I've Been Lame
I've been lame about blogging lately. At least on this blog - my reading blog is going crazy. But that's because I've been doing a ton of reading since I'm out of school and Zach still has 13 days left. I start my summer class on the 30th, but it's a night class, two times a week. Hopefully I'll still have time to read because once I start the fall semester that probably isn't going to happen.
Last week I was a monitor for the PASS test. It's the SC annual test. Anyone who's known me for any length of time knows that I'm not a fan of end of year testing. I know anyone can pass a test and not know crap - just like someone who knows a lot may not be able to test because of anxiety or whatever.
Everyone keeps saying these tests are important because how well the kids do equals how much money the state gets from the federal government. I don't know how much funding it equals to, but I'm thinking it couldn't be anywhere near the cost that it takes to print those tests and answer keys, grade them, and print the results to send back. Just sayin'.
Here's my very small sample. I monitored one of the 4th grade classes (not Zach's) and there were 16 kids in the class. That's about average for his school (at least in 4th). So we will use 64 as our number - four 4th grade classrooms of 16 students each. Each student gets his own answer sheet and test booklet (during the math portion they were also given a ruler). They can write in the book since they were not given scratch paper. Some tests had two versions and some had three. See where this is going? If you just used my numbers to figure out the 3rd - 5th in his school you would need 192 tests. Some schools have way more kids per class.
How much of the too small state education budget is being wasted? Isn't there some way to give the test on the computer? I mean seriously, if it's that stinking important to do it - figure out a more cost effective way.
And now what are they doing in school? Let's face it - they aren't going to teach them anything new. I would because I'm mean - I'd start them on easy 5th grade work - but you know, I'm not there! The fourth grade has a field trip Thursday and then the school's field day is Friday. Other than that - I don't see them doing anything.
How does this count for school? When I homeschooled we had to do 180 days - no 10 excused absences - 180. Period. End of story. But it's ok for the public (and private) schools to dork around?
Anyway, maybe I should have just kept being lame because I'm sure this doesn't make any sense - but sometimes the way of the world just annoys me and I have to say something. Or go crazy.
Until next time ~ Kris
Last week I was a monitor for the PASS test. It's the SC annual test. Anyone who's known me for any length of time knows that I'm not a fan of end of year testing. I know anyone can pass a test and not know crap - just like someone who knows a lot may not be able to test because of anxiety or whatever.
Everyone keeps saying these tests are important because how well the kids do equals how much money the state gets from the federal government. I don't know how much funding it equals to, but I'm thinking it couldn't be anywhere near the cost that it takes to print those tests and answer keys, grade them, and print the results to send back. Just sayin'.
Here's my very small sample. I monitored one of the 4th grade classes (not Zach's) and there were 16 kids in the class. That's about average for his school (at least in 4th). So we will use 64 as our number - four 4th grade classrooms of 16 students each. Each student gets his own answer sheet and test booklet (during the math portion they were also given a ruler). They can write in the book since they were not given scratch paper. Some tests had two versions and some had three. See where this is going? If you just used my numbers to figure out the 3rd - 5th in his school you would need 192 tests. Some schools have way more kids per class.
How much of the too small state education budget is being wasted? Isn't there some way to give the test on the computer? I mean seriously, if it's that stinking important to do it - figure out a more cost effective way.
And now what are they doing in school? Let's face it - they aren't going to teach them anything new. I would because I'm mean - I'd start them on easy 5th grade work - but you know, I'm not there! The fourth grade has a field trip Thursday and then the school's field day is Friday. Other than that - I don't see them doing anything.
How does this count for school? When I homeschooled we had to do 180 days - no 10 excused absences - 180. Period. End of story. But it's ok for the public (and private) schools to dork around?
Anyway, maybe I should have just kept being lame because I'm sure this doesn't make any sense - but sometimes the way of the world just annoys me and I have to say something. Or go crazy.
Until next time ~ Kris
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I love your comments and I read them all. I'm not very good at replying to them though. It's one of my many downfalls. I hope you'll leave some anyway!