Standardized Tests vs. Individuality
Topic emailed today from Hot Lady:
I have a topic that I would like to see discussed on TCT. My concern and interest is as follows.
I have a topic that I would like to see discussed on TCT. My concern and interest is as follows.
What is the reason for the FCAT, SAT, ACT, CPT and all other standardized test that must be taken in order to advance in ones schooling in Florida and across the country. Since birth, children are being told to be there own person and don't conform to the crowd, but these test are doing just that. These test look at everyones abilities like they are all the same. Does this seem like we are really teaching individuality?
Thanks...
These are basic skills assessment tests. You either learned something while you were in school or you didn't. Colleges use them: ACT, SAT, not sure on the other...to qualify you. How well you perform on these tests is a gage for how well prepared you are for the curriculum to come. FCAT: Are you a complete moron or not is my take on that one. And, yes I found 3 spelling errors while spell checking because I cheated all the way through school on spelling tests.
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First off, congratulations to the Taylor County Middle School for receiving some of the highest scores in the state. But my question of the topic (I am the one that wanted the topic) is the fact that these standardized test do not show any individuality. They are making our students learn a test, not learn the material. I completely agree that the state and the country need to have a say so in our public education, but why hire teachers? This is my main concern. I graduated recently from the TCSD, and trust me nothing that I was suppose to know on the FCAT or SAT/ACT, I have used in college. My only question is, why teach individuality if you are going to test us all the same?...
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The three tests you mention--FCAT, SAT, and ACT--test basic math, reading, and writing skills. I don't know of any college major that doesn't require basic math, reading, and writing skills.
And if you're going to go on and get a graduate degree, you'll be facing yet another standardized test--maybe the GRE or GMAT. These test skills that you may not specifically use for the degree you're persuing, but they're really just meant to ensure that applicants to a graduate program possess a minimum level of mental ability.
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Standardized tests aren't personality tests; they're aptitude tests. When it comes to personalities, individuality is great. But when it comes to aptitude, there are certain minimum standards required in order to function in society.
The FCAT, for example, tests the Sunshine State Standards skills. The SSS skills are skills that, by law, teachers in Florida are required to teach. So all the FCAT does is test whether kids are learning the skills teachers are supposed to be teaching.
FCAT and similar standardized tests came about as a result of the fact that students were graduating high school without being able to read, write, or perform math at a basic level. Because some teachers and schools clearly couldn't be trusted to make sure that students were learning what they were supposed to learn, standardized testing was required. It's not a perfect solution, but I can't think of a better one.
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Yes this is such a great test. My son is about to finish the second grade. I can not believe the level of penmenship that he and the other students have. Almost no time is spent to correct this in scholl because they have to worry about reading or prep for some state test if they wanted a true test it should be at random and they should not be focased on this one test they dont teach they prepare for skills test.
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Do I correctly understand that your complaint is that your son's classes spent too much time teaching students reading?
Because a student who can't read isn't going to succeed in ANY class, so clearly reading is critical (which the state has acknowledged--that's why kids have to pass the reading portion of the FCAT to get into 4th grade).
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That they spend to much time focused on a subject reading or prep for the cookie cutter a/b/c/d bubble tests to the loss of other subjects. When I was in school writing was just as important. We are dropping one of the cores of early education it used to be reading writing and arithmetic. Now its READING, ARITHmetic and what ever else we have the time for.
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Writing is STILL important; the FCAT tests it in 4th, 8th, and 10th grade. The FCAT tests science as well, and there's also talk of pulling in social studies.
But yes, reading remains the most important subject. Why? Because overwhelming data indicates that students who can't read well can't succeed in other subjects. They can't understand their textbooks for other subject areas if they can't read.
The transition from 3rd to 4th grade is when students move from "learning to read" to "reading to learn." That's a critical move, and it's why a very strong emphasis is placed on FCAT reading scores in 3rd grade--and why students are retained if their scores are too low.
I would encourage anyone who's interested in getting some facts about the FCAT to look at the Florida Department of Education's website at http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcatpub3.asp.
