Want to hear something kind of sad-funny? My students are in the middle of the state writing test administered to all seventh graders here in our great state. They're writing an "on-demand" piece (i.e.--writing a two-page essay; topic being one of three that the state offers each student; and they have to write the old-fashioned way--no spell check:). So they're kind of stressed, but in a ho-hum stressed kind of way, as these munchkins are the MOST assessed people in the history of THE WORLD! Like, "Oh yeah, these again. I hope I do well. Last year I just met the benchmark, but my two best friends exceeded." You try to tell them to keep their scores private, but hello--they're TWELVE!
They've had monster test prep courses and standardized tests since third grade. They're getting kind of used to the barrage of multiple choice questions/on-demand writing that comes crashing down on them every spring. And the academic hierarchal social sorting that comes when the scores come out.
So the sad-funny part? Each student will be pulled out of the middle of their state writing exam to take a district-mandated reading fluency test that will be administered by a stranger (retired teachers).
I kid you not.
The students are being tested DURING their state tests. I wonder what the limit will be--three, four, five, or more tests at one time.
I wish I were kidding.
Sad-funny.
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Monday, February 18, 2008
Sad-Funny
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4 comments:
Don't even get me started on state testing...
At least your state does not require them to pass the state test to graduate from HS!! Ugh.
I never did well with testing. State or SAT etc. It didn't matter what the test was. I think they can test kids but don't base their lives on it. Some of us just don't test well. That doesn't mean we can't live a good life with opportunity.
I feel for them on the spelling. In one of my college English classes I had to carry around a dictionary just so I could turn in a good journal entry. The teacher was old school so there weren't any electronic devices allowed. Of course it was in the early 90s but I already had a computer that I liked very much.
G
Sure, because you can just never have enough g.d. tests, can you? My daughter (3rd grade) is so fed up. She told me last week, "Today? MORE TESTS. It's ALL TESTS, EVERY DAY."
My son just nodded. He already knows the drill.
How does your state's education agency allow that to happen? Being pulled out of a state-mandated testing session, I mean?
During our TAKS testing, the entire school is practically ordered to tiptoe the entire day. Those classes don't get disturbed for anything.
When is your Spring Break? Not soon enough, I bet.
Good luck getting through this fun time.
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