What the heck is TAKS Testing? (Mart: purchase, school district, college)

[cls88]

Originally Posted by BentBow

One thing that really bugs me is they get time to do their homework at school several days of the week, and none gets brought home. I see a paper here and a paper there. Another thing I got told was not to help or correct homework, that way the teacher would know what to teach. WTF?? I still do especially when I saw how confused she was.

My children's old middle school didn't give any home work. When we asked, the principle said they couldn't because some parents complained and "wanted their kids to finish all their homework in school, because they couldn't help the kids with their homework".

Teachers told us that they couldn't get some parents to come to school for any reason. In fact all they knew about the parents were names on the students' forms for the many years the students were there. These parents don't ever have any expectations of their kids' performances in school and don't bother to do anything even when the kids get in trouble at school. Yet the school and teachers have to spend most of their time and efforts on their kids to pass the TAKS or just keep them out of trouble.

I think Austin schools, especially the good ones have less of these kind of parents. But if you go to the surrounding counties, that's totally a different story.

[love roses]

It's a mixed bag out here. My daughters school has quite a lot of parental involvement. I've met nearly every parent in my daughters class and some from the other classes. Another lady I know who has her kid in our highest rated elementary said she hardly ever sees any parents there, so go figure.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by hoffdano

I think it is popular to complain about teaching to the test. Parents find a way to blame schools for anything that doesn't go perfectly for their fat, lazy, whiny children.

The TAKS tests are EASY for most English-speaking kids who go to class and grew up with expectations of doing well in school.

My kids have been in the Lake Travis ISD from the beginning. Yes they practice the TAKS to make sure the kids know what is coming. But my kids daily work, their projects, etc. are not driven by the TAKS. My 9th grade daughter's wildflower project is not part of TAKS. My 11th grade son's 4 times a year physics projects teach physics.

Lakeway elementary is an excellent school. So is Lake Travis elementary, even though it is Recognized instead of Exemplary. The real difference between those schools - just a few miles apart - is demographics.

I strongly agree with this. The taks test is so simple, if kids cant even ace it, they have no business learning anything else. Some teachers might take the lazy way out and just have kids memorize questions and answers, but that is the teacher's fault, not the test's.

[intmd8r]

Originally Posted by cls88

I think Austin schools, especially the good ones have less of these kind of parents. But if you go to the surrounding counties, that's totally a different story.

I have a friend who teaches in the Leander ISD at Laura Bush Elementary (in Steiner Ranch) and she says the parent involvement is EXCELLENT. There are always lots of parents volunteering there, etc. It's also one of the best ranked elementary schools in the Leander ISD.

I agree, these schools are going to have better scores in general because the parents care about their children's education and will be involved.

Parents who don't care translates to kids that don't care.

[BentBow]

After being assured by the teacher, she had it under control yesterday, I had the teacher send home what my daughter needed help with.

Guess what was sent home...

A study Guide for the math TAKS test.

Last night I had her do the first practice test.
It is worse then I thought. 9 of 18 questions right... I'm PO'ed at this point. This is real easy stuff(at least to me)
I helped her with what she got wrong, and she is in there bright and early this morning retaking the test from scratch.

[qtp0000]

BentBow
Maybe you should consider getting her a tutor. For parents sometimes it seems you know how to do the math, but maybe not how to teach it. A tutor could carefully go through the steps and strategies and maybe make it a little clearer for your daughter. I know this happens with my niece, my sister will try something with her and she just doesnt get it, but I can break it down and go slowly over each step and she gets it. Remember she has already been taught a certain way and if you come at her with a completly diff way to add frctions or decimals it might be confusing her more. Also have you talked to the principal, believe me they want nothing more than for the students to pass the test and she might have better resources or can tell you about a teacher other than your daughters who is doing tutoring after school. Good Luck!

[qtp0000]

Also check out this website, I used this to create a math review and worksheet packet for my niece. She is in 5th grade has an A in math, but she struggles. She goes to school in Nevada, but they also have math stuff for Texas.
Texas 5th Grade Math

[cls88]

Originally Posted by intmd8r

Parents who don't care translates to kids that don't care.

Exactly. For us, the most important thing has been setting the expectations and communicating them to the kids. Once that is done, everything else is sooo easy.

Kids respond to "expectations" (good or bad) wonderfully!! Those parents who don't care send messages that education is not important and they expect nothing from the kids. Some parents even make fun of "geek"/"smart" kids in front of their children - kids learn from these parents that being a good student/making good grade are not "cool". A teacher had told us incidence when students refused to pick up a pencil during a test to be "cool".

[cls88]

A guy I know tutores his friend's high school son. He said that the parents would go out of their way for the kid's football or baseball. But they never bothered about his academic performance until the school suspended his sport activities due to his failure to pass the exams (no pass no play thing).

We certainly don't lack of this kind of parents in many schools around the country. I hope all these kids become sport stars, because otherwise they will probably have a hard time competing in regular jobs with what they have learned from high schools.

[S6Sputnik]

I just helped my daughter get ready for the grade 5 math test, and I can honestly say that I am confident in the test. If they teach toward the test...your children will know mathmatics!

For what it is worth: 81% of my daughters 5th grade class got above 90% correct.