the CSAP.

“She already likes it. She's sitting there playing with it and is able to easily move around,” Bush said.

Kris Clagett, whose fourth-grader will take CSAP this year, had some different ideas about Fastests.com. She said the site seems to have some useful tools for parents and could be a helpful homework site, but doesn't feel particularly kid-friendly.

Clagett also had reservations about how the site fits in with the purpose of CSAP.

“If I'm having my daughter doing these things at home, is it a fair measure of what she's learning in school?” Clagett asked.

Tschetter and Kastelick said in addition to home use, they think the Web site could also be beneficial in schools and provide a means for school/parent partnerships.

They are discussing piloting the Web site in a school to research its effectiveness and considering applying for grants to help schools afford the program.

“I think that's a great idea,” Calkins said.