Anyone else's kids refusing state tests?

[Tinijocaro]

My kid hates them, but we just tell him that it is what it is and not to stress because in the end they don't really mean a stinking thing.

So if they don't mean a stinking thing, why have your kids take them. Why not be a part of getting them eliminated from the schools so teachers can do what they do best-teach.

 

[sunshinehighway]

I want much more for my kids education than going from one test to another. There's no exploration or creativity in test taking. My kids have some wonderfully talented teachers who are not allowed to teach in a creative way due to all these tests.

My kids will study AP tests to get ready for the AP's, not some state test written by a huge money making corporation such as Pearson, who has no vested interest in education. My kids will do practice SAT tests and ACT tests to prepare for those tests.

Do we really want the education of our kids to come down to going from one bubbly sheet test to another? I don't.

How does your child not taking the test change that?


The tests are kind of annoying because teachers now teach so the students will do well on the test. It's not like the kids aren't learning or doing anything creative though.
It also might help them later when then need to take things like SATs. I think parents who make a huge sink about it have children who don't test well.

 

[Tinijocaro]

Florida friends: you DO have the option to refuse those tests. Do ten mintues of research and you will see for yourself. Teh teachers MUST put the test in front of your child. Your child may refuse at that point.

http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/Can_Students_Opt_Out_of_the_FCAT_119520799.html

http://www.susanohanian.org/show_yahoo.php?id=738

"But the law is silent on what happens if a parent or child opts out.

Each year, scores of kids statewide miss the exams, a state education department spokeswoman said. And while school districts need 90 percent of children to take exams to get a school grade, the impact on the child is minimal. Only two of the exams dictate if a child will move on to the next grade or graduate from high school: the third-grade and the tenth-grade reading exams. In each case, there are options for children who miss or fail the exams.

Third-graders can present a portfolio of work that demonstrates their reading skills. High school students can submit concordant scores on the SAT or ACT. "

 

[mom2rtk]

How does your child not taking the test change that?


The tests are kind of annoying because teachers now teach so the students will do well on the test. It's not like the kids aren't learning or doing anything creative though.
It also might help them later when then need to take things like SATs. I think patents who make a huge sink about it have children who don't test well.

I agree. Opting out won't change anything.

My oldest had a terrible time with the pressure of "the test" when he first started taking it back in 3rd grade. We worked with him to develop coping strategies to overcome those feelings.

He's a junior in college now studying to become a CPA. I'm pretty sure that exam is going to be even more stressful....... and not one he can opt out of.

 

[Tinijocaro]

How does your child not taking the test change that?


The tests are kind of annoying because teachers now teach so the students will do well on the test. It's not like the kids aren't learning or doing anything creative though.
It also might help them later when then need to take things like SATs. I think patents who make a huge sink about it have children who don't test well.

It is taking a stand. This is a huge year, especially in NYS, for parents saying enough is enough. NYS is going to have to evaluate these tests after this year since so many kids/parents are refusing. The goal, and it may still take a few years, is to greatly reduce or completely eliminate these tests.

Our children don't learn from taking these tests. They never get to see how they did! At least in NYS, all they receive in the mail is a grade of 1-4. No feedback on why they got the grade they did. No explanation for where things might have gone wrong for some students on the test. Teachers don't even receive that. How do you learn from a number?? "I'm a 4" "I'm a 2"

As far as the only people refusing being kids who don't test well-I can only speak for my kids but mine have always gotten 3's or 4's on these tests. Being a teacher myself, I don't just care about my kids who do fine on the tests-I care about ALL kids.

 

[disneyjunkie]

I think patents who make a huge sink about it have children who don't test well.

I have been teaching for 22 years. Each year I hear more and more parents are making noise about THE TEST. None of those parents have children who score 3s or 4s on the state exams.

 

[Southernmiss]

I have been teaching for 22 years. Each year I hear more and more parents are making noise about THE TEST. None of those parents have children who score 3s or 4s on the state exams.

What's the grading scale? I don't understand if 3s and 4s are good in this instance or not.

Our kids have to take a variety of state tests, a few are required for graduation. Never thought about opting out and really I wouldn't. But my kids are ok test takers. We don't put a lot of credence in them, but the ACT is different.

I remember taking the California achievement test (CAT) as a kid. Not a big deal then either.

