I just sat through a School audit, where we are trying to raise the test scores of our free/reduced lunch children. We must do this so the school will survive. BUT...there is no punitive action against the child if they do not do well on the tests. Many do not even care and rush through it. The only grade that really means anything is a passing grade or an acceptable grade in a class to get to the next level.

 

If we are going to grade our schools on these tests then the only way to get the children to respond and try is to somehow have it effect their ability to pass to the next level.

 

I am just looking for opinions on this. How do you motivate the kids to want to do well if they just do not care?

I could see using it as part of a formula to determine a passing grade, but some kids just don't test well.

The testing system in Kentucky schools is invalid and should be scrapped. How can you grade a school or form an opinion of a school when students are not held accountable for their own test results. Now, use the results to pass a grade puts accountability on the teacher as well as the student. It would also be nice if the state universities would use the CATS scores for scholarships or extra money. Right now, this testing system is breaking the state. Maybe a better idea would be a High School Exit Exam. Don't pass, don't graduate. Boy, talk about accountability....:scared:

In a word, no. I can see the CATS scores used as part of the grading process, but you just can't grade a child on the CATS only. In my opinion, you have tangibles in a student passing a class. A poor student could make great improvements in the classroom over the course of a school year, but still not have a great CATS score. Should that student be punished for working to improve his/her class work? No.

 

I understand that it is sometimes not fair to judge a school on the CATS scores, but it is equally unfair to judge a student on one test score.

In a word, no. I can see the CATS scores used as part of the grading process, but you just can't grade a child on the CATS only. In my opinion, you have tangibles in a student passing a class. A poor student could make great improvements in the classroom over the course of a school year, but still not have a great CATS score. Should that student be punished for working to improve his/her class work? No.

 

I understand that it is sometimes not fair to judge a school on the CATS scores, but it is equally unfair to judge a student on one test score.

 

You are right, some kids do not test well and maybe a combination of their class work and testing should be used. However, at testing time the quicker they get done the sooner they get free time, and I am not sure that the marginal students really care.

 

I am tired of all of the public schools changing policies to help these kids and the smarter children are left behind. Make them accountable. If you do not get a proficient you better have really good class work that demonstrates you are trying or you can repeat the class in summer school..

 

That would get their attention, I bet we would see a dramatic improvement.

I think not, because like some people previously said, some don't test well. But then again, they have to be able to take tests to pass their other classes. I do not think they should count towards indivudal grades, but I think that if a student does particularly well on the test, then they should be rewarded so that they know that they worked hard for something, and not nothing.

CATS testing needs to be gotten rid of. We need to teach our children vital information, not how to pass a test.

CATS testing needs to be gotten rid of. We need to teach our children vital information, not how to pass a test.

 

I agree, but until then, some of the schools that are not showing the required progression need to do something to get the kids to take the tests serious.

Everyone acts like "give them a reward" well unless it is money some will not care. I think the reward should be passing or no summer school.

The state will not allow schools to reward individual efforts. The whole system of school accountability in Kentucky sucks. As schools teach the test to students in order to raise the school's scores, ACT numbers continue to drop. Now, what is more important to the students, CATS scores or ACT scores.

 

ACT = Admittance to colleges, scholarship money

CATS = A school Grade

 

Not hard to figure out

My friend is a special teacher so I showed him this thread. He said it was crazy testing kids with disablities with the regular students and was surprised to see that people assume that if a kid stuggles they must not care.He believes the major breakdown in our school systems is trying to teach all students the same and in the same way.We all are not going to be college students so don't train them like they are.

The state will not allow schools to reward individual efforts. The whole system of school accountability in Kentucky sucks. As schools teach the test to students in order to raise the school's scores, ACT numbers continue to drop. Now, what is more important to the students, CATS scores or ACT scores.

 

ACT = Admittance to colleges, scholarship money

CATS = A school Grade

 

Not hard to figure out

 

Exactly, the schools goals are opposite of mine. I want my daughter to be ready for college. DO you meant that CATS give the schools a grade or the srudent. I think you mean the Schools and that would assume that everyone in the public school system is equal and has equal ability.

It's not like the kids are being taught the basic skills now anyway. They are being taught the test. Instead of focusing in on the basic skills and making them proficient in a small number of things, they are throwing too much at them and settling for them knowing just enough to pass the test. This isn't aimed at every teacher in the state, because I know their hands are tied and they have to teach what they are told.

 

In addition to working two, sometimes three jobs, which requires me to be gone at night sometimes, I now have to teach my sons the basics of math on a worksheet. During the day, they did a math worksheet that catered to what was on the test. My son is in the second grade. 50 math problems a night. Three times a week. 20 pages of required reading, three times a week. 30 spelling words. 40 reading words. Instead of making him proficient in reading to where he can just comprehend what he is reading, they have him do book reports because that's how the CATS test is set up. He's in the second grade.

 

I fear what's happening at schools across the state is that they are so wrapped up in "teaching the test", that the burden of teaching my children the basic skills are falling on my lap. The school has them seven hours a day. I have them five when I don't work at night and maybe one or two when I do. Sometimes not at all.

 

As far as the original question goes, should the CATS test be used to pass kids in school? If you do that, then do the same thing with college entrance exams. One day, one test. Make a 22 and you're in. One chance. It's basically what the CATS proposal is. If we do that, then why go to school during the year? You could have kids challenge the requirement to go to school, be able to stop in one day and take a test. If they can pass the test, then why require them to attend school?

 

Kentucky is too darned wrapped up in CATS testing and missing the overall picture. The CATS test is designed to make students proficient in learning and make the college ready. Yet, Kentucky's average ACT score has been below the national average 17 of the last 18 years.

 

I remember the testing days. Baloo is a bear. Wuzzle means to mix. Alate means to have wings. Sculch is junk. There was little pressure on testing then because it wasn't tied to much.

 

Now, test scores determine funding, who controls the school district (local or state), etc. So much emphasis has been placed on the CATS testing that small but important things are falling through the cracks.

 

To use a baseball analogy, you can't teach the hit and run until you teach the players how to hit a baseball and run the bases. You can't teach infield positioning on a bunt play until the players know how to field the ball to begin with.

 

In another logic that people in Kentucky probably do understand, you can't teach a team how to break a full court press if they can't dribble the ball in the first place.

You are right, some kids do not test well and maybe a combination of their class work and testing should be used. However, at testing time the quicker they get done the sooner they get free time, and I am not sure that the marginal students really care.

 

I am tired of all of the public schools changing policies to help these kids and the smarter children are left behind. Make them accountable. If you do not get a proficient you better have really good class work that demonstrates you are trying or you can repeat the class in summer school..

 

That would get their attention, I bet we would see a dramatic improvement.

 

No, you would just not see them show up in the summer. How do you force a kid to get up and come to school when the parents don't care if they get up and come to school and then give an effort while here.

CATS testing needs to be gotten rid of. We need to teach our children vital information, not how to pass a test.

 

Technically, the vital information is supposed to be on the test.

My friend is a special teacher so I showed him this thread. He said it was crazy testing kids with disablities with the regular students and was surprised to see that people assume that if a kid stuggles they must not care.He believes the major breakdown in our school systems is trying to teach all students the same and in the same way.We all are not going to be college students so don't train them like they are.

 

I agree with you, some kids struggle because they do not understand but are trying. That is a completely different category then the ones that do just enough in class to get a good enough grade to make it to the next class and then blow the test off ( finish in about 15 minutes, etc.) because it has not meaning to them personally.