I was proctoring a 4th grade TCAP math test last week and had this experience (as best as I recall):
One of the 2 practice questions was 780 divided by 12.
I don't remember all the possibilities but the teacher read from her booklet that the answer was "H" . There was a gasp in the room and she told the students not to worry about it if the choices were only A, B, C and D and moved on. At this point I glanced at the problem on the page and looked at the choices. "H" was actually 60 and the correct answer of 65 was actually "F".
Of course, the school and I would be in trouble if I reported this, so I wasn't sure what to do. It's only a sample question but who is to say what else is wrong on the test?! No wonder they swore everyone to secrecy. And wouldn't it shake your confidence before a big test to come up with the "wrong" answer on a practice problem?
- a parent in West TN who proctored the TCAP test last week
80 math questions today. Took 3 hours! Second graders sat for 3 hours to take 80, EIGHTY, math questions. 8 years old!! HOW IS THIS OKAY??? I am disgusted and LIVID!
- an upset parent in Knox County regarding the SAT-10 test given to 2nd graders today
There were 5 items on the Kindergarten Sat10 that the kids weren't even taught, they aren't even on the Kindergarten standards!
One of the questions was about probability! At age 5!
One of the sections, the directions were a paragraph long. Those poor babies had no idea what they were supposed to do!
- an anonymous Kindergarten teacher in TN
My 6th grader said they were not taught several things on their social studies TCAP -- probably because they started the year on Common Core and realized they were taking TCAPs in January.
- a parent in Johnson City, TN
From the texts I received today from my 10th grade daughter after completion of an EOC (End of Course) exam for English II, I would say TCAP tests are not the only test parents should be concerned with. When the majority of a High School English End of Course test is questions of opinions with no true answer, there is a problem.
Sample questions she shared were: "What is the best way to work in a group?" or "What is the best way to write a newspaper article?" A total of 20+ questions were opinion questions. The questions she stated were so crazy that she wished she could of taken pictures of them to show me how ridiculous they were.
High School students can see that this is wrong. Elementary and Middle School students can not and will answer no matter how strange a question. Common Core is the brainwashing of our youth, as my daughter states.
- a high school parent in TN
My child said there were completely different tests in her 10th grade English EOC, and that they all have three different cut scores. She said there were too many kids saying it was easy or it was hard.
How is this fair for every student? Is it okay if teachers figure this out and select certain kids to take certain tests to try to manipulate the system?
- a high school parent in Shelby County, TN
Parents are fed up.
Brave teachers are speaking up.
This testing madness must stop.
One of the 2 practice questions was 780 divided by 12.
I don't remember all the possibilities but the teacher read from her booklet that the answer was "H" . There was a gasp in the room and she told the students not to worry about it if the choices were only A, B, C and D and moved on. At this point I glanced at the problem on the page and looked at the choices. "H" was actually 60 and the correct answer of 65 was actually "F".
Of course, the school and I would be in trouble if I reported this, so I wasn't sure what to do. It's only a sample question but who is to say what else is wrong on the test?! No wonder they swore everyone to secrecy. And wouldn't it shake your confidence before a big test to come up with the "wrong" answer on a practice problem?
- a parent in West TN who proctored the TCAP test last week
80 math questions today. Took 3 hours! Second graders sat for 3 hours to take 80, EIGHTY, math questions. 8 years old!! HOW IS THIS OKAY??? I am disgusted and LIVID!
- an upset parent in Knox County regarding the SAT-10 test given to 2nd graders today
There were 5 items on the Kindergarten Sat10 that the kids weren't even taught, they aren't even on the Kindergarten standards!
One of the questions was about probability! At age 5!
One of the sections, the directions were a paragraph long. Those poor babies had no idea what they were supposed to do!
- an anonymous Kindergarten teacher in TN
My 6th grader said they were not taught several things on their social studies TCAP -- probably because they started the year on Common Core and realized they were taking TCAPs in January.
- a parent in Johnson City, TN
From the texts I received today from my 10th grade daughter after completion of an EOC (End of Course) exam for English II, I would say TCAP tests are not the only test parents should be concerned with. When the majority of a High School English End of Course test is questions of opinions with no true answer, there is a problem.
Sample questions she shared were: "What is the best way to work in a group?" or "What is the best way to write a newspaper article?" A total of 20+ questions were opinion questions. The questions she stated were so crazy that she wished she could of taken pictures of them to show me how ridiculous they were.
High School students can see that this is wrong. Elementary and Middle School students can not and will answer no matter how strange a question. Common Core is the brainwashing of our youth, as my daughter states.
- a high school parent in TN
My child said there were completely different tests in her 10th grade English EOC, and that they all have three different cut scores. She said there were too many kids saying it was easy or it was hard.
How is this fair for every student? Is it okay if teachers figure this out and select certain kids to take certain tests to try to manipulate the system?
- a high school parent in Shelby County, TN
Parents are fed up.
Brave teachers are speaking up.
This testing madness must stop.
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