Management of Madrasah Teacher Empowerment in Analyzing HOTS-Based Test Items in the Semarang City Area

This study aims to analyze the management of empowerment of madrasa teachers in conducting item analysis based on Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in the Semarang City area. Using the Participatory Action Research approach, 15 Madrasah Ibtidaiyah teachers were actively involved. The results of the study showed that the training provided was effective in reducing the gap in teachers' understanding of item analysis, reflected in the increased ability to compile question grids. In addition, there was an increase in teacher commitment to mastering item analysis, which was demonstrated through the skill of assembling questions independently. Skills in compiling multiple-choice questions based on HOTS also increased, evidenced by the systematic ability to create distractor answer sheets. These findings recommend the importance of a national certification program in HOTS-based question analysis by the Ministry of Religion in order to improve the competence of madrasa teachers. Structured empowerment management is expected to support the improvement of the quality of madrasah education and prepare students to think critically and analytically.