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Standardized Testing Chatboard

Teach skills to pass the test - stop teaching the test!

by Karren M

Jun 8, 2011

When I was growing up, my teachers taught us the skills to be able to pass any test that was thrown at us. Nowadays, we are teaching the children how to pass a test. I have literally seen teachers teaching from previous tests! When I was student teaching, I was taught to create my own lesson/unit plans based on the state curriculum. Teachers seriously lack the creativity to keep the students engaged in learning! I am a licensed K-6 teacher, but am currently substitute teaching in more than one school district. I have seen this in various grades and schools. We need to stop reading from scripts on how to teach math and use our creativity to entice the students to learn more! We would be more excited to present the lesson if it was something that WE created! It's okay to incorporate some test questions here and there to see how the students do, but let's please stop teaching them to pass a test ONLY! Let's have fun teaching! That's what it's all about!!

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jala On 6/14/11, Mae in Texas wrote: > I hear what you are saying and I agree. The problem is that > many teachers are not given much of a choice. Their hands are > tied behind their backs. The first district I worked in (not > my current one) required us to plan lessons based on the test > everyday, give weekly mini tests, graph them, ch...See MoreOn 6/14/11, Mae in Texas wrote: > I hear what you are saying and I agree. The problem is that > many teachers are not given much of a choice. Their hands are > tied behind their backs. The first district I worked in (not > my current one) required us to plan lessons based on the test > everyday, give weekly mini tests, graph them, chart them, and > turn them into the principle. If your class didn't do well on > the mini test or benchmarks, the teacher got into trouble. > Unfortunately -this is the life of many teachers. You can't > just close your door and teach either -not with admin > constantly looking over your shoulder, watching you dot your > i's and cross your t's. This is the harsh reality for many > teachers out there. It's sad, but true. Our society values > testing at all costs, and has come to devalue teachers as > professionals. > > Here is something I've learned over time in regards to state > tests. Kids who are above grade level can pass no matter what. > Kids on grade level need a certain amount of exposure to the > test. They might be able to read and comprehend the content, > but the questions trip them up. They need to learn how to read > the questions and answer stems, and how to attack the > question. A minor amount of exposure throughout the year, and > a lot of exposure the couple of weeks before the test is > generally enough to get them over the finish line. The kids > who are barely on grade level or below grade level are a > totally different matter. And this is where the rubber meets > the road. There may be a dozen reasons why a child struggles > -many (if not most) of those reasons are out of the teacher's > control, but the fact is, they become a number in the > standardized testing system. Society doesn't care. > Politicians don't care. Admin cares, but their hands are tied > behind their backs. Teachers care, but are not given a > choice. In the end, it all boils down to the numbers. And if > the numbers are not there it's the teacher's fault. The > schools are failing. The politicians go after the schools to > get their political kuddos, and society in general becomes > disgusted with the schools. People forget that there are > children behind the numbers. They focus on the numbers. It's > all about the bottom line. This is the reality of > standardized testing. Mae

