My kid is more than a test score

Join Teachers.Net

Chatboards

Recent Groups

Standardized Testing

MEMBERS

3 Members

+ Join Group

Pinned Posts

ALLAll Teachers

Teachers.Net LIVE CHAT Support group - Tues eve!

Featured Jobs

Full-timeMontessori Teacher

Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada

TemporaryTeachers, rural schools

Peace River North School District

Full-timeHead Teacher: 2nd/3rd Grades – Mills College Children’s School

Mills College

Teaching Jobs on Teachers.Net

Featured Job special only $39!

https://teachers.net/jobs

Become a Teachers.Net sponsor!

Standardized Testing Chatboard

My kid is more than a test score

by j.e.

Jun 3, 2011

And so are the teachers and the schools. When will 'the powers' learn? When will they ever learn!!

Comment

(9)

report post

view previous comments

men Test scores show who can take tests well, not how much the students actually know. I was always stumped by the fact that the schools my kids attended chose their gifted and talented kids based purely on their state test scores. I asked the principal what test scores had to do with being gifted and talented, and she said, "nothing, but that is what ...See More

Jun 3, 2011

report post

Rosie I've felt this way for years. I've always felt that while test scores have a place, the most important thing is a student's performance in the classroom.

Jun 3, 2011

report post

judy5ca Great point, men, about testing the ability to take a test. Is that a life skill? Judy

On 6/03/11, men wrote: > > Test scores show who can take tests well, not how much the > students actually know. I was always stumped by the fact that the > schools my kids attended chose their gifted and talented kids > based purely on the...See More

Jun 3, 2011

report post

Jo On 6/03/11, j.e. wrote: > And so are the teachers and the schools. When will 'the > powers' learn? When will they ever learn!!

Yes, your kid is more than a test score. It would be fanstastic if every school and every teacher REALLY focused on identifying and remediating the students that were below grade level so when they left schoo...See MoreOn 6/03/11, j.e. wrote: > And so are the teachers and the schools. When will 'the > powers' learn? When will they ever learn!!

Yes, your kid is more than a test score. It would be fanstastic if every school and every teacher REALLY focused on identifying and remediating the students that were below grade level so when they left school they could fill out job applications, have the math skills to do basic math, write a brief business letter, but we have reality from the past.

You may feel differently if your child, nephew, niece, grandchild, friends child, was overlooked and the test could identify that they really were doing poorly regardless of classroom grades. What happened to these kids? What happens to them now?

I would much rather my child tested each year on minimum compentency because I've seen school systems and teachers ignore below grade level work and push it off as not a problem. NO child should be forced to attend school when there is no accountability to the school.

I know there are plenty of issues that go into helping a child achieve in school. No one forces the schools to teach TO THE TEST - whatever that really means on a reading or math test which is all NCLB requires (reading and math). I watched our local schools start teaching "to the test". Do you know what that meant? All of those silly, non-learning fill time activities they had for the students FOREVER had to be abandoned because the kids were failing the tests. That made them mad. They now had to teach "to the test". They couldn't fill the days taking weeks to teach 20 minutes of concepts or facts. They could no longer accept students reading 2 grade levels behind in 3rd grade and call it developmental when they know the child never had much instruction in word blending, letter sounds. Instead of teaching a child the letter sounds he didn't know they gave books and told the kid to guess based on the picture. This school is still fighting mightily to keep its old ways and blaming the test. Fact is until parents couldn't afford to do so, huge percentages of parents were having the kids tutored. This isn't a poor school with limited funds and huge behavior problems and parents that don't care, but a school that doesn't like testing because it actually unconvers the reality of how the school is run.

Yes, my child is more than a test, but if my child is taught well, the minimum compentency standards for reading, writing and math shouldn't be an issue.

I could see this fight at the upper level for courses like Algebra 2, Chemistry, Physics, AP loaded schools, but when it comes to minimum compentency for reading, writing, and math, I am so happy the tests have been implemented. Now if we can just get schools to change their attitude and stop fighting the "tests" and start chaning how they run the school and really teaching well so the tests are just a mere window dressing.

