Curious people’s thoughts on this testing.
Here’s it’s a few hours a day for two full weeks. It seems total overkill. Every year.
I’ve always had mini do it - and I know the school appreciates it as they have said so to her (she’s a really good test taker). But she wants me to exempt her this year. She can just go into school three hours late for two weeks. It’s her last year of middle school.
I want her to value her time.
Curious what others have done.
Why would you?
She wants to read books at home and practice pitching in the morning. Which I may think is a better use of her time.
Perhaps they will rework the system to something more manageable if they get enough feedback.
They don’t have regular classes for two full weeks due to this testing. I value her teachers and classes over standardized testing for weeks at a time.
Aren’t these the tests where you find out if your kid is learning relative to other kids in the state?
You get those scores that your kid tested in the 90th percentile for math, 50th for reading comprehension, etc.
If your kid will do will, its good for the school. If your kid will do poorly, its prob best to exempt. the “reward” isnt for the kid its for the school.
There was a king of the hill episode on this.
Aren’t these the tests where you find out if your kid is learning relative to other kids in the state?
You get those scores that your kid tested in the 90th percentile for math, 50th for reading comprehension, etc.
No- that’s a totally different set of tests they do three times during the year (for a few days each). This is the one that rates the school and the teachers.
They makes each class 25 minutes for two weeks to allow for this- so after you settle a room of middle schoolers- there’s basically no school for two weeks (ETA they are also not allowed to assign any homework during this time). Plus the few days three times a year they do the other tests. I’m not sure why they can’t choose one or the other.
On Long Island a number of years ago, there were big protests over the State testing. My son lives in San Jose, and I asked him how the parents over there felt about it. He said ‘‘Are you kidding, the Japanese parents will say that your not testing my kids enough!’’
Taking standardized tests is a skill that will help her as long as they keep using standardized testing. These tests keep her skills up to date. (not saying it isn’t over kill, but this is a way to look at it positively)
If you like the school and the teachers this is a way to reward them since mini does well on these tests.
Not an option here. Our standardized testing is used for student placement.
It’s not just a skill. It embeds learning.
It’s not just a skill. It embeds learning.
Yes that is my understanding as well, recalling information for a test produces learning.
There is a ton of evidence that the process of just quizzing switches learning from short term - cramming - to embedding learning
.
I would guess that would depend on if they are taught to cram for a test or taught to learn.
Not sure there’s much taught to learn without “testing” - quizzing / forcing recall embeds knowledge
.
She wants to…practice pitching in the morning. Which I may think is a better use of her time.
Why? Does she plan on becoming a major league baseball player?
Curious people’s thoughts on this testing.
Here’s it’s a few hours a day for two full weeks. It seems total overkill. Every year.
I’ve always had mini do it - and I know the school appreciates it as they have said so to her (she’s a really good test taker). But she wants me to exempt her this year. She can just go into school three hours late for two weeks. It’s her last year of middle school.
I want her to value her time.
Curious what others have done.
I’m going to go against the grain of what seems to be the consensus reply to your question and say that in the scenario you describe I would absolutely let my child exempt from this type of testing if he wanted to.
She wants to read books at home and practice pitching in the morning. Which I may think is a better use of her time.
Perhaps they will rework the system to something more manageable if they get enough feedback.
They don’t have regular classes for two full weeks due to this testing. I value her teachers and classes over standardized testing for weeks at a time.
My kid loves baseball and would choose practicing over school. My take is, if he doesn’t do the school, the baseball doesn’t happen.
My worry would be that letting them skip this may set a precedent for thinking other things are a waste of time and therefore unnecessary. The problem is that not everyone has the same criteria for necessary and it might not end in her favour.
She wants to…practice pitching in the morning. Which I may think is a better use of her time.
Why? Does she plan on becoming a major league baseball player?
First- you clipped out reading- which since she read 51 books last year is probably the reason she scores so high- not the repetitive test taking.
But- No- she’s learning to have personal drive and work hard at something really challenging that she cares about.
Which IMO is probably more useful that spending 14 hours taking tests to prove she learned math and reading for the third time this year (but don’t worry, there’s 6 weeks of school left and there will still be another opportunity for getting benchmarked!)
She wants to read books at home and practice pitching in the morning. Which I may think is a better use of her time.
Perhaps they will rework the system to something more manageable if they get enough feedback.
They don’t have regular classes for two full weeks due to this testing. I value her teachers and classes over standardized testing for weeks at a time.
My kid loves baseball and would choose practicing over school. My take is, if he doesn’t do the school, the baseball doesn’t happen.
My worry would be that letting them skip this may set a precedent for thinking other things are a waste of time and therefore unnecessary. The problem is that not everyone has the same criteria for necessary and it might not end in her favour.
That’s my general rule and I think she’s very surprised I’m even considering her request. Quite a lot of families do opt out.
She wants to…practice pitching in the morning. Which I may think is a better use of her time.
Why? Does she plan on becoming a major league baseball player?
Because it’s enjoyable.