Jun 22, 2011

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Jun 22, 2011

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Teri On 6/22/11, jala wrote: > On 6/14/11, Mae in Texas wrote: >> I hear what you are saying and I agree. The problem is that >> many teachers are not given much of a choice. Their hands are >> tied behind their backs. The first district I worked in (not >> my current one) required us to plan lessons based on the test >>...See MoreOn 6/22/11, jala wrote: > On 6/14/11, Mae in Texas wrote: >> I hear what you are saying and I agree. The problem is that >> many teachers are not given much of a choice. Their hands are >> tied behind their backs. The first district I worked in (not >> my current one) required us to plan lessons based on the test >> everyday, give weekly mini tests, graph them, chart them, and >> turn them into the principle. If your class didn't do well on >> the mini test or benchmarks, the teacher got into trouble. >> Unfortunately -this is the life of many teachers. You can't >> just close your door and teach either -not with admin >> constantly looking over your shoulder, watching you dot your >> i's and cross your t's. This is the harsh reality for many >> teachers out there. It's sad, but true. Our society values >> testing at all costs, and has come to devalue teachers as >> professionals. >> >> Here is something I've learned over time in regards to state >> tests. Kids who are above grade level can pass no matter what. >> Kids on grade level need a certain amount of exposure to the >> test. They might be able to read and comprehend the content, >> but the questions trip them up. They need to learn how to read >> the questions and answer stems, and how to attack the >> question. A minor amount of exposure throughout the year, and >> a lot of exposure the couple of weeks before the test is >> generally enough to get them over the finish line. The kids >> who are barely on grade level or below grade level are a >> totally different matter. And this is where the rubber meets >> the road. There may be a dozen reasons why a child struggles >> -many (if not most) of those reasons are out of the teacher's >> control, but the fact is, they become a number in the >> standardized testing system. Society doesn't care. >> Politicians don't care. Admin cares, but their hands are tied >> behind their backs. Teachers care, but are not given a >> choice. In the end, it all boils down to the numbers. And if >> the numbers are not there it's the teacher's fault. The >> schools are failing. The politicians go after the schools to >> get their political kuddos, and society in general becomes >> disgusted with the schools. People forget that there are >> children behind the numbers. They focus on the numbers. It's >> all about the bottom line. This is the reality of >> standardized testing. Mae

There are ways to get around all of the bs. My district requires us to give benchmark tests every three weeks. I treat them like classwork, not tests, and have the students work together to find the correct answers--they have to prove to their partner why the answer they chose is correct. It becomes a great teaching tool instead of "another test"

Jun 30, 2011

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Glenda 4TN On 6/14/11, Mae in Texas wrote: > > > Here is something I've learned over time in regards to state > tests. Kids who are above grade level can pass no matter what. > Kids on grade level need a certain amount of exposure to the > test. They might be able to read and comprehend the content, > but the questions trip them up. They ...See More

Jul 21, 2011

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Teacher In Texas, kids can pass social studies tests with pot knowing history if they know what happened in certain years or decades, iif they can interpret maps, tables and graphs. passing ELA and reading tests are harder. Kids have to know vocabulary, reading skills and writing skills. In some grades they have write a story or essay on topics in which th...See MoreIn Texas, kids can pass social studies tests with pot knowing history if they know what happened in certain years or decades, iif they can interpret maps, tables and graphs. passing ELA and reading tests are harder. Kids have to know vocabulary, reading skills and writing skills. In some grades they have write a story or essay on topics in which the have no prior knowledge or experience. One topic high school students have problems with is Write about a time when your life was changed. LD students have problems writing about a place they would like to visit. They also cannot write about a person the admire or a hero. Math and science students do not have the skills or knowledge to pass these tests the first time they are given. So we have repeat testing.

On 7/21/11, Glenda 4TN wrote: > On 6/14/11, Mae in Texas wrote: >> >> >> Here is something I've learned over time in regards to state >> tests. Kids who are above grade level can pass no matter what. >> Kids on grade level need a certain amount of exposure to the >> test. They might be able to read and comprehend the content, >> but the questions trip them up. They need to learn how to read >> the questions and answer stems, and how to attack the >> question. A minor amount of exposure throughout the year, and >> a lot of exposure the couple of weeks before the test is >> generally enough to get them over the finish line. The kids >> who are barely on grade level or below grade level are a >> totally different matter. And this is where the rubber meets >> the road. > > > Mae, > > I agree with your post. I would like to add one point. In TN we > are required to show gains with each student. The state has a > formula they use to compare the score the student made in 3rd > grade to the score they make in 4th grade. ALL students are to > show gains. I have found it is more difficult for the strong > students to show gains than the weaker students. > > The benchmark tests that we give has proven to be a great tool to > help us monitor each student's progress and gains. > > This year students in grades 3 - 9 will have a % of their last 9 > weeks grade based on the state test. > > Glend

Aug 15, 2013

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