Look at examples of RTI (which is not a special education regulation). Why should the government ever had to say, you need to identify weak students and give them more help. If that doesn't work, give them more? Think about it. The government should have NEVER had to tell schools this IF they already were giving the kids extra. Schools still aren't on board and some still have no clue how to do this.

My kid is more than a test, but my child's 13 years should not be put in jeapordy because of where they live with no accountability to prove the school at which they are mandated to be is actually doing what they are supposed to do in lieu of activities a teacher thinks is fabulous.

Jun 4, 2011

report post

CC The work world is changing. Some companies now have group "interviews" to see how well you get along with a group of workers. I know BestBuy uses this technique.

On 6/04/11, Jo wrote: > On 6/03/11, j.e. wrote: >> And so are the teachers and the schools. When will 'the >> powers' learn? When will they ever learn!! > > ...See MoreThe work world is changing. Some companies now have group "interviews" to see how well you get along with a group of workers. I know BestBuy uses this technique.

On 6/04/11, Jo wrote: > On 6/03/11, j.e. wrote: >> And so are the teachers and the schools. When will 'the >> powers' learn? When will they ever learn!! > > Yes, your kid is more than a test score. It would be > fanstastic if every school and every teacher REALLY focused on > identifying and remediating the students that were below grade > level so when they left school they could fill out job > applications, have the math skills to do basic math, write a > brief business letter, but we have reality from the past. > > You may feel differently if your child, nephew, niece, > grandchild, friends child, was overlooked and the test could > identify that they really were doing poorly regardless of > classroom grades. What happened to these kids? What happens > to them now? > > I would much rather my child tested each year on minimum > compentency because I've seen school systems and teachers > ignore below grade level work and push it off as not a > problem. NO child should be forced to attend school when > there is no accountability to the school. > > I know there are plenty of issues that go into helping a child > achieve in school. No one forces the schools to teach TO THE > TEST - whatever that really means on a reading or math test > which is all NCLB requires (reading and math). I watched our > local schools start teaching "to the test". Do you know what > that meant? All of those silly, non-learning fill time > activities they had for the students FOREVER had to be > abandoned because the kids were failing the tests. That made > them mad. They now had to teach "to the test". They couldn't > fill the days taking weeks to teach 20 minutes of concepts or > facts. They could no longer accept students reading 2 grade > levels behind in 3rd grade and call it developmental when they > know the child never had much instruction in word blending, > letter sounds. Instead of teaching a child the letter sounds > he didn't know they gave books and told the kid to guess based > on the picture. This school is still fighting mightily to > keep its old ways and blaming the test. Fact is until parents > couldn't afford to do so, huge percentages of parents were > having the kids tutored. This isn't a poor school with > limited funds and huge behavior problems and parents that > don't care, but a school that doesn't like testing because it > actually unconvers the reality of how the school is run. > > Yes, my child is more than a test, but if my child is taught > well, the minimum compentency standards for reading, writing > and math shouldn't be an issue. > > I could see this fight at the upper level for courses like > Algebra 2, Chemistry, Physics, AP loaded schools, but when it > comes to minimum compentency for reading, writing, and math, I > am so happy the tests have been implemented. Now if we can > just get schools to change their attitude and stop fighting > the "tests" and start chaning how they run the school and > really teaching well so the tests are just a mere window > dressing. > > Look at examples of RTI (which is not a special education > regulation). Why should the government ever had to say, you > need to identify weak students and give them more help. If > that doesn't work, give them more? Think about it. The > government should have NEVER had to tell schools this IF they > already were giving the kids extra. Schools still aren't on > board and some still have no clue how to do this. > > My kid is more than a test, but my child's 13 years should not > be put in jeapordy because of where they live with no > accountability to prove the school at which they are mandated > to be is actually doing what they are supposed to do in lieu > of activities a teacher thinks is fabulous. >

Jun 4, 2011

report post