 

[aprilgail2]

We are in Ny state. My 6th grader will not be taking any state tests this year. Last year DS refused the 8 grade rests. My two older kids always took them, I guess we hadn't given them a thought.

The tests do not benefit my kids in any way and test prep takes away from actual instruction. Being in education, I learning more and more that teachers in general support refusal of taking these tests.

Almost every teacher I know has their kids refuse the state test, the only one that doesn't is one who teaches in the same district and doesn't have tenure so she is afraid they will not give her tenure if she has her kids refuse.

I have been teaching for 22 years. Each year I hear more and more parents are making noise about THE TEST. None of those parents have children who score 3s or 4s on the state exams.

That is so not true- my daughter and my friends daughter were 2 of the kids that refused testing last year- BOTH of them score 4's every year. Last year my daughter was in 8th grade and advanced classes in math and science and had to take a state regents in both- in addition they wanted to give her the state test in both subject that every other kids was taking too and I said no- you are giving her one state test and that should be enough for you! Well funny thing, this year the rule has changed, if your child is in advanced classes they are now only required to take the regents and not the standard state tests in both subjects.

Last year they tell the parents "we don't put any stress on the kids about the state tests" well I guess some teachers didn't get that message because my daughter came home telling me that one of the teachers was telling the kids if they don't do well on the test then they lose their elective class for 9th grade and have to take extra help classes in the subject they didn't do well on instead. Another told the kids they had to do good so "her grade" was good. Sorry but no way are you putting pressure on my child to grade how well a teacher is doing.

Last year our district figured they would punish those "rebels" who refused testing and they made a "sit and stare" policy. So basically they were not allowed to do anything those hours of the state test every day, no reading, no learning--just sitting and staring. I asked my daughter what she wanted to so and she said sit and stare was fine so we went with that. She ended up rolling up her coat and putting it on the desk and taking a nap every day. They actually woke her up once because she was snoring and distracting the other kids which was EXACTLY what I told the principal would happen when they told me she would be in the class with kids taking the test-I had said "don't you think this will distract the kids taking the test having other kids in the class NOT taking it" well--now this year they have announced no more "sit and stare" the kids will be taken to other rooms where they can read, work on schoolwork etc.

 

[Tinijocaro]

I have been teaching for 22 years. Each year I hear more and more parents are making noise about THE TEST. None of those parents have children who score 3s or 4s on the state exams.

Why does it matter who complains? Struggling students are affected by high takes testing, probably more so than the kids who get 3's and 4's. They probably should be making the most noise.

 

[jodifla]

There's a nationwide movement to opt out of these tests that's been fueled by the horrible experiences kids and teachers are having with the new Common Core testing. Kids are failing the earlier versions at alarming rates -- they simply aren't understanding what the curriculum, and the test are written above current grade average. In every state that has launched Common Core testing, only about 30 percent of the kids pass. And some states like NY are tying graduation to passing the tests.

New Hampshire teachers took a pilot test of the new Common Core Smarter Balanced tests. Here's what they said.

http://dianeravitch.net/2014/02/10/what-went-wrong-with-common-core-testing-in-nashua-new-hampshire/

Listed below are some of the concerns that were shared by our staff:

*I feel sad for the students who have to take this test — not many will be successful.

*Much is said about “depersonalizing” information as part of a learning strategy. This is not how students learn.

*There is too much “stuff” going on the screen at once. It is difficult to move the icons where you want them. Students don’t know how to use the “mouse” everything for them is “tough screen”.
If you leave the screen for a short period of time the information on the screen will be gone when you return. “I tried the grade six-grade math—it was humbling. It was scary.

*I had technology problems. If kids have these problems they’ll just quit.

*Double-wide monitors would help. I am a huge fan of concept maps but notepad does not let you do that on Smarter Balance. You can’t even copand paste from the notepad into the test.

*This was more of a test on the computer skills than on the math concepts. If I was a student I would just pickout an answer and move on.

*Too tedious—kids will get sick of it and just guess to move on. Kids won’t even get past the computer directions.

These are just a sample of the concerns that were raised at this meeting. We did shift to “what do we have to do from now until the spring of 2015 to prepare students. Sample answers include:

*Pay attention to the directions. Provide students with many opportunities to read directions for their assignments.

*You can’t just read this test and then respond. Students need to highlight and take notes—especially during the audio questions.

*Students need to learn to “read the question first”.

