Thread: State testing

When i took the test a few years back i ended up having migraine after taking it plus the fact that i also had finals i ended up sitting in advanced classes and asking for upper classmen for notes on a few stuff that i didn't recognize ewe.

Most test like the OGT and SAT don't count towards your grades, thats true! But it does help employers know what you know and sometimes you can't inter college without them! I've had to take the OGT (Ohio Graduation Test) and it was hard, but it's required for me to take it. Just bare with it for a while!

I have always had problems with State required testing ever since I moved to Texas. There is such a huge emphasis on passing these tests from when you are an elementry school student till you are a junior in HS or in Plano a senior at a Senior High School. Taking tests doesn't determine or shouldn't determine whether you graduate or not or whether you go to college or get a job or whatever. Standarized tests puts more emphasis on memorization and causes a lot of stress for students. There are kids who are horrible at tests and the info can go in one ear and out the other. The problem I have with it is that it doesn't neccesarily benefit the kids, unless you count huge amounts of stress and giant migranes benefits. All it does is it gives the school distract and the schools (if the number of kids end up passing it and getting commerated) bragging rights and money. The teachers get paid more if we do well and what do we get, stress and migranes. Now isn't that lovely?

Originally Posted by Descended From Darkness

I have always had problems with State required testing ever since I moved to Texas. There is such a huge emphasis on passing these tests from when you are an elementry school student till you are a junior in HS or in Plano a senior at a Senior High School. Taking tests doesn't determine or shouldn't determine whether you graduate or not or whether you go to college or get a job or whatever. Standarized tests puts more emphasis on memorization and causes a lot of stress for students. There are kids who are horrible at tests and the info can go in one ear and out the other. The problem I have with it is that it doesn't neccesarily benefit the kids, unless you count huge amounts of stress and giant migranes benefits. All it does is it gives the school distract and the schools (if the number of kids end up passing it and getting commerated) bragging rights and money. The teachers get paid more if we do well and what do we get, stress and migranes. Now isn't that lovely?

In my situation, we are given these tests in 8th and 11th grade. I find myself confused at stuff that I haven't even learned about. It is a struggle because the same test is given state wide and our school is poor in education. I found myself writing in the essay sections "I'm sorry but I haven't learned any of this yet."

Yup, it's a big issue. Most of these test determines the amount of money the school by the performance of the students. Your school is probably caught in the bad cycle of bad scores to no funding to bad teachers. Essay in most cases shouldn't be too hard, as that section is mostly generalized that you do not need actual knowledge to write. If you have an amount of critical thinking skills you should be able to get it done.

I still believe students need to pass this test in order to graduate, because seriously it's the simplest of base of education for high schoolers. On top you get 4 years to get the job done.

I think state testing is wrong. Teachers become so limited. You have to teach to the test and the students miss out on so much! Also, it does not account for students with test anxiety. There has to be a better way to see how the children are doing.

I was handed my Algebra 2 final review, and the first question made me say "wtf." It's horrible how little we learn, but are then expected to know. From the teacher no less...