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Monday and Tuesday both schools I work for are doing STAAR testing. Not the 6th grade and maybe not all of the 9th grade though.
Both schools have 6th grade.
This time they are not using the Library for testing in. BUT they decided to pull both of us from the Library to monitor the hallways. In one hallway they are having 4 monitors. Most of the action would be at the one set of restrooms where as far as I know there will be one monitor. There will be one at the Library entrance which is so close it makes no difference except it would be at the backend of the line of restroom supplicants. There will be one at the junction of two hallways which is as close to the Library entrance as the Library entrance is to the restrooms and then way at the end where the students who are not supposed to test are to use the other set of restrooms is where I'll be. Not even at those restrooms but in front of the gym and cafeteria with the restrooms being around the corner a short walk from them.
There are students who would/need to read. They are doing a thing called Zap reports because students need to read 25 books a year. They have to document that they've read these books and the stress is that it be done by multiple choice tests done online using the Accelerated Reader program. They used to have to document the books through a short annotated bibliography but that means more work for the teachers and the students. Those behind students who are not testing could be in the Library READING.
So they've determined that by such and such a date the students should have read x number of their 25 books. Students are blowing it off ergo ZAP done on a weekly basis.
Students were and still are, with the powers that be's (administrators) approval, allowed to read under their grade level, way under. Think books as long as Dr. Suess long.
We have elementary level books for the international school's students who are learning English, Kindergarten (age 5) and up.
The native English speaker students who are on ZAP are being allowed to read as low and lower than 3rd grade (ages 8-9) books. *Indignation* What the hell are they doing in a Middle School (ages 11 - 14)?!
We caught one student doing the test as open book with one of these lower level books and complained to the administration. The answer back, they encourage this method of test taking because it teaches them to go back and find the information in the book just like is done in the STAAR Reading test. The lower level books... usually have 5 questions and at most 10. EVEN the international students aren't allowed to take the test with the book open to find the answer after the first week.
So Wrong.So So Wrong.
The quality of student that is going to be produced from this ... The applied learning school used to be a jewel in the crown for helping students to master skills and excel at them. That admin is crippling them.
Both schools have 6th grade.
This time they are not using the Library for testing in. BUT they decided to pull both of us from the Library to monitor the hallways. In one hallway they are having 4 monitors. Most of the action would be at the one set of restrooms where as far as I know there will be one monitor. There will be one at the Library entrance which is so close it makes no difference except it would be at the backend of the line of restroom supplicants. There will be one at the junction of two hallways which is as close to the Library entrance as the Library entrance is to the restrooms and then way at the end where the students who are not supposed to test are to use the other set of restrooms is where I'll be. Not even at those restrooms but in front of the gym and cafeteria with the restrooms being around the corner a short walk from them.
There are students who would/need to read. They are doing a thing called Zap reports because students need to read 25 books a year. They have to document that they've read these books and the stress is that it be done by multiple choice tests done online using the Accelerated Reader program. They used to have to document the books through a short annotated bibliography but that means more work for the teachers and the students. Those behind students who are not testing could be in the Library READING.
So they've determined that by such and such a date the students should have read x number of their 25 books. Students are blowing it off ergo ZAP done on a weekly basis.
Students were and still are, with the powers that be's (administrators) approval, allowed to read under their grade level, way under. Think books as long as Dr. Suess long.
We have elementary level books for the international school's students who are learning English, Kindergarten (age 5) and up.
The native English speaker students who are on ZAP are being allowed to read as low and lower than 3rd grade (ages 8-9) books. *Indignation* What the hell are they doing in a Middle School (ages 11 - 14)?!
We caught one student doing the test as open book with one of these lower level books and complained to the administration. The answer back, they encourage this method of test taking because it teaches them to go back and find the information in the book just like is done in the STAAR Reading test. The lower level books... usually have 5 questions and at most 10. EVEN the international students aren't allowed to take the test with the book open to find the answer after the first week.
So Wrong.So So Wrong.
The quality of student that is going to be produced from this ... The applied learning school used to be a jewel in the crown for helping students to master skills and excel at them. That admin is crippling them.
