In2why Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 My 10 year old has been taking the Iowa this week since we are required to take a standardized test each year. He normally does fine and I get a decent idea when I look over the test booklet to make sure he hasn't filled in 2 bubbles on the same answer and if he completely erased his changed answers or if there are stray marks. While checking yesterday I realized he had gotten almost every question wrong in the science section. I made sure he hadn't skipped and answer and gotten off track by one question and nope. He just answered maybe 5 questions correctly. When I asked him if the test was hard (it wasn't and I know that he knows the answers to most of the questions) he said he was tired of reading so he didn't read the questions. He just filled in bubbles because he wanted the test to be over. He is ADHD and it is easy for him to lose focus and get distracted. He can look at a page of work and get lost for chunks of time daydreaming and I usually can just remind him to focus. But I have left him basically alone while testing after reading the proctoring script. Now I am conflicted. Part of me wants to erase all the answers and proctor the science portion of the test again since I know it isn't an accurate reflection of what he knows, but then there is another part that feels if I do that it scews the results for him and others. Natural consequences would mean letting the chips fall where they fall, but since I don't share results with him it isn't like there are really any consequences for him. Then there is the prideful part of me that doesn't want the powers that be to think my child is science illiterate or that I am not teaching him science. I really don't have any respect for the tests and feel it is just jumping through bureaucratic hoops, but I agreed to jump through those hoops when I decided to homeschool based on our state laws instead of staying off the grid. What would you guys do? I am surprised this is such a dilemma for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I'd give him the science test again. It will not mess up the results for him because he didn't actually take the test. It will not mess up the results for anyone else because his scores have no bearing on anyone else's--the norms for the ITBS are developed using a carefully selected group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewellsmommy Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Gosh, that's a tough one. Do you feel that you had him do too much, as in too many sections without sufficient breaks? If I felt that I had messed up in the scheduling of the test, then I would probably give him a sheet of notebook paper (pre-numbered) and ask him to re-do the test and just write the letter of the answer. Then I would compare and see how different the percentages of right to wrong come out. Then you could decide to erase and fill those answers in or not. I suggest a separate paper because my ds would be effected by the fact that other answers used to be on the paper. This may not be true for your ds. Can you call the test company and pose the question to them? You may feel better if they give your plan a stamp of approval. In my state, the only scores that matter (need to be turned in) are language arts and math. Are science scores actually even required by your state? Can you just void that section all together? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwg Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I dont know what I would do but I remember making pictures with mine......nothing elaborate, a Christmas tree etc. Those tests *are* boring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Are the science portions necessary in your state? My dds took the ITBS every year but they never did science or history/social studies. It would have been a waste since we were learning those subjects much differently than public schools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 No question: I would have him take the test again. If he does that again, however, all bets are off and it goes as is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PuddleJumper1 Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I would also wonder whether the science section is important in the large scheme of reporting to your district. Our district is only interested in Reading and Math. I'd be apt to erase the science and not have it tested/graded at all. As far as erasing and retaking. What you are thinking (erasing and retaking) is more than likely against the terms of agreement in giving the test. When we gave the ITBS to our kids we had to sign an agreement with the company. We used Bob Jones but I'd think any company offering the ITBS for home use would have the same regulations. Granted it's not really affecting anyone since it's not being used in a large testing pool but you'd have to determine your own comfort level with disregarding the guidelines (unless you weren't given any). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 My 10 year old has been taking the Iowa this week since we are required to take a standardized test each year. He normally does fine and I get a decent idea when I look over the test booklet to make sure he hasn't filled in 2 bubbles on the same answer and if he completely erased his changed answers or if there are stray marks. While checking yesterday I realized he had gotten almost every question wrong in the science section. I made sure he hadn't skipped and answer and gotten off track by one question and nope. He just answered maybe 5 questions correctly. When I asked him if the test was hard (it wasn't and I know that he knows the answers to most of the questions) he said he was tired of reading so he didn't read the questions. He just filled in bubbles because he wanted the test to be over. He is ADHD and it is easy for him to lose focus and get distracted. He can look at a page of work and get lost for chunks of time daydreaming and I usually can just remind him to focus. But I have left him basically alone while testing after reading the proctoring script. Now I am conflicted. Part of me wants to erase all the answers and proctor the science portion of the test again since I know it isn't an accurate reflection of what he knows, but then there is another part that feels if I do that it scews the results for him and others. Natural consequences would mean letting the chips fall where they fall, but since I don't share results with him it isn't like there are really any consequences for him. Then there is the prideful part of me that doesn't want the powers that be to think my child is science illiterate or that I am not teaching him science. I really don't have any respect for the tests and feel it is just jumping through bureaucratic hoops, but I agreed to jump through those hoops when I decided to homeschool based on our state laws instead of staying off the grid. What would you guys do? I am surprised this is such a dilemma for me. It might not reflect what he knows, but it does reflect who is he, in the sense that his ADHD causes him to lose focus. I would let it go. It's only science. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 If your state doesn't require science/social studies, just erase and bag those sections. If your state does require science/social studies, would it be likely that a complete bomb-out would put him below the threshold of you being able to continue homeschooling? If not, I'd take the bomb and let the chips fall where they may. Or you could always administer a shorter test and send in those results instead (like the CAT); at least our state gives us that option. I think it's against the test agreement that you signed to re-do the test, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aiden Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I would have a hard time letting it go without any consequences *to him* for blowing off the test. But that's because I feel very strongly that, even if I disagree with having to give him _this_ test at _this_ time, the concept of "testing as important" is something he needs to understand. If he does something like this when it counts--on the SAT when trying to get into colleges, for example--it will have serious real world consequences for him. So I tend to be of the opinion that he needs to learn to take it seriously from the start. So I would make sure there are consequences to your son, whatever you decide to do about the results you send in. You said he's always done fine on these tests before, so I'm assuming that he is capable of doing what was asked of him but decided he was bored and he wasn't going to do it. If that isn't the case, and you believe that the structure of the test is the problem, then I'd look into giving him another or similar test with whatever accommodations he is entitled to under the rules of the test. If he has the capacity to do what was asked of him but chose not to, I would have a serious chat with him about the importance of always doing his best work, whether he's bored or not. Then I'd make him redo it and explain that if he'd done his best work the first time, he would not have had to be bored through it twice. I'd have to look into the rules of that specific test, and the consequences to our homeschool if he flunks it, to determine which set of scores to send in, but he would do the test again as the natural consequence of blowing it off the first time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I'd send it in as-is. I've proctored groups with both the Iowa and Stanford, and also done the CAT-E and PASS with my own. None of them allow a retake for a kid that decides to bag it and just fill in circles. I've seen high school kids do this too, and I wasn't allowed to do anything about it. Now as a parent, there would be a consequence. Not severe, but enough to show that it was wrong. I hate testing too BTW. To me it is a waste of time and money because it never tells me anything I don't know, but I have to do it or have a formal evaluation for the county. I've never, ever told my kids (now in high school) that though because if they know that I think it's a waste of time, they'll think it is a waste of time. Kids pick up our attitudes in a heartbeat. So I'm always very matter-of-fact about it, and when they were younger, I was dead serious about the need to focus and do their best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 While I would give it to him again (as I said above) with no guilt whatsoever, instead of erasing everything and officially giving it again, you could have him take it again and just record his answers on a piece of paper. Then you could go through the test and determine how many he missed. Either way, I think he should have to take it again. If he doesn't, you will be sending the message that it's ok to randomly fill in bubbles when he's tired of testing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
City Mouse Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I am glad to hear that my DS is not the only kid who does stuff like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I am glad to hear that my DS is not the only kid who does stuff like this. As I said in my previous post, I've proctored high schoolers who did this. I watched the frustration mount, and then I've seen them fill in the remainder of the test section without looking at the problems. I had one several years ago who did this with three sections. I told the person in charge in case the parent came to them with questions, but we couldn't do anything about it without compromising the test. The first year that I gave the National Latin Exam locally, I had two students who did this. A friend of mine who proctored last month had it happen with most of the sections with one grade school kid in her group. She watched the kid do it the first time, and gently told them not to do that again in the hall after that section, but they did. In group testing, you have to let it go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted June 12, 2014 Author Share Posted June 12, 2014 I am going to send it in as is. When we get the score breakdown sheet I am going to black out everything but the Composite scores for Math and Language Arts before I send it in to the state. That is all that is required so I don't think there could be a problem. I do think I was part of the problem. I knew he was burning out but I wanted to get finished. We decided not to medicate, so I know there are certain things we have to do to accommodate certain situations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Just a late thought....Your son, at 10, isn't going to feel any consequences from this, not from the test score, at least. But I would be instituting my own consequences because, as another poster says, testing is still an important ticket to success. I would apologize for my role in not seeing he was tired, but I would also be inclined to make it sting a bit for him because of the actions in order to discourage him from doing it next year. I am going to send it in as is. When we get the score breakdown sheet I am going to black out everything but the Composite scores for Math and Language Arts before I send it in to the state. That is all that is required so I don't think there could be a problem. I do think I was part of the problem. I knew he was burning out but I wanted to get finished. We decided not to medicate, so I know there are certain things we have to do to accommodate certain situations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I don't feel like it needs to sting, but otherwise I agree that I'd at least sit him down and talk to him about it and apologize that you pushed him too hard to finish but emphasize that while that section didn't matter and you can both sort of laugh it off and ignore it, sometimes tests do matter because they help you get places you want to go and it's good to look to the future knowing that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I do think I was part of the problem. I knew he was burning out but I wanted to get finished. I think this is similar in issue to a timed test. If a high stakes test is timed, then I have to prep my kid to cope with it and deal with not so good results in the meantime. If a test is un-timed, then it is my fault if I "rush" my kid through it. I would have him take again though the section he rush through just to show him how much better he could have scored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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