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The History of Test Dividers
Test Dividers was begun in 2014. Marjie Smith, the CEO, is a middle school science teacher, a veteran teacher with over 20+ years in the classroom and a National Board Certified Teacher (Early Adolescence Science). While she wants her students to “discuss and understand like a scientist”, when it came time for tests, she needed to assess what each student knew individually, not as a group!
“I had put folders together, taped cardboard boxes to tables, moved the tables around, cut science fair boards in half, scoured the Internet and tried to accomplish things on a shoestring budget. I was looking for something that was durable and an alternative to cardboard - which my students could easily destroy.
I wanted to maximize concentration and minimize distractions. “
“I also realized that some of my students were easily distracted by what goes on around them. I wanted my students to be able to concentrate on their own work, in their own space. If they were taking a test I did not want them to rush because they could see that everyone else was finished.”
“I wanted to have something that was easy to use and easy to move - so that I could reconfigure the Test Dividers and support my lesson plans each day. I wanted to create the “Space of the Day” - individual work, testing, pair work, team work, writing corner, editing space or simply a space where my students could think and finish their work.”
After several prototypes she was able to have a set of Test Dividers for use in her classroom. Several of her “teacher-friends” and PLC (Professional Learning Community) members saw the Test Dividers and wanted a set for their classroom as well. She then learned about injection molding, designed a proprietary stand and aligned herself with a great manufacturer. Together with her sister, Linda, a professor at a major university, and her daughter, Sara, a horseback riding instructor, they began Education Support Services, LLC and Test Dividers.
Our Test Dividers are now used in Elementary, Middle and High School classroom, University Lecture halls - transforming them into testing centers, and for high stakes state and national testing. They are also used by parents, tutors and home-schooling or home based learning. They are used in consumer testing situations, jails, phone banks and DMV’s (Department of Motor Vehicles.) We are proud to say that we can now be found in EVERY state in the United States and in numerous countries around the world.
We appreciate the opportunity to work with you and thank you for considering Test Dividers. Marjie Smith, CEO
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