STARR testing...anyones kid having trouble?

[TxSuperDad]

Annalisa is on 3rd. She just got awards for A B Honor roll. She mostly has A's in everyrthing through out the year.

She placed adavanced on everyrthing but math. She was in the 80% mark in that.

[JacobTyler]

In our school, I'm a junior in all advanced classes, they have us a STAAR test to see how we'll do. That test was so dang hard. I'm pretty sure I failed it. My brother failed it as a freshman also this year.

Im a junior also i didint have to take a practice STAAR test but from what i have heard from friends is that it is ridiculous

[MD2TX]

My 3rd grader failed his math and aced his reading. He is also an A/B student. They put soooooo much emphasis on this test its not even funny that's all he talks about for a week before the test. He gets terrified when he hears the words STAAR TESTING. His teachers completely stop all the other ciriculum and focus solely on the stupid tests. In this day and age they really need to change the education system to the 21st century. Lets face it times have changed. You have the answers to ANY question you could think of at your fingertips. How many times do you "GOOGLE" a day. Just saying.

[Mudslinger]

JHT has it right. Now all the schools, districts and state are concerned with is the results of the STAAR tests. Every bit of teaching is going towards the STAAR and eliminating what the kids really need to learn. The slower learners and less gifted are taught more while the middle and higher learners are more or less left to "fend for themselves". Everything is gearded towards the STAAR results and not really about teaching what needs to be taught. Just my observations and listening to other teachers.

[Chad C]

JHT has it right. Now all the schools, districts and state are concerned with is the results of the STAAR tests. Every bit of teaching is going towards the STAAR and eliminating what the kids really need to learn. The slower learners and less gifted are taught more while the middle and higher learners are more or less left to "fend for themselves". Everything is gearded towards the STAAR results and not really about teaching what needs to be taught. Just my observations and listening to other teachers.

I seriously doubt all schools, districts, and the State are in the same bag.

[meathunter]

The TAKS test was based on straight rote knowledge, which is just basic knowledge of a subject. The STAAR is based on your ability to analyze and information and then apply it to "life like" situations. The test is very difficult for those students that struggle to memorize information and then apply that information. The 10th grade writing does not just look at content like the TAKS it looks at grammar and punctuation, which most places have gotten away from. Luckily the state is trying to change the number of test require to just five, if you would consider that a good thing. I teach at an economically disadvantaged high school that is located in one of the toughest parts of San Antonio and the kids could care less about the test or for the most part their education because they know if they do not pass it they will just drop out when they are 17 and get Uncle Sam to send them a pay check every month. It is a society in which there are no consequences for failure. Our government is basically robbing the rich to give to the poor which makes people lazy. We must get back to the point where hard work and education have meaning if we are going to fix our education system. Do not pass blame on the teachers because they are handcuffed by what they are allowed to teach, the overall unmotivated student, and administration. For you guys that have kids that do right, or motivated, and work hard pat yourself on the back because you are doing a heck of a job keeping them motivated and they will be the ones that keep this nation strong. P.S. I know my school situation is more the exception than the rule so know there are kids out there that do get it. Sorry for the rant.

[Rwc]

State testing as given now is a flawed system. You have students that learn at different speeds and digest information at different speeds. But the state gives all the same test with same amount of time to complete it.
Flawed system.......
Rwc

[Bear Charge]

The Passing standard was 50% this year, 65% next year and then 80% in the third phase. These decisions are being made by the same people that have the curriculum refer to our form of government as a Constitutional Republic because they're afraid the term Democracy makes people vote democrat. Politicians, who have never stepped foot in a public school, are not qualified to make these decisions. It won't stop until politicians stop using public education as they're whipping boy while they and their children go to private schools, our children will continue to suffer. With CSCOPE gone, teacher hands will be untied but the assessment system will continue to bring real learning to a halt.

[JHT]

I seriously doubt all schools, districts, and the State are in the same bag.

Of course not. Affluent areas will always score higher than the hood.

That's never going to change.

The fact is the testing as a whole isn't getting the results as anticipated.

The overall feeling of educators is that its garbage.

The millions Texas wastes on the testing could be used much more effectively in a system that's taken the biggest cuts in the last few years.

Its a failure. The our state governments idea to fix the situation is not to s-can the tests, "Lets just have less of them when we already know that won't fix anything, it will just keep our campaign donators scratching checks."

It's a joke.

[Chad C]

Of course not. Affluent areas will always score higher than the hood.

That's never going to change.

The fact is the testing as a whole isn't getting the results as anticipated.

The overall feeling of educators is that its garbage.

The millions Texas wastes on the testing could be used much more effectively in a system that's taken the biggest cuts in the last few years.

