STAAR (standardized testing) results... do you let it affect where you live? (real estate, houses)

[descovy]

My kids have STAAR testing this week.

It seems when I talk to fellow parents, everyone is in agreement that they want school to be more than just "teaching to the test."

And yet, as it applies to relocation/real estate, otherwise intelligent folks live and die by these test results. What neighborhood has the best school with the best results? People will pick/not pick a house on a matter of a few test points between schools. Cripes! Rezone a neighborhood from school to another and even homeowners without kids will fret about losing property value, because the new school is a point or two different than the old school.

I really don't get it. We parents want an education more rounded than teaching to the test. But then we parents are the same people who pick school zones by these very same test scores.

My kids are testing today and there is immense pressure on whether or not my 9 year old can produce a decent writing sample. How she does this afternoon determines how people might pick one house from another. Why should that weight be on a 9 year old's shoulders?

"Do your best, honey! The neighborhood is counting on you to keep house values up! Don't screw up, or people won't want to go to your school! No pressure!!!"

[crone]

It is a rotten thing to do to kids.

I promise you that 50-60 years ago, we were tested. We were sitting at our desks and the teacher would say, put away everything but a pencil. We took the Iowa test. That was it. No big deal.

I'm told by neighbors that their children are not allowed to speak the entire part of the day when testing goes on. Not even at lunch. IMO, that is crazy and crazy making.

My 2 grandson attend a little alternative school in another state. They have no grades, no grading and no big institutional tests. The oldest graduates this year. He has several full scholarships to schools I would not have the nerve to apply to, and is a Presidential and National Merit finalist. So much for stupid tests.

[MsSpiderWeb]

It is rediculous. I can't stand that schools are teaching nothing but how to pass the test. I want my kids to have a well rounded education. Because I feel this way, people on this forum believe I am lazy and entitled.

[jdw7337]

Well teaching to pass the test is just how schools are, my schools done it for years and now people are Moving out to our "country" area and are paying $250,000+ to live in houses on what used to be rice patties, leading to heavy flooding. It's purely ridiculous how test scores pull way too many annoying suburbanites out into our area because they believe that exemplary TAKS ratings are all that matters, and they will feel the same way when we get our STAAR ratings. They then bring their ideas, traffic, congestion, and overall stuck-up attitudes and ruin my town. All that's worth staying falls back on the school's test scores.

[Topaz]

I hate that ridiculous test. I hope this movement gains traction.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Texas...21316371311714

[Lije Baley]

So if standardized testing doesn't really reveal how good a school is, why worry about a school's rating?

[vegankris]

My sister is a school psychologist and she has an interesting take on the standardized tests. When a school has overall good test scores it means more than just how well they know the material or how good they are at test taking. It is also a good measure of how comfortable they are in their school environment. If they are comfortable and feel safe in their environment then they will have a better overall chance of succeeding.

[ToyYot]

Originally Posted by vegankris

My sister is a school psychologist and she has an interesting take on the standardized tests. When a school has overall good test scores it means more than just how well they know the material or how good they are at test taking. It is also a good measure of how comfortable they are in their school environment. If they are comfortable and feel safe in their environment then they will have a better overall chance of succeeding.

That's oversimplifying it. The scores are relative and it seems most people don't take the time to understand how the ratings are arrived at. A school that's really good but is socio-economically and racially diverse will have a harder time achieving the same rating as an essentially homogeneous school but may likely be a better school because (a) the diversity and (b) the ratings achievement in spite of the challenges.

At least that's the conclusion we came to after much research and visiting the local elementary where we rented. We now bought in the same neighborhood.

But to support your sisters theory our school went from Exemplary to Acceptable in the one year that just happened to coincide with the move to the temporary campus (read: lots of trailers) while the school was rebuilt.

Unfortunately the ratings too quick and easy a comparison and human nature is what is is.

[Topaz]

Originally Posted by Lije Baley

So if standardized testing doesn't really reveal how good a school is, why worry about a school's rating?

Because a lot of people who don't know better think it matters a lot. I was one of those people until I learned more about my children's "Exemplary" school.

[nana053]

Nice Picture of Alfie Kohn on that facebook sidebar.