You can also look at actual FCAT exams at http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcatrelease.asp. Look over those tests, and tell me you honestly think kids can pass them without actually learning something--that they're being taught some "trick" to pass the test without truly understanding the science, reading, math, and writing skills that are being tested.
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I could write thousands more characters than the 3,000 allowed, but will just simply say that the biggest problem is that too much effort is spent on trying to get a good test score. It is not teaching content, but how to take a test. Anyone can be taught to take a standardized test. It does not mean they know how to learn the material.
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You're assuming there's no correlation between the test and actual knowledge. On what data do you base that, though? Do you have solid evidence that this is the case?
As for being taught how to take standardized tests... Well, that's a pretty important lesson to learn. We all have to take them throughout our lives--at every grade level, to get our driver's license, to get into college, to earn professional credentials. The list goes on and on.
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I doubt you could teach a 4th grader to have an advantage on an FCAT Test over another. If teachers are hammering on the core concepts like reading more than others its because the students may need that. It could be that the teacher notices certain areas need to be emphasized more than others. Here's an example of a standardized test: Read the paragraph I just wrote. Write a paragraph summarizing what Farmer was concerned about. Basic skills: reading, writing and comprehension. Either you get it or you don't. On to Math: 5 * 9 + 4 /(5 - 3) = ? Either you get it or you don't. Penmanship...don't remember but how hard was that one to master. Practice at home. If you notice that your child can't write...step up and fill in the gap. Pretty sure that was a 2nd grade lesson though. Penmanship: here's how the letters are supposed to look, uppercase, lowercase, cursive uppercase, lowercase again. Maybe you were lumping spelling and grammar into your complaint. By the way...it's perfectly legal to be a parent and teach your children yourself. Do people still read to their kids I wonder? Anyway...read to your kids and have them read back. Ask questions about what you just read and see if they get it. Throw down some math problems on a piece of paper and quiz. Unless your one of those parents with a 5th grade education...you should be able to handle that. Not that my family did this but crossword puzzles and sudoku. $5 for every sudoku puzzle you complete. Bet most of you haven't done a sudoku puzzle but they are excellent brain food.
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I want to know the 4th grader that can solve...
5 * 9 + 4 /(5 - 3) = ?...
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47
Parenthesis, Multiply, Divide, Add, Subtract
Multiply and Divide, left to right
Add and Subtract, left to right
Taught in 4th grade
Known as Order of Operations
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If you're curious about what each grade level is expected to know in accordance with Florida law, check out this site:
http://www.floridastandards.org/Standards/FLStandardSearch.aspx
Order of operations actually doesn't come until 5th grade.
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ha
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Introduced in 4th grade!
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“Hattie Bell can’t do math” is this some kind of joke or a video of a joke telling in living color? Don’t you just love youtube? Yak the smack. The correct answer is “how many students from “trailer county” have to complete remedial math courses to enter community college. Ask for the CPT results at NFCC, otherwise continue to live the clueless life. The debate is over, but the laughing continues.
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i like the way you talk. you are funny, not funny gay, funny ha ha. you are completely right! bill cox just told me the other day about how kids can't add-sbtract-multiply from this here school district. heck if we don't expect our school board and super of trailer county to know that there math, how can we expect the kids to know that there math. that's kinda like wasting potted meat on french fried taters, when the're better with mustard! that's all i got to say about that.
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Thank you, Thank you very much. I am not a gentleman farmer or a stand up comedian. The joke teller was not a school board member or the super, but rather a retired math teacher and county commissioner. But then you do not have to be a math head to figure this one out. If you think I am funny you should see the video. The jokes (caught on video) are not funny but the joke tellers are hysterically funny and clownish.
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After reading the local mullet wrapper on Friday, I am totally shocked that Taylor County School District did so poorly as a district after FCAT scores were released. Apparently, Steinhatchee School and TCMS are doing something TCES and TCHS are not doing because the first two schools were graded "A" while the last two received a "C" and "D", respectively. Here is an idea: find out what TCMS and Steinhatchee are doing that the other schools aren't and emulate their best practices. Apparently, what TCES and TCHS are doing isn't working. Maybe, teachers at those schools should get back to basics instead of teaching to the test because the proof is in the pudding. What is the problem at these two schools? The administration? The teachers? What??????
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