EOC exams -- so frustrated !!! (school, history, scores, algebra)

[Green Irish Eyes]

Over the last couple weeks, our school has been administering End of Course exams and the kids in my Algebra I class were part of the group being tested. (When I say "my class," I mean that I'm the SPED collaborative teacher.)

Last year, all the History exams were revised and became much more difficult. This year, the state decided to revise the Math exams -- they'll do Science next year, IIRC.

Most of the kids in our class are decidedly average. Great kids, not so great students, but they try SO hard.

The scores came back at the end of school today and ..... <*sighs*>

Of the 20-ish kids who took the test, less than 25% passed -- and the ones who DID pass had very low scores.

Come Monday, we have to find the kids and give them the news, and I know that many of them will be crushed. They already have low "math self-esteem" and this is just going to make it worse. They're going to think they're stupid, and that's just not the case. The TESTS are stupid.

These low scores are showing up across the state, so it's not just our schools and our kids -- but I *know* these kids, and it breaks my heart that they work so hard and all they get is a slap in the face from the state.

I'm sure someone will jump in here and say it's our fault as teachers, but for the record, my co-teacher previously has had -- for several years -- a 100% EOC pass rate. The tests have changed.

Thank you, NCLB.

[HappyTexan]

Did you do any benchmark testing prior to this ?

Here in Texas we've switched tests and some schools did benchmark tests to get an idea of how the kids would do on the new tests and get intervention put in place early.

[butterflies1375]

I'm not a teacher but I feel your pain. I HATE those tests! As a parent with 2 LD kids with IEP's, I know how painful it can be for the kids and how hard it is to deal with that hurt. My kids have failed those tests more times than not. What's worse is when the state makes them retake them in hopes they will pass the second time only for them to fail it again. They take a huge hit in the self-esteem area.
Are you allowed to give your opinion on how crappy the tests are as a teacher? As a parent, I tell my kids to look at all their accomplishments through the year and we go through them one by one. How well they do and how important it is that no matter what ONE test says, they continue to try to do THEIR best.
If this year's test is that bad, I hope they revamp it for the sake of everyone.

[Momma_bear]

Did they give you sample questions of how the test was changing or was it a big surprise?

[zthatzmanz28]

I really do not need a benchmark to know how students with a 50 IQ will do on my English I EOC.

[Green Irish Eyes]

Originally Posted by HappyTexan

Did you do any benchmark testing prior to this ?

Here in Texas we've switched tests and some schools did benchmark tests to get an idea of how the kids would do on the new tests and get intervention put in place early.

Originally Posted by Momma_bear

Did they give you sample questions of how the test was changing or was it a big surprise?

We knew the test was changing, but we were given no sample questions ahead of time. For two weeks prior to the exam, kids practiced on released versions of previous tests -- and they were ALL scoring high enough to pass. Unfortunately, the new test was different enough that the old tests didn't help all that much.

And just to clarify -- it wasn't only the Algebra I kids that had to deal with the new tests. Students in Geometry and Algebra II also faced new tests, with similar (disastrous) results. A number of parents have already complained to the state (we were one of the last districts to administer the exams), and I'm sure that more will do so -- but that won't erase the crushing disappointment the kids are going to experience next week.

<*sighs*>

And zthatzmanz, I fully understand the frustration of expecting low-ability students to pass standardized exams, but that's not the population in this case. These are average-ability (or above) students in regular education classes.