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Photo by Steve Johnson Bill Storey, who runs South Medford High's tutoring and independent study programs, was among the teachers who found out Tuesday what it's like to be tested under the state's new rigorous academic standards. Teachers take CIM test Run-through of Certificate of Initial Mastery test will help them prepare students for it next month By VICKI GUARINO Monitors checked attendance. Proctors patrolled the aisles. South Medford reading teacher Jeanne Rasmussen barked out seating orders: "Every other seat, every other row. "You guys split up. I don't want any trouble from you today. "And I want you boys to keep your eyes on your own paper. No talking." Then Rasmussen chuckled at herself, her mock sternness. These were co-workers filing by, and moments later Rasmussen took a seat among them. The occasion was serious, yet lighthearted. Medford teachers spent Tuesday afternoon taking portions of the Oregon CIM, the new Certificate of Initial Mastery test. Oregon high school sophomores will take the real test later next month. The exercise for teachers and clerical staff at both Medford high schools was intended to give the staff greater insight into what lies ahead for students -- academically and emotionally. "You get this feeling of what the kids are going through," said South Assistant Principal Jani Hale. "You feel the anxiety. You know, you want to do well." Although teachers and administrators have held numerous training sessions on preparing students for the CIM, this was the first time Hale and most others have actually taken the test with the clock running. For about an hour, they hunched over calculators, scrawled notes on scrap paper, chewed on pencils and thumbed apprehensively through test booklets. The silence of the South auditorium was broken only by the occasional sigh, or exclamation. "Oh, oh, okay, okay," one teacher nodded, whispering to her calculator. "You math teachers, that was probably fun for you guys," social studies teacher Greg Jost told co-workers nearby during a brief break. The math portion of the test was something of a stretch for Jost, however. He figured he hadn't faced a math test in about 30 years. The idea behind having Jost work on algebra, and counselors go through reading comprehension exercises, is both to develop empathy for the students' task and start developing new ways of helping students do well on all aspects of CIM. Teachers graded themselves in an answer period, then began discussing new ways of applying the test in their classrooms. South Principal Cynda Rickert told teachers that regardless of subject taught, they can stretch across disciplines to reach students. Foreign language teachers can incorporate math into their lessons, math teachers can work on students' reading comprehension skills. Teacher Bill Storey, who runs South's tutoring and independent study program for struggling students, said the CIM exercise opened his eyes to some teaching opportunities. He intends to change the way he presents some lessons -- math in particular -- so that his program aligns more closely with the sorts of CIM questions his students will have to answer. By getting all staff to spend more time focusing students on CIM skills, Rickert said, students will have a better chance of meeting the state academic standards. "That's what we're all being held accountable for these days," she said. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA