Anyone Live In A State That Teaches To The Test?

[Concerned Mom]

I transferred my child from private to public elementary because I was under the impression that in public there would be more emotional support and resources. I was so wrong. Not only did I discover the teachers are so focused on getting the students to pass the state's test, but there aren't any Spelling, English, Vocabulary books in the classroom. The books that they have like Social Studies are limited. My son said there is not enough for everyone. There is a Math book though. Since I have basically no resources like a book or study guides to help him do well on weekly test and quizzes in reading, I have to pull information from the internet or books I have purchased on line. The teacher has what she refers to as anchor charts around the classroom on lessons she is discussing. The students can write in their notebooks to help them study for the test, but it is not required. These are 3rd graders. It should be required, but I was told 3rd graders have to be responsible for their own work. Are you kidding me? This is your answer? My son said he hasn't seen any of the students write in their notebooks, so he does not. I was thinking what is the purpose of parents spending all this money on notebooks if the teacher is not requiring students to take notes? So for 9 weeks my son didn't write anything in his notebooks and the teacher didn't bother to check. I noticed something wrong when he grades started dropping, so I called a meeting. You see the district came up with a silly rule that progress reports will only be sent home if a student is averaging a D, so I had to request a progress report. I was told by the teacher that they are trying to get the kids to learn a higher order of thinking that is why there are no study guides and they do not use alot of worksheets like the private school. I would rather have lots of homework to help my child in all of his subjects, so he could do well instead of hardly any homework at all because this is not working for him. I have yet to see any real reading comprehension going on. He has been tested on how to avoid distractions when reading and they are preparing for a state writing test he will need to take in 4th grade. Math homework is only given two days a week and one of those days is a practice state test Math review sheet. I am so mad at myself that I would every consider a public school in Texas. I don't want to move him again since he only has 2.8 years to go until he is done at the elementary school that goes up until 5th grade.. This is why I resorted to providing him supplemental work at home. The standards are so low in this state that I have to put him back in private, but I need to take sometime to find the right private school that is a good fit for my son. It seems to me that teachers are less involved with helping the students than they were compared to teachers in the 1970s.

[Ellie]

I don't want to move him again since he only has 2.8 years to go until he is done at the elementary school that goes up until 5th grade.

But that's 2.8 years that could be lost and never regained, in more ways than one.

[Kates]

But that's 2.8 years that could be lost and never regained, in more ways than one.

 

:iagree:

 

2.8 years is a huge developmental jump, especially in elem...if that's the only reason for not moving him, I gotta say I'd move it a lot farther down the list. Trying to teach "higher order thinking skills" in 3rd grade (rather than actually teaching skills) is kind of absurd...most of the kids aren't developmentally capable of learning them yet.

 

I'd seriously rethink moving him. It really does go downhill from there, if this is the foundation they're giving him.

[Concerned Mom]

:iagree:

 

2.8 years is a huge developmental jump, especially in elem...if that's the only reason for not moving him, I gotta say I'd move it a lot farther down the list. Trying to teach "higher order thinking skills" in 3rd grade (rather than actually teaching skills) is kind of absurd...most of the kids aren't developmentally capable of learning them yet.

 

I'd seriously rethink moving him. It really does go downhill from there, if this is the foundation they're giving him.

 

My son had a good start for the two years he spent in private school and I am using the same curriculum at the private school to keep up and build on the skills he has. I am more focused on his reading skills and math. He is learning how to write because there is a writing test for 4th grade. The private school did not focus on writing in first and second grade because there wasn't a writing section on the Iowa Basic Skills Test. I was surprised when he told me he had to watch a video in one of his classes and he had to write about what he watched. This seems primitive to me. When did watching videos become apart of teaching? This is not teaching. By the way the teacher who mentioned that higher order of thinking nonsense has only been a teacher for three years. She doesn't know what she is talking about. Most of the teachers at this school are fresh out of college. I seriously want to move him after the end of this year, but I need to find a school to move him to. I just have to make sure he continues to do well, so he could be accepted into a private school.

What amazes me is he is grade three, but his reading teacher tells me his Accelerating reading leve is second grade 3 months. On the Iowa Basic Skills test my son in the second grade was above grade level for reading yet she is telling me he should read below grade level books. What? My son is doing so well on the AR quiz, I told him he is switching to 3rd grade level AR books. This is ridiculous.

[delaney]

Here in VA they teach to pass the SOL(standards of learning...or Sh&t out of luck:D) and that is all the worry about. My kids have spent hours learning VA history which I admit is very deep BUT 2 1/2 YEARS? The they go to middle school where they barely address it again.

[HistoryMom]

They teach to the test here in NC as well, but in elementary school they're tested only in 3rd and 5th grades, so my 1st-grader hasn't yet been subjected to it. My oldest (now 9th grade) has suffered from it. I had multiple conversations with math teachers where they said it didn't matter if he was having trouble with the fundamentals of arithmetic because he'd be allowed to use a calculator on the test. Great. Thanks. I've kept him in the public school (mostly because I'm simply not a good teacher for him, and because we don't live near any good private options) but I'm doing math with him at home to catch up. He's starting algebra in school next semester, but at home we're doing Life of Fred/Fractions. I also have him reading 30 minutes a day in a nonfiction book of his choice (he usually picks WW2 history). I'll be putting my youngest two (currently Pre-S and 1st) into the year-round math & science magnet school, which I think will give us more flexibility to do significant afterschooling during the frequest breaks. For their current afterschool work, we're doing grammar and writing lessons, history, and math.

 

Good luck! I know it's frustrating.

[MBM]

To my knowledge our school district does not teach the tests. I know my son's private school does not.

 

I'd recommend moving your son ASAP, too. Sounds awful.

[Pippen]

My experience in our district with three kids has been that it really doesn't matter with the really good teachers. They get through the "jump through the hoops" aspects efficiently and get onto the business of teaching.

 

When I did see a big difference in the building overall was when the at-risk population reached a certain level (about 33%). Then they started taking some drastic steps, such as cutting back social studies and science minutes to devote to math and reading, as well as making frequent curriculum changes that favor the struggling students.

[Concerned Mom]

I don't want to remove my student from public until I find another place for him to go. It takes time to find another school and you really don't know what you are getting until you are actually in there. I am surprised I have to write the following email to the principal at his school today. Tell me what you think:

 

Hi Ms. B. ,

 

I followed your suggestion when you redirected me back to my student's Reading teacher on the issue of my concern of there being more homework to help reforce what is being taught at school. The plan we have come up with is Ms. W. allowing my student to take his Reading notebooks home to review. This was a great plan until I discovered there was no information in the notebooks for the first quarter. I discovered this last week and as a result scheduled a second parent teacher conference.

 

I was unaware that students taking notes in class is an option unless the teacher enforces it. I understand there are no study guides or textbooks to refer to for example, in the subject of English and Writing. All the information is coming from in class only with no homework to reinforce this, so our only option is depending on my student to take notes in class. This has been a real challenge because he is not being asked to do it and he is observing that other students aren't doing it. I have always worked with teachers with the understanding that they teach and the parent supports their efforts by reinforcing what is learned at school. I understand that the teacher cannot focus on one child when there are 19 other students in the class, but I am trying to figure out how to help my student, so he can reach his fullest potential at school. He is a great student, and I want him to continue to improve each semester.

 

I welcome any ideas and suggestions you may have as an educator/parent.

 

By the way check out this article below:

 

Our superintendent of schools should be ousted.

http://www.ultimatefortbend.com/stories/9003-fbisd-drops-appeal-of-grading-law

 

[BabyBre]

Washington state public schools surely teach to the state test. Curricula are adopted largely on how closely they align with the state tests (formerly the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, WASL). The first state test is administered in 3rd grade, however, ds's 1st grade teacher had them doing "WASL math" practice two years in advance.

 

Shortly after the testing requirement was initiated, complaints began flowing in about subjective grading, even on the math portions. They remedied this by teaching students to "show your work in words, pictures, or numbers" with the focus almost entirely on words and/or pictures. Algorithms were tossed out the window and reform, or "fuzzy math" curricula was adopted. Now I work daily with 3rd and 4th graders who CAN NOT figure math problems in numbers. One 3rd grader actually began drawing 235 little granola bars to answer one problem. And, conversely, I've seen the light come on for some struggling students whose teacher has been drilling algorithms extracurricularly.

 

The worst part about all this (besides the way it's robbing children of a quality education, of course) is that students don't even have to take the state test. Despite what the school districts tell parents and the public, the only math requirement for a Washington State diploma is to meet the state math standard which can also be done with a qualifying ACT score, or by simply taking four years of high school math! Because there's state money attached to every test that's given, districts don't mention that little detail and in fact have punished teachers for doing so.

 

My kids get their education at home, 6 hours of enrichment and socialization in public school, and will never take a state test so long as the law allows.

[lisabees]

Here in PA, they spend a lot of time teaching to the test. Then, they set aside 5 weeks to take the test (with no excused absences during those 5 weeks!!!). We just got an email from the district yesterday, stating there will now be state mandatory exit exams for most subjects. More and more tests. I am so tired of the hoops. :glare:

[BabyBre]

Here in PA, they spend a lot of time teaching to the test. Then, they set aside 5 weeks to take the test (with no excused absences during those 5 weeks!!!). We just got an email from the district yesterday, stating there will now be state mandatory exit exams for most subjects. More and more tests. I am so tired of the hoops. :glare:

 

 

:iagree: My ds's teachers send home newsletters and every week they tell us what assessments (district or state) they'll be taking the following week. They don't even mention the teacher-created ones, and there are plenty of those.

 

They're assessed to death. Maybe they should be taught to death instead.

[Caroline]

Your children have district and state assessments every week? I cannot imagine. I teach algebra 2 and we have two district assessments during the semester long course. Actually our state and district are testing less each year because of the cost of the tests. This year we dropped state tests from 1st and 2nd grades. We give the ITBS with less frequency now. I think it might only be in 3rd and 8th now. My children haven't taken any this year, except the star test which only takes a few minutes during computer lab. I think my high schooler will only take a bio EOCT and the WHAP exam this year.

[BabyBre]

Your children have district and state assessments every week? I cannot imagine.

 

Just about. The district creates its own unit assessments for each unit in each subject. Between all the subjects and various units, yes, they usually have some assessment each week. The first was within the first week of school and now, less than two months into the school year, they've had additional assessments in math, science, and writing (that I'm aware of). I see how much the teachers feel they need to teach to these tests, and they'll often give 1 or 2 practice assessments before the kids take the real assessment!

 

Like I said, they're assessed to death!

[missesd]

I am somehow not surprised your in TX... LOL As soon as I read your title, I thought "I wonder if she's in Texas?" And sure enough... Maybe I am missing something, but you are posting on a board primarily made up of homeschoolers, you are teaching him stuff at home already and not happy wit his current schooling in public school, so why not just pull him out altogether and homeschool him??

[scrapbookbuzz]

Arizona, at least in Phoenix, tends to 'teach to the test' as well. My kids are in ps this year, we thought for the whole year, but not when my dd is way ahead in her supposed 'special ed' classes. I'm working on bringing them back HOME since, evidently, I've been teaching her just fine!

 

I agree with previous posters, 2+ years is ALOT in elementary. Do what's BEST for your kiddo, despite whatever inconvenience accompanies it.

[NaturalMomma]

Here in VA they teach to pass the SOL(standards of learning...or Sh&t out of luck:D) and that is all the worry about. My kids have spent hours learning VA history which I admit is very deep BUT 2 1/2 YEARS? The they go to middle school where they barely address it again.

 

 

 

:iagree:

Glad to know it wasn't just me. My children use to attend the public school in Virginia.You are right, all they focus on all year is passing the SOL test and pound everything Virginia in their heads. I remember asking them "Is that all you teach is Virginia History?" That is what made me decide to homeschool, along with the horrible influences from other children. My children just were not learning anything. All they knew was pass the SOL and every Virginia fact you could think of.

[BabyBre]

:iagree:

Glad to know it wasn't just me. My children use to attend the public school in Virginia.You are right, all they focus on all year is passing the SOL test and pound everything Virginia in their heads. I remember asking them "Is that all you teach is Virginia History?" That is what made me decide to homeschool, along with the horrible influences from other children. My children just were not learning anything. All they knew was pass the SOL and every Virginia fact you could think of.

 

 

It's so interesting to compare that with how Washington state history is taught here. I guess we've barely got 200 years of written history to teach as opposed to Virginia's proud 500 or so, but our kids get Washington state history in 3rd grade (who remembers that?) and, at least when I was there in the early 90s we took a semester in high school, however, my senior hasn't had it in high school at all.

 

Just find that interesting.

[TracyR]

We live in PA and yes the public schools are to teach to the test. So much so in our county that there has been a spike in truancy because children are learning to hate learning ( no surprise there). My daughter's teacher was telling me her son goes to the high school and they will be dropping disecting in Science because its NOT on the test. It will be given as an elective if students want to pursue it. Other then that they just learn the information that are on the tests.

This testing thing is getting sadder and sadder and children are losing out on a good education.

 

Thankfully my girls attend private school and they do standardized testing and use it as a tool to see where the students may or maynot be having problems. They do not and are not interested in teaching children to a test.

[BabyBre]

Thankfully my girls attend private school and they do standardized testing and use it as a tool to see where the students may or maynot be having problems. They do not and are not interested in teaching children to a test.

 

 

That's one of my biggest complaints about our state test. There's no feedback on individual students. You get a score and that's it. It's like breaking in to Fort Knox to get a peek at your child's test, and I don't know what teachers have to go through to see their students' tests. But, as a homeschooling parent, if I want to help my daughter improve her test score or particular math skills, I've got to jump through these hoops:

 

I have to wait until the scores arrive in my mailbox (3-4 months), fill out an official request to view the test, wait some more (still waiting) to be contacted by a district official to schedule a viewing appointment, then I get one supervised hour with each portion (math, science, etc.) of my child's test but there is absolutely NO writing or note taking of any kind allowed. I'm warming up my photographic memory.

 

I said in an earlier post that my kids will never take a state test so long as the law allows, however, I did have my dd take the 3rd grade test last year. It was the first year our new state test replacing the dreaded WASL was administered. I had her take it really with the express purpose of being able to take a critical look at it. And, unfortunately, ds will take it this year as well because it will determine if he can be admitted into the district's gifted program. But after that, no more state tests!

[LibrarianMom]

That's one of my biggest complaints about our state test. There's no feedback on individual students. You get a score and that's it. It's like breaking in to Fort Knox to get a peek at your child's test, and I don't know what teachers have to go through to see their students' tests. But, as a homeschooling parent, if I want to help my daughter improve her test score or particular math skills, I've got to jump through these hoops:

 

I have to wait until the scores arrive in my mailbox (3-4 months), fill out an official request to view the test, wait some more (still waiting) to be contacted by a district official to schedule a viewing appointment, then I get one supervised hour with each portion (math, science, etc.) of my child's test but there is absolutely NO writing or note taking of any kind allowed. I'm warming up my photographic memory.

 

 

You have to keep in mind that state assessments and other standardized tests are kept under lock and key in order to keep the assessments standardized. Are the scores broken down into sub-scores or areas by any chance. Getting to view the actual tests at all is very rare. In our state to even view the tests you might see the test booklet but you would not see your child's answer sheet because they are scantron sheets. The reason for this is so that a parent who has a child who takes the test in 3rd grade and views the results when that child is in 4th grade and their younger sibling is in 2nd could use the test information to prep the younger sibling. Then that child would have an advantage. It's just like when you take the ACT or SAT you don't get to see your actual tests just the scores and sub-scores.

[LibrarianMom]

Just about. The district creates its own unit assessments for each unit in each subject. Between all the subjects and various units, yes, they usually have some assessment each week. The first was within the first week of school and now, less than two months into the school year, they've had additional assessments in math, science, and writing (that I'm aware of). I see how much the teachers feel they need to teach to these tests, and they'll often give 1 or 2 practice assessments before the kids take the real assessment!

 

Like I said, they're assessed to death!

 

It sounds like the district assessments function like regular chapter or end of unit tests. In a large district this would help to ensure that all the schools and teachers are on target to reach their goals. If you think of the assessments as regular chapter/unit tests, it's not unusual to have a test in at least some subject each week. If my kids don't have chapter tests at least every couple of weeks, I start to wonder what's going on. There is also a line of thought that the more often kids take tests that are set up like the standardized tests that test anxiety decreases and it's not so much of a "big deal."

[Concerned Mom]

I am somehow not surprised your in TX... LOL As soon as I read your title, I thought "I wonder if she's in Texas?" And sure enough... Maybe I am missing something, but you are posting on a board primarily made up of homeschoolers, you are teaching him stuff at home already and not happy wit his current schooling in public school, so why not just pull him out altogether and homeschool him??

 

I am aware this is a forum for parents who are Afterschooling. From what I understand this board is not strictly for parents, who homeschool only. I am not looking for suggestions on whether or not I should or should not homeschool my child, I am looking for shared experiences or knowledge about what the public school system is like around the country.

[Tidbits of Learning]

I have afterschooled and now am homeschooling and the thing to realize with the focus on teaching to the test is that many of these teacher's and administrator's own livelihood is tied to these test scores. Many states are reviewing and passing laws about tenure and salary raises based primarily on test scores alone. The teachers are not evaluated on their abilitiy to teach skills to children to make them better educated. They are evaluated on how well they can prepare many children to produce excellent test scores. They are encouraged to label children that may test low in order for their test scores to not count against the teachers or the schools.

I don't say these things as just a bystander, but have family working within the system. The school exists because of funding and the funding comes from test scores. If you want your child to learn anything more than the state test, then I think you are in the right place to get support and help.

[Shay]

I am aware this is a forum for parents who are Afterschooling. From what I understand this board is not strictly for parents, who homeschool only. I am not looking for suggestions on whether or not I should or should not homeschool my child, I am looking for shared experiences or knowledge about what the public school system is like around the country.

 

That answer to missesd was spot-on. The AS'ers on this portion of the board 'get' that you are looking for shared experiences or knowledge about what the public school system is like at our various locations. Can you imagine the response I'd get if I posted on the Curriculum or General Board:

 

"if you aren't happy with the way your homeschooling is going, why not just stop and put your child in ps?"

 

:lol:

 

From my point of view, what you are experiencing is similar to what I've seen in my state for the past years (teaching to the test). For my kids, I downplay it and do not make a big deal of it at all.

 

Shay

[mich311e]

I agree with Shay. :)

 

I don't have any input for the OP because my child is in first grade, so we haven't had any standardized testing yet.

[TechWife]

Since the advent of No Child Left Behind, all states teach to the test. Their funding depends on it.

[Bootsie]

As a college professor, I was wondering how my students could pass the standardized exams and know so little. I had a college junior who did not know: how many weeks there were in a year (she guessed 125), how many days there were in a year (she guessed 356), or how many months there were in a year (she thought there were 24--yes I asked her if she could name them for me.) Luckily she did know that there were 7 days in a week. Once I told her that there were 365 days in a year I asked her to calculate how many weeks there would be in a year, given the knowledge that there were 7 days in a week. She ADDED 365 and 7. Once I told her that was not correct she MULTIPLIED 365 and 7.

 

I checked the math test given in Texas and discovered that all the way through high school the students are given a formula sheet that contains information they can use on the standardized exam. Even as a junior in high school (the last year a math test must be taken) the students are given the following information: one year = 365 days; one year = 12 months; one week = 7 days; one day = 24 hours; one hour = 60 minutes; one minute = 60 seconds. Texas does not expect a high school graduate to know these basic facts!

[Amy loves Bud]

 

I checked the math test given in Texas and discovered that all the way through high school the students are given a formula sheet that contains information they can use on the standardized exam. Even as a junior in high school (the last year a math test must be taken) the students are given the following information: one year = 365 days; one year = 12 months; one week = 7 days; one day = 24 hours; one hour = 60 minutes; one minute = 60 seconds. Texas does not expect a high school graduate to know these basic facts!

 

Texas is doing away with the TAKS test. Starting in 2011-12 they will be going to the STAR???? test. (I'm not sure if I"m remembering the name correctly.) I hope it will be better, but it's hard to imagine it being worse.

[Concerned Mom]

As a college professor, I was wondering how my students could pass the standardized exams and know so little. I had a college junior who did not know: how many weeks there were in a year (she guessed 125), how many days there were in a year (she guessed 356), or how many months there were in a year (she thought there were 24--yes I asked her if she could name them for me.) Luckily she did know that there were 7 days in a week. Once I told her that there were 365 days in a year I asked her to calculate how many weeks there would be in a year, given the knowledge that there were 7 days in a week. She ADDED 365 and 7. Once I told her that was not correct she MULTIPLIED 365 and 7.

 

I checked the math test given in Texas and discovered that all the way through high school the students are given a formula sheet that contains information they can use on the standardized exam. Even as a junior in high school (the last year a math test must be taken) the students are given the following information: one year = 365 days; one year = 12 months; one week = 7 days; one day = 24 hours; one hour = 60 minutes; one minute = 60 seconds. Texas does not expect a high school graduate to know these basic facts!

 

Texas public school teachers teach to the test. Since I switched my son to public school, I have seen on a couple of occasions Math TAKS worksheets come home as homework. He receives two worksheets per week in math. That is it as a result I have to supplement.

[Concerned Mom]

Texas is doing away with the TAKS test. Starting in 2011-12 they will be going to the STAR???? test. (I'm not sure if I"m remembering the name correctly.) I hope it will be better, but it's hard to imagine it being worse.

 

 

Amy,

 

I really believe STARS is the same old garbage like the TAKS. The national standard need to be adopted in Texas as the 35 states have adopted in this country. Texas is scraping the bottom like Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Georgia in meeting the lowest of standards compared to other states. Our genius governor in the state of Texas saids it would cost too much money to adopt the national standard. What does he care. Rich people in Texas send their kids to private anyway.

[Storm Bay]

I am aware this is a forum for parents who are Afterschooling. From what I understand this board is not strictly for parents, who homeschool only. I am not looking for suggestions on whether or not I should or should not homeschool my child, I am looking for shared experiences or knowledge about what the public school system is like around the country.

 

Since the advent of No Child Left Behind, all states teach to the test. Their funding depends on it.

 

 

Yes, schools here teach to the test. In addition, our state has just lowered its educational standards to comply with the No Child Left Behind act. My 15 yo recently returned to ps, but since she is in high school, there are 3-5 levels in all academic subjects.

 

Since 2.8 years is a lot at that age, then I think you may need to

a. switch schools

b. do a lot of afterschooling

c. seriously consider homeschooling (that's not telling you to homeschool;), just to consider it, but it may not be an option you are able to pursue.)

 

Teaching to the test is one of the reasons we homeschool. My eldest will be taking her first ever state test in the spring. She is doing a Composition test just for that, she receives one state test problem per day in her Honours Alg 2 class, and she is probably getting some of this in her Biology class as well. However, she has a strong background because she was homeschooled for 7.25 years in school year terms.

[Concerned Mom]

Here in PA, they spend a lot of time teaching to the test. Then, they set aside 5 weeks to take the test (with no excused absences during those 5 weeks!!!). We just got an email from the district yesterday, stating there will now be state mandatory exit exams for most subjects. More and more tests. I am so tired of the hoops. :glare:

 

This is difficult to believe when for example, there are 31% of 5th graders in the Keystone Central School District passing the PA writing test, 62% passing Reading, and 74% passing math.

