Comments on: House Unanimously Approves Testing Bill – With Fewer Tests http://www.northescambia.com/2015/03/house-unanimously-approves-testing-bill-with-fewer-tests Local News for Molino, Bratt, McDavid, Century, Walnut Hill, Cantonment Sun, 05 Apr 2026 20:28:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Maria http://www.northescambia.com/2015/03/house-unanimously-approves-testing-bill-with-fewer-tests/comment-page-1#comment-294749 Maria Sat, 21 Mar 2015 03:19:23 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=210069#comment-294749 The school system needs total remaking. High performing students are students with the family culture that fosters school success. Low performing students are in family situations that do not know how or cannot support school success. Here is the bottom line: The lower 10 to 20 percent students are performing poorly on tests for reasons that cannot be fixed in the classroom. These need family counseling and sadly in high schools drug testing would help. Teachers are either assigned to teach higher performing or lower performing students. The teachers with lower, are working 12 hr days and often get lower performance evals due to exhaustion and their students' lack of "expected growth." Teachers assigned proficient students always eval as highly effective and work only an hour or so over contract. For example, studies show that adolescent sleep times are a huge factor in test and school performance. In high schools (sarasota example) they do not change start times by one hour because that would upset some administrators and teachers and parent drop off. Really?! The state is driving students and teachers to exhaustion and mediocore performance and then adding more tests to fix performance. How lame is that! The school system needs total remaking. High performing students are students with the family culture that fosters school success. Low performing students are in family situations that do not know how or cannot support school success. Here is the bottom line:
The lower 10 to 20 percent students are performing poorly on tests for reasons that cannot be fixed in the classroom. These need family counseling and sadly in high schools drug testing would help.
Teachers are either assigned to teach higher performing or lower performing students. The teachers with lower, are working 12 hr days and often get lower performance evals due to exhaustion and their students’ lack of “expected growth.” Teachers assigned proficient students always eval as highly effective and work only an hour or so over contract. For example, studies show that adolescent sleep times are a huge factor in test and school performance. In high schools (sarasota example) they do not change start times by one hour because that would upset some administrators and teachers and parent drop off. Really?! The state is driving students and teachers to exhaustion and mediocore performance and then adding more tests to fix performance. How lame is that!

]]> By: tl http://www.northescambia.com/2015/03/house-unanimously-approves-testing-bill-with-fewer-tests/comment-page-1#comment-294631 tl Thu, 19 Mar 2015 18:22:08 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=210069#comment-294631 Big deal!! There's a NEW test now amd with the FCAT also, our kids are under too much stress!!!!! I am tired of education aimed to teach kids to pass these ridiculous standardized tests. I've heard the FCAT is optional and if it is, we're opting out! Big deal!! There’s a NEW test now amd with the FCAT also, our kids are under too much stress!!!!! I am tired of education aimed to teach kids to pass these ridiculous standardized tests. I’ve heard the FCAT is optional and if it is, we’re opting out!

]]> By: dman http://www.northescambia.com/2015/03/house-unanimously-approves-testing-bill-with-fewer-tests/comment-page-1#comment-294626 dman Thu, 19 Mar 2015 16:04:10 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=210069#comment-294626 I applaud the legislature for this move, it's about time. When they rolled out the stupidest test ever- the FCAT- I was in High School. All of a sudden, teachers started freaking out because of it, and all that mattered was doing good on the FCAT. Why have an FCAT when we have an ACT and SAT? I recommend we emulate Germany's system with their Abitur and England with their A-Level exams. It's ridiculous to test the crap out of kids who should be focusing on learning the material and gaining an education, instead of learning how to test well. Real life isn't multiple choice tests. Neither are careers. I applaud the legislature for this move, it’s about time. When they rolled out the stupidest test ever- the FCAT- I was in High School. All of a sudden, teachers started freaking out because of it, and all that mattered was doing good on the FCAT.

Why have an FCAT when we have an ACT and SAT?

I recommend we emulate Germany’s system with their Abitur and England with their A-Level exams. It’s ridiculous to test the crap out of kids who should be focusing on learning the material and gaining an education, instead of learning how to test well. Real life isn’t multiple choice tests. Neither are careers.

]]> By: momof4 http://www.northescambia.com/2015/03/house-unanimously-approves-testing-bill-with-fewer-tests/comment-page-1#comment-294623 momof4 Thu, 19 Mar 2015 14:13:38 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=210069#comment-294623 Why is there always so much more concern to the penalty the schools will get with these tests than with the penalties the kids get? If you suspend schools evaluation then suspend student evaluation. The real issue is what is going on in our classrooms and schools. Here is the tale of 2 4th graders - Student one is in a classroom where there is a read it on your own, I will give you the correct answers, correct your papers, and maybe we will have a grade this week on the topic maybe not. Student 1 will have maybe 5-6 grades for the Qtr in Math, Science, and Social Studies (with Test only being given in the latter 2 subjects 1 out of 3 Qtrs). There is only 1 math page of HW a night in avg and 1 spelling or vocab exercise a night. Student 2 has book reports on alternating weeks, ~ 1 1/2 hr HW a night in addition to reading time, has at least 5 grades per subject a week. Teacher of student 1 doesn't see a problem. The information is there and they get the right answers to record if it is wrong. Student 1 should just study more. Principles off hand comment is well maybe math should have more grades but science and social studies are not subject we are required to test so it is OK. These classrooms are next to each other at the same school. Where is the oversight here? What are we worrying about? We need to put our focus on what is happening in our classrooms from K-12 Why is there always so much more concern to the penalty the schools will get with these tests than with the penalties the kids get? If you suspend schools evaluation then suspend student evaluation. The real issue is what is going on in our classrooms and schools. Here is the tale of 2 4th graders – Student one is in a classroom where there is a read it on your own, I will give you the correct answers, correct your papers, and maybe we will have a grade this week on the topic maybe not. Student 1 will have maybe 5-6 grades for the Qtr in Math, Science, and Social Studies (with Test only being given in the latter 2 subjects 1 out of 3 Qtrs). There is only 1 math page of HW a night in avg and 1 spelling or vocab exercise a night. Student 2 has book reports on alternating weeks, ~ 1 1/2 hr HW a night in addition to reading time, has at least 5 grades per subject a week. Teacher of student 1 doesn’t see a problem. The information is there and they get the right answers to record if it is wrong. Student 1 should just study more. Principles off hand comment is well maybe math should have more grades but science and social studies are not subject we are required to test so it is OK. These classrooms are next to each other at the same school. Where is the oversight here? What are we worrying about? We need to put our focus on what is happening in our classrooms from K-12

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