Its a failure. The our state governments idea to fix the situation is not to s-can the tests, "Lets just have less of them when we already know that won't fix anything, it will just keep our campaign donators scratching checks."

It's a joke.

As stated previously, I'm not a proponent... I would never group the State, Schools, Districts into like minded thinking because that'll never happen!

Teachers and leadership matter every bit as much as socioeconomic status!

There is a reason hundreds of teachers were recently fired in Dallas.

[TMiddleton]

Yes, we are in the same boat in my house as well. My son is an A-B Student in English but failed the English portion of the test. He has an opportunity in the summer to go to summer school and retake the English section. I am not a fan of this "teaching to the test" business. It ranks right up there with CSCOPE in my book.

[Mouse]

I am not a fan of standardized testing, but I will tell you the data we get from the tests helps to create better teaching. By understand the concepts in which student struggle we are able to form a plan of attack for those concepts and gain an understanding of why students missed those concepts.

Teachers know what concepts will be tested and how many questions will be asked from those concepts. Good teaching has always been to create the test then teach the concepts to be tested. Thus "Teaching to the Test".

In the middle school phase 1 scale the passing rates ranged between 50 and 39 percent. These tests were very difficult thus the low phase in scale scores. Those scales go up next year in phase 2.

Also, if you are an 8th grader you are being tested on concepts that range from 6th grade to 8th grade. There is a difference in grades made over a six week period or semester. These grades reflect the learning that takes place over a time period. They may not reflect the deeper understanding of a concept that is tested with STAAR.

I agree with most, if you want to fix what is wrong in education you will have to get law makers out of the equation and leave education to those who know it best. Teachers across the state are busting their rears to get a handle on this and allow students to be successful. I will spend 13 days this summer in classes to move our students into the 21 century classroom. For those 13 days I will receive nothing but the knowledge to propel my students into the implementation of iPads and MacBooks into our school.

Just my 2 cents. Sorry it is so long.

[Skullworks52]

The passing rate this year for English was 43% and there was 63 questions, They made the questions more difficult and unclear. But some districts are holding the passing rate up higher (my district held it up to 63%) just depends.... I personally think That Texas should get rid of standardized test and make a minimum amount of set test, for example per semester each core class must have 3 test...JMHO.

[BirdRanger]

Yep my daughter has to go to summer school because of it, she failed math by 2 points. It is a hard test no doubt. But all the school that are awarded high honors now are not, and I hear it is going away. One of the things I dislikevare teachers are directed to teach the test and are on a strict timeline.

[Coach W]

State mandated high stakes testing and the state and federal accountability system that is tied to it are crippling our texas schools. Teachers teach to the test because that is how their job performance is rated. Schools are rated on these test scores as well as the districts they are in. STAAR scores are low right now generally because STAAR is new and educators haven't figured out how to teach to it yet. You will see scores rise over the next few years because teachers will figure out how to teach the test better and lawmakers will say that Texas kids are getting a better education. Do schools and teachers need to be held accountable? Yes, but there has to be a better way than basing everything on these high stakes one fits all tests. We should be teaching 21st century skills, technology, communication skills that prepare students to thrive in this economy but public schools are locked into teaching students how to pass tests. The amount of money that Texas has paid Pearson for these tests is over a billion dollars. Makes me sick to my stomach.
Sorry, rant over. This just gets my blood boiling.

We know what's on the test now... But like others have stated we are forcing kids to higher level think.

Let's simplify: some kids are athletic others never will be. Forcing the un athletic kids to throw a football or dunk a basketball will never work. Some kids will never be able to dunk. They could work their entire lives and still never touch the rim... Others can do it as early as 13.

Some kids are athletes, some are smart, some not so much but maybe they are really good at a certain skill.. Forcing a mechanic to to develop rocket fuel is idiotic. It's like if I worked my *** off to become the worlds greatest cook, and I was excellent at cooking, but I was forced to farm, and judged by my farming skills. Some kids are farmers, doctors, scientists, police man, mechanics, etc... But asking one kid to be everything is out of touch with reality.

These staar test prove one thing: that a kid is a higher level thinker/a good test taker.

I can give the kid knowledge, I can force him to internalize the material and keep that knowledge for a life time, I'm **** good at my job. But I'm not God. I didn't give the kid his/her abilities I only help them use what they are given. Some kids aren't higher level thinkers, some kids are, some kids don't have the mental ability to be able to apply deductive reasoning... And that's fine it takes all kinds... Until you test on their ability not their knowledge. Starr testing results won't Improve until we decide to genetically improve our student base.

Hopefully the state cuts the testing down like they have proposed. That will help keep these kids out of hot water. I personally wouldn't send my A-B kid to summer school, on the mere fact that he failed the STAAR test. He's been failed by the current testing system, not by his merit or ability.