At another school 48% passed the Reading test, 30% in writing, and 68% in Math.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

This is difficult to believe when for example, there are 31% of 5th graders in the Keystone Central School District passing the PA writing test, 62% passing Reading, and 74% passing math.

At another school 48% passed the Reading test, 30% in writing, and 68% in Math.

 

PA will probably drop the bar for passing even lower for these tests:glare:

[Dana]

As a college professor, I was wondering how my students could pass the standardized exams and know so little. I had a college junior who did not know: how many weeks there were in a year (she guessed 125), how many days there were in a year (she guessed 356), or how many months there were in a year (she thought there were 24--yes I asked her if she could name them for me.) Luckily she did know that there were 7 days in a week. Once I told her that there were 365 days in a year I asked her to calculate how many weeks there would be in a year, given the knowledge that there were 7 days in a week. She ADDED 365 and 7. Once I told her that was not correct she MULTIPLIED 365 and 7.

 

I checked the math test given in Texas and discovered that all the way through high school the students are given a formula sheet that contains information they can use on the standardized exam. Even as a junior in high school (the last year a math test must be taken) the students are given the following information: one year = 365 days; one year = 12 months; one week = 7 days; one day = 24 hours; one hour = 60 minutes; one minute = 60 seconds. Texas does not expect a high school graduate to know these basic facts!

 

I teach math at a cc. At one point, a problem asked students to write a ratio regarding states. I had students ask how many states there were in the U.S. So I put it as a bonus question on my test in all my classes. In some classes, at least half of the students couldn't get an extra point for filling in: "There are _____ states in the United States."

 

I had one student argue with me about the answer.

 

Sigh.

[EmilyK]

There are a lot I don't like about our public schools here, but they don't teach to the test at all, at least in elementary. For whatever that's worth!

 

The bad effect of NCLB I've seen -- and caused us to leave the public system -- is that the emphasis is overwhelmingly on helping the struggling students. A good aim, of course, but everyone should be challenged, not just those who are struggling. The situation with the brightest kids is the worst, since they are assumed to be fine with no instruction at their level.

[....]

I transferred my child from private to public elementary because I was under the impression that in public there would be more emotional support and resources. I was so wrong. Not only did I discover the teachers are so focused on getting the students to pass the state's test, but there aren't any Spelling, English, Vocabulary books in the classroom.

 

I knew after reading the first two lines that you were here in Texas.

 

I actually started homeschooling because we moved here from up north (where the schools are much, much, much different).

 

:grouphug:

[Concerned Mom]

I am from back east and I don't think the private schools are any better than public schools in Texas. The private schools give lots of homework, but parents have to practically afterschool because there isn't much teaching going on. It is just teachers giving out lots of homework. Parents think this is good. Good is associated with lots of homework. Although the Science and Social Studies is week in public school at the elementary level, my son is learning more in Reading and writing then he did in private. Private schools teach to their own test too. And they try to take credit for high test scores which no school is responsible for that. The test scores are not exactly right. It is not an exact science. It just tells you how your child is doing for that day.

[TracyR]

Here in PA, they spend a lot of time teaching to the test. Then, they set aside 5 weeks to take the test (with no excused absences during those 5 weeks!!!). We just got an email from the district yesterday, stating there will now be state mandatory exit exams for most subjects. More and more tests. I am so tired of the hoops. :glare:

:iagree: Yep. Here in PA they teach to the test. I've heard ramblings that they are wanting to lower the grade level to 1st grade. Currently though state testing doesn't start until 3rd grade. Though the teachers for K-2nd do testing such as AIMS Web screening to find those who are going to struggle later on.

There is also talk about exit exams for those graduating high school. If you don't pass the test, you don't graduate.

 

Thankfully my girls go to private school and they do not teach kids to the test. Though my 4th and 6th grader says they do practice something called Pan Prep(???). But they do it every once in a while. Other then that they do standardized testing and refuse to have any part in state testing.

They do have to prepare the upper grades for it a little bit but the kids that come from our school always excell and do well so they don't stress out about it.

