Texas State Tests...Serving Their Purpose?

Question

Does anyone, anywhere, agree that the amount of pressure being placed on our children to perform high on these state exit tests are getting absurd? I understood that the purpose of these tests ensure the teachings of the teacher and what is being taught, but I believe that my third grader has stopped learning just follows guidleines. Everyday she brings home multiple worksheets for practice. She had memorized steps and procedures and has not learned the signifiances behind them. Our school district is one of the best according to state scores, but that is all that it focuses on. I have thought about hiring a private teacher, or governess, to teach them at home, because I don't feel that they are learning up to their full potential. I am currently working on my master's degree, and realize that college expect so much more than what is on those exit exams, and I don't know if our children will be prepared.

Answer 1

I one hundred percent think the stress is crazy! I worked in Texas for just one year in a large urban district, and what I saw was really distressing. This was BEFORE No Child Left Behind, so I can only imagine that things have gone from bad to worse. At that time, everyone was terrified of not getting an Excellent rating, and children in my buildings were repeatedly referred to Special Education because they didn't do well on the benchmarks, not even the TASS itself! Never mind test anxiety, the fact the kid may have been sick, or that the student made straight A's. So frustrating.



What's more frustrating is that with NCLB every school is now falling into that same mess of teaching to the test. What you discuss in your question, learning process and not just rules, is one of the pitfalls. There's no time to apply logic when you have so much time to fill in a bubble and move on to the next question. Following rules is quicker but in no way is better for the student!



One other issue I have is how does the state education board decide what should be on the test and why! And is it developmentally appropriate? Some of the people aren't even educators!

Answer 2

First, try to make sure you have the right bill. It's not House Resolution 362. That one was for scholarships for math and science teachers (short answer). Your link is for H. Con. Res. 362 which is a completely different subject. 362 (the current one) simply expands on the Clinton policy from 1996. We do not need nor should we seek any form of approval from the UN to deal with our nations problems. There is enough evidence that, like Korea, Iran is enriching Uranium and that Uranium could easily end up in the wrong hands. These moves are necessary in the world and if you don't understand that then you are either too simple or too naive to even deserve an opinion on international politics.

Answer 3

Well both my girls have gone to school here in Texas. One is now a college graduate the other a senior in high school. I never thought twice about the expectations. The schools and state need to collect information. As artificial as it seems this is how they collect data. My oldest was offered to go in high tract at the end of kindergarten. She turned it down didn't want extra homework. I did not have my ego there so I let her decide. My youngest has taken higher tract classes since first grade. Neither was stressed by the tests or things they did to be prepared. I have never felt the need for my children to be home schooled. Perhaps you should home school them if you are wigged about the testing.