Elfknitter.# Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 http://www.sgvtribune.com/breakingnews/ci_22332697/new-california-standardized-test-proposed-part-national-common Interested in thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anabelneri Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Meh. Interesting to know, and Sweetie won't mind one way or the other as long as it's still a group testing event. She likes the STAR test days, and she likes computers. My only real concern is if/how they'd do the writing component... if that's also computerized then we'll all get to teach keyboarding skills too. But I doubt they'd go that direction with it. I haven't done enough research to compare the Common Core Standards with the CA Standards, so I suppose that could be something interesting to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 I heard this on the radio, I'm kind of like "meh" not real concerned. I do think having more writing component will be a pain. I am wondering how we will prep for it, multiple choice type testing is easier to prepare for with test taking strategies. Having the test results returned in a timely manner would be a new experience, but I am skeptical it will happen. We are in a homeschool charter school, I'm going to ask my ES about all this and what she has heard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 I heard that on NPR this morning, and it sounded like they were going to be asking more multi-step questions and requiring the student to input the answer rather than selecting it from a multiple-choice list. In terms of the math, my kids use Singapore and I'm confident they will be well-prepared (yay for the CWP!) In terms of English, I'll have to see what exactly the sample problems look like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 My older is in the second grade and as far as I know they are going to take a STAR test in 2013. Am I understanding it correctly that all the tests in 2014 will be suspended? Teachers at our school don't know what changes are going to be implemented next year (dropping cursive is one). I really hope the test isn't computerized. My older is left-handed and there isn't a single left-handed keyboard in our school for him to use. He had to pass xtramath timed math drills and had to learn how to type fast with his right hand on the keypad. It isn't easy for him to use his right hand. Those are little things nobody thinks about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinyhappypeople Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Yay, another useless standardized test to replace the current useless standardized test, because the problem with our state's education system is we're using the wrong test. The government's testing obsession sends me into fits of compulsive eye-rolling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 My older is in the second grade and as far as I know they are going to take a STAR test in 2013. Am I understanding it correctly that all the tests in 2014 will be suspended? Teachers at our school don't know what changes are going to be implemented next year (dropping cursive is one). I really hope the test isn't computerized. Only 2nd grade STAR testing would be optional (there is a roll-out table at the bottom of this page http://www.sfgate.com/education/article/New-student-tests-to-focus-less-on-memory-4177986.php#page-2) "In just two years, California students, along with millions of their peers across the country, will start taking new computerized standardized tests that require them to write, think, analyze and solve problems - a dramatic departure from the fill-in-the-bubble tests in place for decades" (bolded by me, same sfgate source) Looks like its going to be computerized with the writing portion marked by humans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLittleWonders Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Dh and I talk about this all the time (he teaches high school). What I keep asking is: Where is CA getting the money to do this? At least according to a previous cost-estimate, the cost of administering and grading CC standardized tests is astronomically higher than the current STAR testing. (And I am not a fan of any of it; just needed to say that. :lol: ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photo Ninja Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 I'm not impressed. It is just one more test that teachers will teach to. It shouldn't affect hsers, unless they are with a public charter school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readinmom Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 The test will not be once yearly, but given over 3-4 time periods throughout the year. It is not multiple choice, but multi-step questions. If you have ever seen the questions at the back of a core lit book, it is similar to that. The questions get progressively harder, more analytical as the test progresses. One component that is receiving interest is the research question, in which students are given a topic, directions, go and do outside research, come back and respond to a prompt based upon their research. I just can't imagine students sitting down and testing at the computers...figure 2600 students per high school, probably tested during a core class...sounds very time intensive. My district is participating in this next year; we are a pilot school. It sounds like we will actually be getting back to teaching writing, instead of teaching to bubble in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 For a lefty, would it be possible to take a plug in USB numeric keypad for him to use? I know some of DH's co-workers who are left handed use those for when they need to do fast number entry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Yay for the private school affidavit! This is NOT my problem. :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laundrycrisis Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 No surprise. Every time there is one of these "reform" initiatives, and a state adopts the new and improved standards, there is a whole new set of textbooks, and a whole new set of standardized tests. The schools pay through the nose for the brand new texts that are written to comply with the improved standards, and for each administration of the new tests, and the fees for the scoring and reporting services for every single student that takes the test. Doing it electronically will not change any of this. States go through one reform/standards adoption after another after another, because politicians like to appear that they took steps to improve education during their term, and state governments like to constantly appear that they are doing something to improve education. It goes on and on, and millions are spent each year on the PhD consultants who write the improved standards, the bureaucratic process of making the adoption happen, the new books that are written and purchased, having the new tests written, administered, scored and reported. And the educational publishing companies who win the contracts to do all of this are laughing all the way to the bank ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 The test will not be once yearly, but given over 3-4 time periods throughout the year. It is not multiple choice, but multi-step questions. If you have ever seen the questions at the back of a core lit book, it is similar to that. The questions get progressively harder, more analytical as the test progresses. One component that is receiving interest is the research question, in which students are given a topic, directions, go and do outside research, come back and respond to a prompt based upon their research. I just can't imagine students sitting down and testing at the computers...figure 2600 students per high school, probably tested during a core class...sounds very time intensive. My district is participating in this next year; we are a pilot school. It sounds like we will actually be getting back to teaching writing, instead of teaching to bubble in. Do you have a link to a sample test? I would love to see what this looks like for late elementary school. We haven't been given any samples yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I found test samples. http://www.testprepreview.com/common-core-test-prep.htm thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freckles Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 I suppose my girls will be guinea pigs for the new testing. I'll let you know how it all turns out. :bored: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 It looks really tough relative to the STAR test. I am curious to see how much average state scores will drop once they implement it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 I found test samples. http://www.testprepreview.com/common-core-test-prep.htm thoughts? It seems California would be using Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium to create the tests. News article - http://toped.svefoundation.org/2011/06/10/california-jumps-to-other-test-consortium/ Sample items and performance tasks link - http://www.smarterbalanced.org/sample-items-and-performance-tasks/ Common core state standards start in Rancho Santa Fe school district next year news article (with some description and explanation) - http://www.ranchosantafereview.com/2013/01/15/common-core-state-standards-start-in-rancho-santa-fe-school-district-next-year/ The sample tests questions would be harder to prep for using Study Island and Aleks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Why no grades 5 or 6 math samples? That's really weird IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Just looking at the example (Grandma Ruth item) I wonder about the scoring. I hope they aren't going to have a computer grade/score essay sections. Just looking at Smarter Balanced questions I wonder how this is going to turn out. I can tell you now that half of my DS's 2nd grade classmates will struggle to figure out the directions. I don't know how many can intelligently do the paragraph rewrite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Found more information here from California's Dept of Education website http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sa/smarterbalanced.asp List of districts with schools participating in the small scale trials here http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sa/sbacschools2012.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Found more information here from California's Dept of Education website http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sa/smarterbalanced.asp List of districts with schools participating in the small scale trials here http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sa/sbacschools2012.asp We are on the list :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 When I was researching this a while back, CA was meeting or exceeding ALL the common core standards and they were discussing how they were going to deal with those requirements that exceeded: if they were to dumb down the curriculum or if where they exceeded could stay. I am not thrilled with CC and from what the HSDL says, it's something that *may* in the future affect our choices as home schoolers. That concerns me greatly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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