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9486 in the collection
Is your child practicing for the CRCT?
Ohanian Comment: Ok, this is a couple of weeks out of date. I was looking for something else and stumbled on it. Since it's the most distressing thing I've read in the last half hour, of course I want to share it. I selected a few parent & teacher comments which seem to reflect general attitudes about the standardized test system. Maybe these shed some light on why it is so difficult to get rid of NCLB.
By Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
Our teacher sent home a few months ago a logon and password to the Georgia Web site where kids can practice taking the CRCT. Several of our friends in other counties have also been sent home the practice site.
According to the Georgia Department of Education web site, "The CRCT is designed to measure how well students acquire the skills and knowledge described in the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) and the Quality Core Curriculum (QCC). The assessments yield information on academic achievement at the student, class, school, system, and state levels. This information is used to diagnose individual student strengths and weaknesses as related to the instruction of the GPS/QCC, and to gauge the quality of education throughout Georgia."
There also is a study guide on the Web site for each grade — first through eighth grade. I tried to print it, but it's more than 50 pages long.
Our school has really encouraged the families to do the practice tests online, but so far we haven’t. We take our CRCT at the end of April so we need to get on it. I think the idea is that if the kids are at least familiar with the format and the way the questions are posed they will feel more relaxed about the test.
Did you school emphasize practicing for the CRCT or other standardized tests? Did they send home logons and passwords? Did you practice? Would you practice? Do you think it would help alleviate stress or create more?
Comments
By Beautiful
yes ma'am, we are! we have a sign-in and password to use at home on the computer/internet. plus, when they come back from spring break, their practicing for the test only (no regular class work).
good luck pumpkin!
By Jayne
With the amount of homework that my 2nd grader has—who has time to do the practice? My son’s school asked that we buy t-shirts for a CRTC pep rally to get the kids excited about taking the test. I will encourage my child to do his best, but I don't think that we will spend time online looking at the sample test questions. His teacher has been cramming this test down his throat in the computer lab at school everyday, so getting my son to look at the test online would require boxing gloves!
By clay
No schools do not practice to much. They can not afford not to under the Bush plan of No Child Left Un-tested…I mean Behind. Yes we practice. UNfortunately the state login rarely works. However the school is great to send home practice stuff.
The practice does help some with stress but anytime you use the word test...stress appears!
By Craig
Wouldn't it be easier to have everyone sit in class (because attendance counts in the money formulas) Have the teacher read the test to them, give them the answers and fill in the bubble for them. That way every school will get their money from the State and Feds. That is what this is all about anyway. High test scores means more money to the school.
By fk
Way too much emphasis on the CRCT testing. When my son was in elementary school, there was a lot of hype regarding the test. And, the classic reminders: Remember, get a good night’s sleep, eat a good breakfast. Well, isn’t that something they should do every day for school? If your child is on target in the classroom, all of the hype is unnecessary. It needlessly stresses some kids out. Seriously, have you seen the questions? I don’t see a problem with practice run thru, but all of time prepping should be spent on teaching. Practicing for this test, students are not learning knowledge, they are learning how to take a test.
By Nicole
My child’s school is really focused on the children doing well on the CRCT. For the past month my first grader's homework has changed to practice CRCT booklets sent home on Mondays and due back on Fridays. In addition there is also concentrated practice time during classwork time each day. In an effort to reinforce those concepts I have gone onto sites and googled practice pages for my son to complete in addition to what is being sent home by the teacher on a weekly basis. Although the 1st grade test doesn’t count I want to ensure that he is meeting grade level requirements and expectations. I am a very involved parent and have found that although I keep in contact with my teacher at least once a week it has only been since this CRCT prep time that I have actually had some real insight into the concepts that are being covered with the children in class. I mean the homework that she had been sending home didn't mention nouns, verbs and adjectives until the practice booklets came home. The other thing that really took me back was the fact that my first grader is getting subject material that I never got until about 3rd grade. My how have times changed :) smile! Spring break is next week and our teacher has already stated that she is sending home a packet for completion over break. Practicing for the CRCT with my son has also engaged me more in the education process with him.
By Yolanda
Instead of practicing for it, we should be finding ways to demolish it. The test is worthless, as is much of the "practice" geared toward it, especially when teaching children the basics is sacrificed for a stupid test that's no more than a "keep money in the budget" mechanism.