[cathmom]

As a college professor, I was wondering how my students could pass the standardized exams and know so little. I had a college junior who did not know: how many weeks there were in a year (she guessed 125), how many days there were in a year (she guessed 356), or how many months there were in a year (she thought there were 24--yes I asked her if she could name them for me.) Luckily she did know that there were 7 days in a week. Once I told her that there were 365 days in a year I asked her to calculate how many weeks there would be in a year, given the knowledge that there were 7 days in a week. She ADDED 365 and 7. Once I told her that was not correct she MULTIPLIED 365 and 7.

 

I checked the math test given in Texas and discovered that all the way through high school the students are given a formula sheet that contains information they can use on the standardized exam. Even as a junior in high school (the last year a math test must be taken) the students are given the following information: one year = 365 days; one year = 12 months; one week = 7 days; one day = 24 hours; one hour = 60 minutes; one minute = 60 seconds. Texas does not expect a high school graduate to know these basic facts!

 

That's crazy, but I believe it. I taught Spanish at a public charter high school, and I was constantly amazed at what my students did not know. For example, they didn't know that when it is fall here in the northern hemisphere, it's spring in the southern hemisphere. Their spelling was totally atrocious, their basic math skills were lacking (we would do easy problems in Spanish), and one student even asked me, "What's so special about that baby?" when looking at a painting of the Madonna and Child by Velazquez!

 

There are a lot I don't like about our public schools here, but they don't teach to the test at all, at least in elementary. For whatever that's worth!

 

The bad effect of NCLB I've seen -- and caused us to leave the public system -- is that the emphasis is overwhelmingly on helping the struggling students. A good aim, of course, but everyone should be challenged, not just those who are struggling. The situation with the brightest kids is the worst, since they are assumed to be fine with no instruction at their level.

 

Schools strategize constantly about which students should take which test, which students they can get up to the minimum level, etc. EVERYTHING depends on it! There is no incentive to help bright students at all, and no time either.

[Concerned Mom]

Tracy R,

 

Private schools don't teach to the state's test, but they teach to their own. I realize writing was not emphasized at all in the catholic elementary program because correct if I am wrong, there is no writing test on the Iowa Basic Skills test. This is a skill that children need for college. Students should be able to express an independent thought on paper instead of filling out worksheets most of the time. This concerned me when he was in private. Now that he is doing more of it now, he is comfortable with it and the enthusiasm is there.

[LisaKinVA]

Raising hand, here. We have been in the Virtual Academy for two years, and have reached our limit. I'm done. D-O-N-E done.

 

The tests are also a joke. They decide a children has "passed" if they can answer 31 random questions from an entire year of history... Oh, and the fact that the curriculum doesn't cover the entire period the TEST covers (don't get me started), and if your child is working on a different science level, s/he still has to do all of the test prep for the level they will be testing (ds did Earth Science last year... they tested general science).

 

It's awful. It's stressful. And if your kid doesn't do well (say, get "pass-advanced") on the tests, they could get "cut off" from GT programming to-boot, or not placed in more advanced classes.

 

I so can not wait to be done with this year.

[stripe]

For example, they didn't know that when it is fall here in the northern hemisphere, it's spring in the southern hemisphere.

I know someone who attended a private Christian high school after a few years of homeschooling, and graduated from a private Christian college, and he didn't know this. He thought it would be a different month.

 

So...I am not sure it's a public school problem exactly.

[Guest nikole95.7]

My experience in our district with three kids has been that it really doesn't matter with the really good teachers. They get through the "jump through the hoops" aspects efficiently and get onto the business of teaching.

 

When I did see a big difference in the building overall was when the at-risk population reached a certain level (about 33%). Then they started taking some drastic steps, such as cutting back social studies and science minutes to devote to math and reading, as well as making frequent curriculum changes that favor the struggling students.

I followed your suggestion when you redirected me back to my student's Reading teacher on the issue of my concern of there being more homework to help reforce what is being taught at school. The plan we have come up with is Ms. W. allowing my student to take his Reading notebooks home to review. This was a great plan until I discovered there was no information in the notebooks for the first quarter. I discovered this last week and as a result scheduled a second parent teacher conference.