It's interesting because while I didn't do anything (what-so-ever) to help "tutor" or prepare Haley for this exam, I WAS hoping she'd do well enough to fly below the radar. Of course, we hope for a spectacular performance. But knowing my girl, I know she could use some practice simply LEARNING how to take a test.
Unfortunately, having a child take an all day test...then releasing only her score...doesn't help her improve her performance. If taking these tests were really about practicing test-taking...we would have a test booklet, answer key, and a lesson on missed items. That is not the case. So, it really is not for the benefit of my child that she takes these exams. And I take issue with that.
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And to add insult to injury, the exam scores are incorporated into classroom grades and used for promotional purposes. So the test isn't simply to assess where the children are as a group (and as individuals) to allow for adjustments or tailoring of their curriculum or learning. But rather, is simply punitive if they don't make a satisfactory score. And really, why is it necessary to hold a child back when her classroom grades *all year* are As and Bs, but on an exam she scores low? Does that mean that is doesn't matter at all what the child does in class for 8 months? It seems so...
So why did I allow Haley to sit for this exam (when, last year, I didn't)?
Well, she took an exam in 3rd grade that stressed us all out. So when 4th grade came around, the math being taught was incorrect and damaging. However, it was "in line with testing materials." It seemed as though the teacher was more concerned with getting everyone to understand backwards math to score well on the test, than she was in actually *teaching* MATH. So we opted to have Haley not take it. That way the teacher could relax and stop pushing backwards math on our daughter as we worked at home to "deprogram" it.
This year, however, we decided to allow her to test since it IS a public school requirement for promotion to the 6th grade - which is odd because in the land of 'no government one would think that I could decide for myself whether or not I want my child to take this test with no negative repercussions imposed by the government.
And, we did it without kicking, screaming, or even preparation because we know she will not be taking the STAAR...maybe never again. So this gave us a chance to see how she would do, honestly.
While a friend of hers scored outstanding, Haley "only" scored satisfactory. Satisfactory is all that is required to fly below the radar. So I am relieved. I am relieved because, as we exit the Public School System, I know (and the District knows, and the teachers know, and the children know...) that we are exiting, NOT because they couldn't "hack it" in Public school. NOT because there was a "problem" or an "issue" that needed to be address in an academic or behavioral sense (which is why I'm still a stickler for attendance and performance these last few weeks).
The last thing I want is to give the impression that we don't take education seriously, or that we couldn't get them to school every day....or that there was a "family issue" or "learning issues" or anything else that made it to where we had no other alternative.
I want them to exit the Pubic School system gracefully. Performing on level. Behavior top-notch. Relationships normal. Attendance (since that's a big deal here with school districts that rely on State/Federal funding) acceptable. So there is no question in the future as to why they were pulled out. AND...IF we happen to decide to re-enroll them into Public school, there's less to "explain." (I'm all about keeping options open).
Summary: While the test is useless in terms of learning, I am happy to report that Haley did just fine. Her report card is 2 As and 2 Bs with Satisfactory Excellent behavior. And I now have a starting point to help her improve her test-taking skills (because, ultimately, test-taking skill *does* matter in our society today).
P.S. Ian does not yet take the STAAR exam.
