Assessment Tests

[1xmom]

Who here has assessment tests starting soon? Ours is in two weeks. Next week the school is having a fun week for the kids. They also had a night were they explained some of the testing and how the parents can help the kids. It was pretty informative. This is the first year my dd is taking them and she is a little nervous, but I thinks he will do fine.

[mommy2maya]

ours are next week, but my dd is in 2nd grade, so not testing here

[joycenjackiesmom]

We began our tests this week and they continue through next week. My dd is handling taking them very well and seems to think she has done well on them.

[ecoteat]

I've been giving them for one week now, and another to go. I DESPISE the tests. HATE them. It kills me to be reviewing with my middle school kids and come across a topic we haven't gotten to yet this year (because it's only MARCH!) and basically have to tell them I can't teach it to them now because I have to test them on it first. STUPID, STUPID, tests. And in Maine, they don't even mean anything. There are basically no stakes involved, which is good (I've taught in a state where there was WAY too much riding on the test scores), but it just makes them a complete waste of time. OK, I'll shut up now!

[Linda on the move]

My 10 year old is almost done with the tests. Just one more left (writing). So far, she feels they've gone well. Her school has excellant tests scores and she said that some of the tests were a lot easier than their regular school work. She was pleasantly surprised by math.

I don't understand how they can "not mean anthing." Because of No Child Left Behind, aren't we all in pretty much the same boat? Isn't funding affected by test scores everywhere now? (Which I personally think is a stupid system, but I thought we all had the same stupid system). And people put such store by them -- they affect housing values. A house in a disctrict with good scores is worth more money than the same house in a district with poor scores.