*Students need to be able to go back into the text passages to pull out data that will support their answers.

*Students need to read through the questions and all possible answers. Sometimes questions give the answers to other questions in the test.

*Kids need to know how to do “note taking”.

*We need to teach students “how to draw an inference”.

*Students need to learn how to write a transition sentence between two paragraphs.
*Students need to learn how to write using “the speakers” voice.
*Students need to memorize formulas in this test.
*Students will have difficulty writing in the boxes that expand because of the technology of the way the box expands.
*Students will have trouble reading and understanding the directions and what is being asked by the question. Is this test closely aligned to the “common core?” It is important that teachers know what the test will be assessing.

*I am concerned that the math test is not necessarily testing students’ math abilities since there is so much reading. This test seems to assess how well the students read the math questions more than their math skills. Thus, because of the amount of reading, I question the validity of our receiving a math ability score.

*When Measured Progress developed the NECAP there was a committee on bias to check for testing bias. Does Smarter Balance do the same? Also, math teachers were asked to evaluate the questions to eliminate unnecessary verbiage so that the Math was being tested.

*The opening pages of directions and computer information was ridiculous. I didn’t read it—I’m sure my students won’t. Suggestions: We should have posters made of the most important and often used keys to post in each math classroom. Students need to practice making equations in Word, including the fractions symbol. We need to teach students to distinguish between on correct answer and many correct answers. There are questions that tell the students to choose the correct answers.

*The test is difficult to navigate with so many keystrokes to juggle.
*The page layout makes it eye weary even though you can expand the screen and zoom in and out.
*The passages are lengthy and time consuming and made me consider just choosing “B” so I could move on. Some terms in the reading seemed out-dated—“Plumb crazy and millwright” for example.
I had to use multiple skills and at the same time multitask—id—the audio portions require me to listen and at the same time read possible answers while constructing a well written paragraph in my head.

*The test assumes the students are skilled in such areas as pre-reading and questions and if they are not, it assumes they will learn while taking the test to read the questions in advance of the reading.

*There wasn’t a flow or cadence to the questions. The type or style of questions changed from one to the next. The answers were not straight forward—for example on the math test they did not want the answer to the equation, they wanted to know if the answer was 2/3rd greater than what you started with. I understand this is import ant but this test will be exhausting for the kids.

*The idea of the best answer and then there being 2 or more good and appropriate answers. It felt like a trick. We’re going to look bad for a few years.

*I did 30 questions in an hour and then had to take a break. My eyes hurt and my shoulders felt strained. When I returned 5 minutes later the work was gone.

*Each question is totally different than the one before it creating confusion which creates more confusion for the test takers.

*Frustration level builds as your take the test creating mental despair—students will shut down.
Many of the math questions seemed to have no basis in the real world and skills that will never be used in life. Students will need to be taught the technology skills for the test.—scrolling through screens, highlighting, scanning the questions, touch typing, and more.

*The test does not encourage students to use writing webs, brain maps, organizers to assist with writing. Summary: In my opinion, this test is a sad indictment of how disconnected the people who design the test are from the typical students in the classroom. Assessment is necessary but it should be designed to be developmentally appropriate for the students being tested. Assessment should also all for different methods to demonstrate competency rather than one computer model. This test is designed for one type of student—the verbal learner with exceptional executive functioning skills.

*I took the Grade 7 Language Arts test which I believe is developmentally designed for adults, not seventh grade students. The questions were tedious and punitive. I’m not sure that any seventh grader in the St ate would be able to score well on this test. The worst part of this test was the directions. They were numerous and multifaceted. After observing middle school students take tests for over a decade, it is my firm belief that most kids will stop reading the directions because there are too many and they are far too complex. Students will fail this test and the test will destroy their confidence which is an important stage of their development. In addition, the results of this test will become a public relations night mare for the school and the school districts as children will fail in large numbers.

 

[Tinijocaro]

What's the grading scale? I don't understand if 3s and 4s are good in this instance or not. Our kids have to take a variety of state tests, a few are required for graduation. Never thought about opting out and really I wouldn't. But my kids are ok test takers. We don't put a lot of credence in them, but the ACT is different. I remember taking the California achievement test (CAT) as a kid. Not a big deal then either.

The rubric is 1-4, 4 being the highest grade, 1being the lowest.

