Public school testing in your state?
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phillycat
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 Posted: 11/11/04 - 10:14 Post subject:
| sonnylax wrote: |
Take that one step further pc. Why do we reward those on govt. benefits with additional support when they bear more children they cannot care for? Doesn't that seem counterintuitive to you? |
Yes...it does. It makes me want to beat my head against a wall actually. There has to be a better solution.
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sonnylax
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Posted: 11/11/04 - 10:16 Post subject:
| phillycat wrote: |
Yes...it does. It makes me want to beat my head against a wall actually. There has to be a better solution. |
What is that better solution? The Democrats have held most of the congressional power for the last 100 years and we have more people dependant on govt. handouts then ever.
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bburgoyne26
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Posted: 11/11/04 - 10:29 Post subject:
Hey....were'nt we talking about school testing?
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elkid
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Posted: 11/11/04 - 10:29 Post subject:
| sonnylax wrote: | | Take that one step further pc. Why do we reward those on govt. benefits with additional support when they bear more children they cannot care for? Doesn't that seem counterintuitive to you? |
This is a real stretch, an overgeneralization, and WAY off topic.
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phillycat
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Posted: 11/11/04 - 10:32 Post subject:
| elkid wrote: |
This is a real stretch, an overgeneralization, and WAY off topic. |
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AlaninTX
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Posted: 11/11/04 - 10:32 Post subject:
Topic here is school testing in your state.
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brie k
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Posted: 11/11/04 - 10:36 Post subject:
Going back to the original question, I'm still trying to learn the tests here in IN, but they do I-Step starting in 3rd grade, and it's every other year or maybe just once in elementary, once in middle, once in high. Like I said, I'm not 100% sure and suppose I should be looking into it.
Will is in 2nd grade and took the TerraNova test, and I don't know if they are doing that in every early grade (k-2) or just 2nd.
These tests are tremendously anxiety-inducing for my kids. We talk about them, and I tell them just to do their best. I try to take the pressure off, but I don't know how well I succeed. They've both done very well though, and are in the 80th percentile or higher. Will was in the 97th percentile in more than a couple areas, and it was confirmed again that my 2nd grader is in the 5th grade reading level, although I had to go online to figure that out. They gave a number, 730, and left it there. That's frustrating. I take great pride in their academic success because I know that I've had a part in it.
Like most of you, I believe it is first and foremost my responsibility to make sure the children know what they need to know. I try to lead by example. We talk about how to treat people, we are big on manners, and we are big on studying and reading. I emphasize doing our very best work and not being lazy. Like many parents, there is much room for improvement in my discipline style. I still fight with myself on the consistency issue, but I think now I'm being more aware about picking my battles. I'm not perfect, and they're not going to be perfect, so I try to decide what behavior MUST never be tolerated, and what I can let slide. It's hard to be a parent, and the hardest part is not knowing that I'm doing it right.
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bburgoyne26
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Posted: 11/11/04 - 12:48 Post subject:
| AlaninTX wrote: | | Topic here is school testing in your state. |
Thanks Alan....although the other topic would make a good thread of it's own...if somebody wanted to start one...... 
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bburgoyne26
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Posted: 11/11/04 - 12:52 Post subject:
Oh Alan, while we're at it and since you're down in Austin.....you know that we have the SDAA in Texas....the State Developed Alternative Assessment for our special ed kids....there is talk that the feds may want us to throw that out and have everybody take the TAKS, except the 1% of the kids that NCLB will allow.....any thoughts, comments or inside information on that?.....(what is that big ole German Biergarten place down by the capitol where all the politicians hang out?....is that still there?)
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Gogirlgo
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Posted: 11/11/04 - 13:27 Post subject:
| bburgoyne26 wrote: | | Oh Alan, while we're at it and since you're down in Austin.....you know that we have the SDAA in Texas....the State Developed Alternative Assessment for our special ed kids....there is talk that the feds may want us to throw that out and have everybody take the TAKS, except the 1% of the kids that NCLB will allow.....any thoughts, comments or inside information on that?.....(what is that big ole German Biergarten place down by the capitol where all the politicians hang out?....is that still there?) |
Off topic, love that place.
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AlaninTX
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Posted: 11/11/04 - 13:31 Post subject:
To tell you the truth, I do not monitor public ed issues. I am not much help on this one.
PS--We all go the Cloak Room or the Brown Bar now.
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Ms. Jenn
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Posted: 11/11/04 - 22:15 Post subject:
| brie k wrote: | | Going back to the original question, I'm still trying to learn the tests here in IN, but they do I-Step starting in 3rd grade, and it's every other year or maybe just once in elementary, once in middle, once in high. Like I said, I'm not 100% sure and suppose I should be looking into it. |
If you can't pass the I-Step, you don't graduate from HS (at least that was the case in 1998-1999).
I know my daughter's school begins testing in the Spring. I believe each grade does the testing and I'm under the impression it's standard achievement testing. Since my daughter did not take the test last year, I am clueless.
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youngrunner
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Posted: 01/15/05 - 23:34 Post subject:
they aren't stressful! just boring and seemingly unimportant to the genral student population, despite the teachers constant reminders about how important they are....at least the SAT's are very important
here in missouri we are required to take MAP....no idea what what it stands for! it's just to compare the intelligence of students between schools, moniter progress, ect.
if my opinon were important, i think the GPA's and averages in different subjects (ones where there'd be controlled varibles, like guidelines on criteria) should be compared....and don't waste teaching time for reading stories about dust storms and answering questions on reading comprehension!
or at least have testing once a year in MO, since it's obvious that students are going to know more than they did at the beginning of the year.....
but that's just my worthless opinon, and it doesn't count since i'm just an 8th grade
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brie k
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Posted: 01/16/05 - 08:57 Post subject:
| youngrunner wrote: | they aren't stressful! just boring and seemingly unimportant to the genral student population, despite the teachers constant reminders about how important they are....at least the SAT's are very important
here in missouri we are required to take MAP....no idea what what it stands for! it's just to compare the intelligence of students between schools, moniter progress, ect.
if my opinon were important, i think the GPA's and averages in different subjects (ones where there'd be controlled varibles, like guidelines on criteria) should be compared....and don't waste teaching time for reading stories about dust storms and answering questions on reading comprehension!
or at least have testing once a year in MO, since it's obvious that students are going to know more than they did at the beginning of the year.....
but that's just my worthless opinon, and it doesn't count since i'm just an 8th grade |
Your opinion counts here at least. 
MAP = Missouri Assessment Program. I read an article from April '04 that says your MAP is scored according to more stringent guidelines than standardized tests of other states, so it appeared at that time that MO students weren't performing as well as students in other states. Just a little FYI there for you.
To be honest, as far as comprehension goes, I think that is a valuable tool in testing. That whole "reading is fundamental" thing, it's true. It doesn't matter what you can read -- my 8yo can read a lot of harder words. That doesn't mean he comprehends what he is reading (in his case, he does, but Will has been far above his grade level in reading for some time now). I want to know where my kids stand on that particular area so I can help them get to where they need to be.
I can see though where as an 8th grader the testing seems like a waste of time. As some of our educators here have pointed out, NCLB isn't as helpful as it was intended to be. You seem very intelligent. You're definitely using words in your writing that my 7th grader is not. So MO is doing is doing something right (and hopefully your parents have played a big role in this as well).
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Laurie Ellen
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Posted: 01/16/05 - 09:51 Post subject:
This is reason no. 112 on the list of Why I Homeschool.
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