Teacher who is hyper-focused on state testing.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have experience with a teacher that is hyper-focused on state testing?

At the start of the year we attended the open house where she really laid into the importance of preparing the students for state testing at the end of the year. Since then, my child has reported that she is frequently absence, doesn't cover topics in class and insists on independent study to cover new material. For context, this is 8th grade, Algebra 1. Throughout the year we've taken note of our child's feedback and additional emails that seem to focus on state testing.

Testing is this week and the teacher continues to pressure the kids into learning material based on the test, not the concepts themselves including new concepts. My straight A student is struggling with the pressure and broke down in tears over the pressure he received this morning. The guidance counselor eluded to this being a staff issue and is recommending I speak with the vice principal.

Are teachers judged based on student performance of these tests? Is there anything that can be done to resolve this?

[Anonymous]

Wow. I would opt my kid out of the math portion of the testing and tell the principal exactly why.

[Anonymous]

Opt your child out of testing and don’t worry about it.

[Anonymous]

Being frequently doesn't translate to good scores on tests.

Unfortunately, a lot of admin incentivize this behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Opt your child out of testing and don’t worry about it.

How?

[Anonymous]

OP here- Thank you for the suggestions to opt out of testing. We are moving to private next year anyways and we could careless about the test.

Spoke with the teacher and she pretended to be oblivious to the pressure she was putting on kids and was so clueless that she had upset my child to the point where he went to the guidance counselor.

She persisted that the test was of such great importance and how teaching for the test is so critical that now I'm considering telling DS to intentionally circle all the wrong answers so it reflects poorly on her.

[Anonymous]

God so many snowflakes in here. Tell your kid to do his best on the test and get over it. There will be many tests in his life, some where he will have little time to prepare.

"intentionally circle the wrong answers". What kind of dumbass parenting is this? Enjoy burning that money in private school with this kind of values you are pushing to your son.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Opt your child out of testing and don’t worry about it.

How?

Keep the kid home and tell the school why. Not that hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here- Thank you for the suggestions to opt out of testing. We are moving to private next year anyways and we could careless about the test.

Spoke with the teacher and she pretended to be oblivious to the pressure she was putting on kids and was so clueless that she had upset my child to the point where he went to the guidance counselor.

She persisted that the test was of such great importance and how teaching for the test is so critical that now I'm considering telling DS to intentionally circle all the wrong answers so it reflects poorly on her.

That’s an excellent idea!

Writing an opt out letter and telling them why might clue the admin to the problem though.

If you don’t care either way though I’d choose the fun option.

You can even do designs if it’s paper/pencil test.

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:God so many snowflakes in here. Tell your kid to do his best on the test and get over it. There will be many tests in his life, some where he will have little time to prepare.

"intentionally circle the wrong answers". What kind of dumbass parenting is this? Enjoy burning that money in private school with this kind of values you are pushing to your son.

So you're saying that I should assist the school in overinflating test scores by accepting and condoning this type of teaching? I don't need my kids data to contribute to a lie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

YES! Stick it to the man!

[Anonymous]

Teacher here. The test is not paper and pencil. It is on the computer. Having your child initially circle the wrong answer does nothing for the teacher. It can reflect poorly on your child. These scores follow the child, like a paper trial. Considering that you are considering private, I would make sure that he does well if the school will look at these scores. The teacher will not get the scores until until next year. By then, your child will be in 9th grade and does not matter to last years teacher. The scores have nothing to do with a teachers pay or performance. Do some teachers put pressure on students? Yes, of course. OP, do everyone involved a favor and opt out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. The test is not paper and pencil. It is on the computer. Having your child initially circle the wrong answer does nothing for the teacher. It can reflect poorly on your child. These scores follow the child, like a paper trial. Considering that you are considering private, I would make sure that he does well if the school will look at these scores. The teacher will not get the scores until until next year. By then, your child will be in 9th grade and does not matter to last years teacher. The scores have nothing to do with a teachers pay or performance. Do some teachers put pressure on students? Yes, of course. OP, do everyone involved a favor and opt out.

Not necessarily true. In DCPS for example, student test scores on state assessments make up 25-35% of your final evaluation, which determines future pay and any bonus opportunity. I think a little sympathy is reasonable for teachers that have to work under that system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. The test is not paper and pencil. It is on the computer. Having your child initially circle the wrong answer does nothing for the teacher. It can reflect poorly on your child. These scores follow the child, like a paper trial. Considering that you are considering private, I would make sure that he does well if the school will look at these scores. The teacher will not get the scores until until next year. By then, your child will be in 9th grade and does not matter to last years teacher. The scores have nothing to do with a teachers pay or performance. Do some teachers put pressure on students? Yes, of course. OP, do everyone involved a favor and opt out.

Not necessarily true. In DCPS for example, student test scores on state assessments make up 25-35% of your final evaluation, which determines future pay and any bonus opportunity. I think a little sympathy is reasonable for teachers that have to work under that system.

Same in Baltimore City but not scores from state testing. Teachers use other assessments because it takes forever to get state assessment scores back.