 

[Cadets74]

I have been teaching for 22 years. Each year I hear more and more parents are making noise about THE TEST. None of those parents have children who score 3s or 4s on the state exams.

A lot of parents that throw a fit about the test are upset with the amount of class time dedicated to "learning the test".... It takes away from actual learning... They spend time teaching testing format and techniques for these specific test... Then when it comes to the actual curriculum they are pressed for time to get everything in... I remember last year in Math they did a mini-unit for for my then 6th grader because they just didn't have the time and the teacher specifically said that the state test required more class hours then they had planned. I have three kids taking them now and 1 is horrible at math... One is great at math and all three are average in English... and since it doesn't count against their grade that would be the last reason I made them opt out.

 

[Help Please!]

Hey, Florida people...

No. Your kids (at least at the elementary level) DON'T have to take the FCAT. I am a public school teacher, and every year, we have 3rd graders who don't pass. And every year, we have teachers who put together a portfolio of that student's work to prove that they have the skills, and the kids move on.

My son is 2. Frankly, I don't know what I'm going to do when he's 5. The amount of testing in kindergarten is INSANE. I completely understand people who opt out for their kids in elementary school...I can't even express to you how much they are tested. Things that most parents don't even realize, so many district tests, so many subjects. It's so messed up.

 

[aprilgail2]

My son is 2. Frankly, I don't know what I'm going to do when he's 5. The amount of testing in kindergarten is INSANE. \

I find everything about kindergarten insane right now. Used to be they taught you the ABC's and how to write them and spell your name etc. My daughter babysits a kindergarten boy after school and does his homework with him- she took a pic of his homework last week and sent it to me - "write down 10 items in your house and then write a 75-100 word story including all those items". That is not the kindergarten my daughter went to 9 years ago! And this was not a "advanced" class, its just a group of everyday students. I feel sorry for the kids that don't go to preschool and go into kindergarten not already knowing their ABC's and basic sight words!

 

[delyrium]

I find everything about kindergarten insane right now. Used to be they taught you the ABC's and how to write them and spell your name etc. My daughter babysits a kindergarten boy after school and does his homework with him- she took a pic of his homework last week and sent it to me - "write down 10 items in your house and then write a 75-100 word story including all those items". That is not the kindergarten my daughter went to 9 years ago! And this was not a "advanced" class, its just a group of everyday students. I feel sorry for the kids that don't go to preschool and go into kindergarten not already knowing their ABC's and basic sight words!

I don't know what kindergarten that boy is going to, but that is in no way typical.

 

[undertheradar]

So the same group against Common Core is launching another attack via the opt/out?

In many states school funding is tied to test results, so kids not taking the test impacts the school. Of all of the things to worry about in life, standardized testing would be nothing on my radar.

 

[delyrium]

Most of the teachers I know are very frustrated by standardized testing, and don't mind the Common Core so much. There's probably some overlap between the groups, but I wouldn't say it's the same group.

I'm interested in opting out of the standardized tests- seems like achieving a critical mass on this could have interesting results. I don't want to do it if it's going to hurt my children's teachers, though.

 

[luvsJack]

familyoffive is right, school funding is a big deal. You can't opt out and then come back and complain that your school doesn't have the money needed for things in the classroom.

Here it is tied to funding and if a school doesn't score high enough it can be taken over by the state dept. In middle school, testing is tied to their placement in high school. DD did well on her tests but not in the highest group. I can see a huge difference in the classes she is in and those of her bff who didn't try and didn't do well on the middle school tests. Her friend is having to take classes that she doesn't need and is in classes that are teaching below her level.

This state is revamping the whole system due to common core so the tests will either change or go away, but before I opted out of the tests, I would look hard into what all is done with those scores.

If a teacher is required to "teach to the test" I really do not see how opting out is going to change that. She can't teach one lesson for part of the class and another for the other part.

I guess we have been lucky, our teachers have been able to teach what they need for the test and also teach them how to learn, creativity and open their minds to the world around them.

 

[jodifla]

Next year, almost every child in the country is scheduled to take the Common Core tests. The majority will almost certainly fail. Then we will see the real opt-out movement kick in.

I have always let my child participate in standardized testing before, but will not let him be a guinea pig for these barbaric Common Core tests.

 

[jodifla]

Heard from another parent whose 6th grader is already being subjected to Common Core testing. Class results? 23 out of 31 failed.