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Category Archives: Testing
not quite ready for the S.A.T.s
I’ve been testing every morning for the last three days. It’s a district assessment for reading and it involves a lot of phonemic awareness activities, like: “Say ‘nice’. Now say it again without the /n/”. I have to record all the answers on this fancy Palm Pilot which then uploads all the student data into the computer.
It’s a worthwhile test, actually, and it gives a pretty accurate picture of the students’ reading abilities (I can’t say that for all tests, unfortunately).
Usually the general ed. teachers are supposed to administer this test to their own students. But I don’t know what the district is thinking! They give us a deadline, and then they’re all: “Yeah, just pull one student at a time to the back of the room while the other students are doing something else.”
Umm…. First of all this test takes 30 to 40 minutes to administer PER CHILD. Secondly, have the geniuses up at the district level never spent time with children? Especially young children? They are not independent and quiet enough to “do something else” while the teacher tests.
So the first grade teacher that I work with is pretty sure that I’m some sort of saint because I volunteered to do all the testing for this one. I really don’t mind — it’s kind of a nice break from routine.
I feel bad for the kids that I know are really low, though. I have to give them a list of words to read, and even if they can’t, they still have to try. I say “do your best”, and if I sense that they are getting discouraged, I say something like “we just want to know which words to practice this year.”
I was testing one such student yesterday. I gave him the word list to read (it starts out: get, cut, bump…). And he said:
“I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know.”
So I gave him my spiel about doing your best and just finding out what words he needs to practice. Then he turns to me and says:
“Yeah, I need to practice these before I go to college!”
While I was busy laughing on the inside, he added: “‘Cuz I’m going to college next year!”
Posted in Testing
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a rude awakening
Today I went to Day 2 of a three day training for reading workshop. It’s a statewide event, so there were TONS of teachers there.
I managed to find two other teachers from my school and we met up for lunch. On our way back to our afternoon sessions, I asked “Paula” how she liked being a teacher. Paula came to our school in January of last year to take over a Kindergarten class. She had been a banker for a number of years before her career change.
Here’s what she had to say:
You know, it’s funny. It seems like every time I turn around, another assessment is due. I feel like I’m always testing. I always thought that as a teacher, I would be doing more….. teaching.
So in honor of Paula, and all of the new teachers out there who may or may not have heard this from their training programs, I offer the following chart:
Does this ring true with you?
Posted in Classroom Life, conference, Reflections, teaching, Testing
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Boasting and bawling
On Friday, I had to break the test results to my fifth graders. You know, the state standardized reading and math tests? The tests that are so important that every single staff meeting has been about them? The tests that are so important we forced struggling students to stay after school for two hours of tutoring on Tuesdays, Thursdays… and SATURDAYS?
Yes, those test results.
As it’s kind of a big deal, I made sure to let the whole class know that:
1. I was proud of them for the amount of effort they put into to taking those tests (and how hard you try is ultimately more important in life than if you pass any one test)
2. They were not under any circumstances allowed to discuss with their classmates whether they passed or failed. [The last thing I want to deal with is boasting and bawling]
So then I broke it to them in a different room, one by one. The kids who passed were gleeful! Most passed at least one of the tests. I had one student who failed both the reading and the math. When I told him, he cried big crocodile tears.
I let the two students who failed the reading test know that I was going to be working with them for the next two weeks (until the state standardized retests) to give them a better chance of passing. We’ll be working just the three of us for two hours after lunch (throwing off the rest of my schedule, but whatever, I’m just following orders).
The counselor pulled aside one of my boys to chat about the test results a little later in the day. She was kind enough to relay this conversation to me:
Counselor: “How do you feel about passing the math test?”
Student: “I feel so great. It’s like I’m in a new magical place!!”
Counselor: “How do you feel about failing the reading test? I know you tried so hard and even stayed late after school to finish it”
Student: “[sigh] I’m really sad about it. But I’m happy to be working with Mrs. B. I know I will learn a lot from her.”
When the counselor relayed this conversation to me (especially that last part), I wondered briefly how appropriate it would be to frame that quote and hang it behind my desk. Or get it embroidered on a pillow. Or printed on a t-shirt.
The most heartwarming type of praise is usually spoken from our students, isn’t it?
Posted in Kids Say, Reflections, teaching, Testing
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Pee happens
I was talking with a friend of mine over the weekend who admitted to drinking at least one can of soda each day at work (she’s an accountant). “The only problem,” she said, “is that I have to get up and pee a lot”
To which I replied: “Hey at least you have the luxury of peeing whenever you want to!”
You know, because I’m a teacher. And we have to wait until recess or our planning period or lunch to go pee.
I have this vision of what it’s like to not be a teacher: you get expense accounts, an hour or two for lunch, and you can leave your office whenever you feel like peeing. No holding it!!
Then yesterday happened.
Yesterday was the state standardized test for our fourth graders. The rules for administering the test are taken very seriously. Like you have to go to special meetings, sign papers, vow not to do ANYTHING except stand there and monitor the students. Anyways, there were many special education students (including mine) testing out in the portable (there are five or six classrooms in ours). There are extra staff available in the hall to escort children who need to use the bathroom to and from the main building. They are also available to stand in for us should any of us teachers need to use the bathroom.
I’ve gone through this testing stuff before with my fifth graders at the beginning of the month. But this time was different. One of the staff, upon returning from the staff bathroom (which is located in the nurse’s office) reported in hushed whispers that the nurse was MAKING TALLY MARKS for each time you left your room to use the bathroom.
TALLY MARKS. I’m assuming that this sheet of paper will get handed to the principal (who undoubtedly asked for it in the first place). And what will the principal do with it? Will she write us up for insufficient bladder control? Do we have a pee-pee quota I’m not aware of? Will she confiscate the pop in the vending machines? Will she make teachers start using a hall pass?
I think I’m going to be sick. But wait, that would mean running to the bathroom, which apparently is no longer allowed…
Read with a tone of dripping sarcasm
Tomorrow is The Big Day for my fifth graders: it’s the first day of the three days they’ll spend taking the state standardized test.
To “motivate” them, we held a pep rally for an hour this afternoon (argh, gag me!).
If months of after-school tutoring didn’t do the trick, then SURELY this video will help them pass!
Posted in Testing
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PISA results as Rorschach
The education press is abuzz about the release of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009 results, so it’s a good time for some semi-snarky speculation about excuses for the less-than-stellar relative scores for US students a… Continue reading →