Standards of Learning Exams
When my son came home from school yesterday I asked if he had any homework. The answer - no. Then I asked him what they did in classes and the answer was review. I got the same answers from my daughter.
In our state the kids start taking standards of learning exams in 3rd grade for various subjects. In one sense I suppose SOLs are good - they make sure that a minimum level of learning happens through out the state, but on the other hand I really find them to be a giant waste of time.
The teachers no longer teach kids to think! There is so much pressure on the teachers and the kids to pass every child through the SOLs that all the teachers teach is the test and not much more. Beginning in April, daily instruction time is filled with endless review and all homework tends to come to a halt. Is this really the best thing for our students?
Personally my kids are bored. Bored to tears. They don’t buy into the hype that the school has built up about these exams and neither do I. I don’t spend hours at home making them review more, go online and take practice tests, or hold them from after school activities so they can “rest”. For the past 3 years my son has aced the exams and my daughter aced 1 of the 3 (and scored well above passing on the other) in her first year of taking them last year.
Oh, and once the exams are over the kids still have 2 weeks of school left but they do nothing - after all, the teachers have done their job for the year. It all seems like such a waste to me.
Enough of my rant! What’s your take on standards of learning tests? Vote below or in the sidebar and leave a comment!
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10 opinions for Standards of Learning Exams
Michele
Apr 29, 2008 at 5:16 am
I’m in VA and I’ve had this discussion soooo many times. Yes…kids are doing much better…the SOLs prove it???? DUH??! They are teaching to the test now…of course they are going to do better. I’ll never forget my son’s kindergarten teacher who told me she teaches them all these history songs because they need to know the info for the 3rd grade SOLS…HUH??? Sad, but true.
My kids get sooo stressed about this and I’ve basically just said…do your best and move on. I don’t care what they get on them cuz I think it’s shows us absolutely nothing. My son is on the honor role, yet he doesn’t do well on the SOLs…does that mean the teachers are failing him? NO!!!! He just gets so stressed about the test that he can’t even focus on it when he’s taking it. That’s all!
char
Apr 29, 2008 at 5:29 am
Michele - I am in VA too - is it just our state that does this to the kids and their “education”? Luckily my son never stressed about them and so his younger sister used that as a guide.
My daughter came home all proud that her class had all passed benchmark exams, but according to my kids, they are so easy that you should be able to pass them in your sleep.
Are we really teaching these kids or just lowering the standard to the point where no child can fail or be left behind at the expense of all the other kids?
testing STARs « Adventures in Juggling
Apr 29, 2008 at 9:26 am
[...] 29, 2008 at 10:26 am | In my soap box, school | Over at Weary Parent, Char is ranting about the Standards of Learning Exams that her son is taking this week. I must say that I pretty much see eye to eye with her on the [...]
laura
Apr 29, 2008 at 9:27 am
i offered my opinion and experiences over at my blog.
http://adventuresinjuggling.wordpress.com/2008/04/29/testing-stars/
Kelly
Apr 29, 2008 at 10:46 am
We have that here but it’s called FCAT. It’s total crap. They did it about a month ago here, and for weeks after they were done, when I asked my daughter what they did in school she’d say “Nothing. FCAT is over. We just watched movies and stuff.” Then what’s the point? Why not just have school for a month each year so they can study for the FCAT and take it if that’s all they are going to do with them? I’m at least glad my daughter aces it every time, because they actually hold back kids who score badly enough in certain sections. You can be an all A student, fail a portion of the FCAT and get held back. Insane.
Trisha
Apr 29, 2008 at 11:14 am
That scares me to death! If kids aren’t learning to think critically - what will become of them? And this country?
Jesse D
Apr 29, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Indeed. Here in good ole Tennessee, we have the TCAPs. They review all year for these things. Yes, ALL YEAR. Every week they have a “review test”. ?? No child left behind, ladies. That’s what this is all about.
char
Apr 29, 2008 at 12:37 pm
No child left behind is not doing 99% of the population any good! It is lowering the standards to the point where the average child is bored and does not know how to think for themselves - only memorize.
No Child Left Behind - The Football Version
Apr 29, 2008 at 5:56 pm
[...] you can probably tell from my Standards of Learning Exam rant from earlier, I am not a big supporter of the No Child Left Behind Act. I have seen the Football [...]
» American schools - no learning allowed! - Women's Health Research News blog from IdeasForWomen.com
Apr 30, 2008 at 6:01 am
[...] Char at Weary Parent says that “teachers no longer teach kids to think” and that her kids are “bored to tears”. She says they spend most of their school time studying for ‘Standards of Learning’ exams. According to commenters too - the tests are really easy. [...]
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