The past two days we have given the TAKS test to our third graders. I swore my life away to the secrecy of the test and vowed not to look at it or inform anyone of the information on it....hmmm. Well, anyway, I'm tired of this silly test. On Tuesday, we gave the math test. Our "babies" spent 2-3 hours working on this test. I was blown away at the intensity of which they worked.....their little faces puzzled...stretching their little hands after using strategies...wondering when it's time for lunch....asking the most important question, "Aren't we having recess????"....work, work, work. Today we gave the reading test and they spent 3-4 1/2 hours. These kids are serious about this test and they don't want to disappoint anyone! I wanted to kick the test makers in the face. Why do they give a test that requires these children to sit for this length of time? Surely there is a better way to test them. Adults don't even sit for this length of time and work on anything. High school students who take SAT or ACT tests work for 3-4 hours...(I think). It is so much stress on these kiddos. I realize there must be a way to measure their knowledge, but it has gotten out of hand and from what I hear, the test will change and become even harder. Surely there is a way to test in a shorter amount of time! Funny thing is....we usually know who will pass it before the test is even passed out for them to take! The new test will be called STAR...I believe. We shall see what the STARs have in store for us!
Amen, amen, amen.
ReplyDeleteI guarantee that the makers of this silly test are so far removed from the classroom that they have NO IDEA what it's like there, and what they are asking of such young students!