Soon there may be “no more pencils, no more books” during state assessments for schools across the state.

The New York State Department of Education is moving toward computerized testing for their state assessments, beginning with field tests in the approaching spring.

The department is planning to gradually implement computer-based testing. For this year, all assessments will be given in the typical fashion; however, schools will be able to offer field tests by computer as well as paper.

The computer-based field testing window will be from May 23 to June 10, where schools choosing to use the computer-based field tests will be able to give the exams.

In 2016-17, schools will have the chance to administer operational testing and field tests by computer or paper.

According to NYSED, the transition will benefit both students and educators by allowing for faster results, faster release of test questions, the release of a larger amount of test questions and fewer field tests.

The department is encouraging school districts to participate in the computer-based testing to discover whether they have adequate technology available and infrastructure to completely participate.

Locally, school district officials agree that computer-based testing is the future of assessments.

Tim Mains, Jamestown Public Schools District Superintendent, said the district is exploring the option of participating in the field testing.

“We’re probably going to pick a grade level or a school. We will restrict our involvement,” Mains said. “The state has said (computer-based testing) is where they are going.They want to get to a point where they do all of the test administered that way.”

He said the students seem to be well-adjusted to computer use and it doesn’t appear that taking tests on the computer will be a problem.

“We live in a digital world. All the kids find it much easier to deal with the computer,” Mains said. “It’s almost second nature. Kids are much more computer savvy.”

Mains said the students also will have experience with computerized-testing due to the adoption of the Northwest Evaluation Association, a new set of tests.

“It’s a computer-adjusted (screening) test and it’s a smart test everyone takes the test, but the questions aren’t in the same order. It jumps back and forth until it finds the level you are at,” he said, adding it will help to measure the progress of students in the English and language arts and math by taking the test twice or three times a year. “I think that further makes them comfortable with testing. In January and the first few weeks of February, all the students will have had two cycles of the NWEA before the third- through eighth-grade testing begins.”

Mains said the district is equipped to handle computerized-testing.

“I am very pleased and proud we have done a good job at keeping up our digital assets such as computers, cameras, projectors and tablets,” he said.

Mains said he believes this is a good direction to go in because practically everyone in the working world uses a computer.

“I can almost guarantee you the students will be touching computers no matter what job they are in,” he said. “If technology is a part of what you will use in your workplace you should use it in your workplace as a child, and your work place as a child is school.”

Steven Penhollow, Falconer Central School District superintendent, said the district will be participating in the computerize-testing field tests.

“We wanted to be proactive and prepare our kids for the new formats of testing, and we’ve been keeping up on our technology. We are very much prepared,” Penhollow said. “Keeping up with your technology up to date is very much essential.”

He said the district offered the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers field test in the past on the computer.

“This test is for those students who don’t take the (other) third- through eighth-grade tests,” Penhollow said. “I feel confident our students will do well. I feel our kids will be prepared often times the biggest transition isn’t for them, it’s for us.”

He said the district also administers diagnostic tests such as iReady and Castle Learning to their students.

“Our kids are already exposed to so much technology,” Penhollow said. “By the state rolling out these field tests, providing support and providing sample tests and questions, I think it will really help prepare the schools but also the community will know what computer-based testing looks like.”