I was all worked up about 3rd grade state testing, but.....

[kentuckymom]

..... it hasn't been a big deal at all for my kid. Today is day 5 of the 5 day testing cycle. And, by 5 days of testing, I mean 5 days during which 40-80 minutes of the school day are spent on testing and the rest of the day is normal. Squirrelboy says he thinks he's been doing fine on the tests. Thanks to lots of intervention after school, his dyslexia now only makes a small difference for him and he's working on grade level.

 

Sure, I still think public schools put too much value on standardized test scores and wish there were more opportunity for learning through play, more physical activity in school, and several other things, but the testing that I thought was such a big deal starting in 3rd grade? Not much of a big deal at all.

[Library Momma]

It's a non issue here as well.  The four or five days of testing (maybe 40 minutes a day) aren't even in a row.  They are usually spread out over a month.

 

The standardized tests are barely mentioned.  I remember once being at a meet the teacher night when my DD was in 3rd grade.  After the teacher gave her talk a parent of a student new to the town (and state) rasied her hand and said "You didn't even mention state standardized tests."  The teacher said "If your child is learning what they need to in class they'll be fine."  That was the extent of it.

 

There has been more talk this year because of the SBACs, but it really is more about the fact that the tests are taken on-line rather than the content of the tests.

[SKL]

I don't think it's a big deal to take the tests.  I think it's a big deal that according to the current law in my state, kids who don't test proficient in 3rd grade have to repeat 3rd grade - and in the big cities, that's over half of all the third graders.

 

My kids had to take 2 back-to-back standardized tests this year, in addition to various other assessments throughout the year.  They were none the worse for wear.  When I was a kid, I used to enjoy taking those tests.  I was a "good test-taker" and always scored very well.  I tried to help my kids enjoy them as well, but I don't think I was as effective as I hoped....

[kentuckymom]

It is a big deal here, because all of the test scores are considered in determining who is admitted to the honors program. And if you aren't in the honors program, you are not getting true college prep.

Don't even get me started about the ridiculousness of admission to the gifted program in my district, but you can get a good college prep education without it, so I don't lose any sleep over it. I think my son will score in the proficient range, but I don't really care if he doesn't. I know he's come really far and that's what matters.

 

SKL, I suppose what they're trying to do in your state could be considered a good thing. Independent work tends to ramp up in 4th grade, and they're realizing that there are lots of kids who can't handle it. Maybe it will encourage schools to improve reading education in the primary years and identify kids with reading disabilities early so they can get the intervention they need. Okay, it will probably do nothing of the sort, but I can dream, right?

[Elisabet1]

I am in Texas and on testing days, it is an all day thing. Plus, they do dry runs throughout the year where all classes are cancelled and they spends days taking practice tests.

[Reefgazer]

The actual testing days in DS's 3rd grade are no biggie (spread out over several days, 1-2 hours at a pop).  What is a big deal is the live-and-die-by-the-test attitude, and the fact that the entire class spends days preparing for the tests, and taking practice tests over, and over, and over.  Doesn't matter how high you score on the practice tests - you're still going to be taking the practice tests with the class the next day.

[Arcadia]

What is a big deal is the live-and-die-by-the-test attitude, and the fact that the entire class spends days preparing for the tests, and taking practice tests over, and over, and over.

I was at two different Barnes & Noble last week and the Spectrum test prep books are the ones flying off the shelves in the children's section. Parents are buying them as summer workbooks.