It gets really old hiring high school AND college graduates in, some from so-called IVY league schools, and having to "teach" them to write coherent sentences, spell correctly and perform basic math functions. And when it comes to critical and unlimited thinking, well, that's pretty much obsolete.
By b
All my grand-daughter’s 1st grade has learned this year is that test. I’m sick of it. NO history, NO science, little to no reading unless the AR party is soon, same for math. She consistently brings home homework for that test that they have never covered in class.
By lwa
My daughter is practicing and she she is going to take a review class at a local learning center. We are practicing to make sure she remembers the basic concepts.
By Momof2Boys
If the teachers are teaching the core curriculum, why is all of this focused CRCT practice necessary? NO, we do not practice at home. I’m actually annoyed that my oldest has been completing "practice" CRCT questions every morning upon arrival to school since day 1 of the school year in prep for this test. Again, if the curriculum is being taught…why is all the focus on passing this one test? Won’t the children perform well if the subject matter of their given grade level is being taught?
My oldest was actually making himself sick, literally, last year because of all the pressure being put on the kids at school about passing this test. He and I had MANY conversations about it and I spent a ton of time trying to alleviate his stress.
Both of my boys have scored in the 99th percentile every time they’ve taken the test - with ZERO practice at home.
I would prefer a well rounded education than a kid that can do nothing but pass this test. Nope, no practicing for the GCRCT test here. We do, however, study for our history, spelling, math, etc tests and complete all homework and projects on time. I’m not opposed to studying, but we limit our studying to the actual curriculm being taught in the classroom and any additional areas of interest expressed by the boys, the youngest is currently fascinated by rocks and minerals…off to B&N we went!
I won’t participate in the chaos of the CRCT. And, I don’t appreciate the schools freaking my kids out over the whole thing either….
By Jennifer
My son practices!!! They sent home the logon on and they take practice tests at school. I purchased the work book from Barnes N Nobles so he has tear out sheets he can practice with in the car or when he’s away from a computer.
He is passing each section with an 88 or 100. On a few he’s had a 76, which means he’s missing one or two questions. We are now working with him so he doesn’t miss just one or two but that he gets them all correct.
Christopher is in 2nd grade and reads comfortably at a 4th grade level. He loves using his dictionary and thesaurus to look up words he doesn't understand in a story.
I'm very proud of him!!!
By MSS
Some of you parents are so clueless about public education. Most of you who respond and/or read this blog are not the ones who need the practice. Its the other 99% that read 2-3 levels below grade level, have vocabularies about as advanced as a gorilla, and can’t find their way out of a paper bag. The schools have so much responsibility and have to be accountable to the Fed. and state laws. They have to show that they have done everything to raise their scores. My school consistently has scored in the 95-98% for the past 6 yrs. However due to demographic changes our math and science scores have dropped 10-15 points across the board. Believe me, if teachers could stop all this testing they would. Anyway, the only test Georgians should be concerned about is the ITBS. Everyone should contact their representative and demand reform. By the way, kids that are very deficient in all academic areas are passed left and right because administrators and parents demand it! I spend an awful lot time chasing around deadbeat kids who sit and do nothing to justify their placement to the next grade level. I actually teach according to GPS but the kids do not have the critical thinking skills for mastery of the content. Furthermore, parents are far more interested in their bumper stickers and think THEIR kid is a genius. If I could I would fail some of my students, but my administrators will not back me! Get used to it Georgia, either accept mores C's and D's and learn from it. Or stay comfortable with your little honor student and complain about the test and the teacher!
By smh
The CRCT is a measurement for teachers and the school. My oldest DD is in third grade in Gwinnett County. Her particular school had drilled the CRCT so much she is sick of it. They hear about it throughout the day in their classroom, during the announcements, and weekly in their newsletters from the the teacher and the school. We have advised her that life is not over if she does not perform well.(get the peformance reference?) My spouse and I do not agree with or believe in standardized testing. It measures very little other than the ability to take a test. These instruments do not measure a true knowledge base. Standardized testing has no value and is a waste of time and money. Thankfully my DD understands this and has relaxed about the whole thing.
— Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
Atlanta Journal Constitution
2008-04-03
http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-blogs/ajc/parenting/entries/2008/04/03/is_your_child_p.html
INDEX OF OUTRAGES
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