(AAP) All About Prepping?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder if prepping is really going to help very much. I have my doubts. I am not against it but wonder if prepping will raise the score very much. I can understand going over the format of the test, but just don't know if practicing it is in reality going to help enough.

These people on these boards make it sound like these 2nd graders are taking practice tests day in and day out like a junior in college prepping for their SATs.

I think the responsible thing to do is to familiarize the child with the test.

We just moved from NYC. We had friends who just finished with the testing for 4 year olds for kindergarten placement. My friend bought a set of books and did one round of workbooks with her 4 year old. I hardly would consider this overkill. It isn't like the 4 year old is memorizing a question bank.

Zero preparation seems irresponsible, especially if all the involved parents are exposing their kids to the tests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I wonder if prepping is really going to help very much. I have my doubts. I am not against it but wonder if prepping will raise the score very much. I can understand going over the format of the test, but just don't know if practicing it is in reality going to help enough.

Why are you wondering?! Don't do it if you don't believe in it. Are you an adult? Prepping is like religion, some belief and some don't. What's the big deal. Follow your faith.

Well, I will prep and I do prep. But I was simply questioning if folks thought they could raise scores much. I didn't say I didn't believe in it, I merely question how much a test score can be raised. Oh, and yes, I am an adult.

[Anonymous]

How long have you lived on earth? Name one task for which early exposure, familiarity, preparation, repetition and hard work doesn't improve performance? Preparation is a religion, some belief, some don't. What's your faith?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We got this from our school today. Prepping is recommended...

"Since the beginning of the school year, our teachers have been preparing our students for the more rigorous tests. Parents can view narrated demonstrations of the new test items, online SOL practice tests, and grade level content reviews to help their children prepare for the tests by visiting http://www.fcps.edu/is/news/mathsol.shtml. Parents are reminded that students test better when they are prepared physically and emotionally. FCPS’ Family and School Partnerships share these tips for test takers from The Parent Institute: don’t stay up late—get plenty of rest during test weeks—and eat healthy meals to keep mind and body nourished. "

That's about making sure your kids get to bed early the night before and eat breakfast the morning of the SOL. Totally different than the type of "prepping" that parents do for AAP tests.

Did you miss "online SOL practice tests, and grade level content reviews "

This quote from the school is specifically referring to the SOL's, which are subject matter tests as opposed to the CogAT, which is an ability test. One is expected to study for a subject matter test.

[Anonymous]

This issue is mainly for the borderline kids. Huge headache for them haha.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How long have you lived on earth? Name one task for which early exposure, familiarity, preparation, repetition and hard work doesn't improve performance? Preparation is a religion, some belief, some don't. What's your faith?

My faith is none of your damn business. I know how to prepare. I am sorry to have offened you with my question, obviously you know more than anyone else. I prepare for real life events....do you prepare for them or just tests?

[Anonymous]

My faith is none of your damn business. I know how to prepare. I am sorry to have offened you with my question, obviously you know more than anyone else. I prepare for real life events....do you prepare for them or just tests?

Is your question: will prepping improve one's score?

The answer: yes

How much will it improve one's score?

The answer: it depends

Can prepping result in a worse score?

The answer: yes, particularly if you don't do it correctly.

Can I find out in advance how much my score will improve with prepping?

I am afraid one can't. Just as one can't predict one's future date of death. Keep the faith.

[Anonymous]

Who made up the above questions? Sounds like someone is very high and mighty!

[Anonymous]

I agree with the OP. I have heard of children getting in this year by raising their scores significantly from NNAT to Cogat with prepping. (Wouldn't have had a chance with just the NNAT scores from last year when there was no time to prep for it.) I don't think the OP said it was necessarily a terrible thing - just a fact. Each to his/her own as long as its ethical and legal... What it does to the "level of thinking" within the AAP classroom is the question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who made up the above questions? Sounds like someone is very high and mighty!

Yes. Yes, I am.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the OP. I have heard of children getting in this year by raising their scores significantly from NNAT to Cogat with prepping. (Wouldn't have had a chance with just the NNAT scores from last year when there was no time to prep for it.) I don't think the OP said it was necessarily a terrible thing - just a fact. Each to his/her own as long as its ethical and legal... What it does to the "level of thinking" within the AAP classroom is the question.

Not necessarily.

NNAT measures Non-Verbal ability for the most part. My DC got mid 120's NNAT and high 140s Cogat composite. Cogat Non-Verbal score was 128, right around NNAT but the Verbal and Quantitative were 140 and 148 respectively. No preparation on either test.

You can't assume every child with a rise in scores from one test to another is prepping or cheating. In fact as a special education teacher told me, variance in test scores at this age is expected. It's unusual for a child to score 2 standard deviations above the norm on all tests, except the exceptionally gifted who consistently score 3 standard deviations higher.

[Anonymous]

Clearly, if prepping is so successful in raising scores, these prepped kids are not naturally advanced enough for AAP. This highlights the problem. The measures for these programs are inadequate for determining who is actually advanced. Content specific tests would be much more effective. Odd that VA continues to feed an inadequate testing system.

[Anonymous]

Clearly, if prepping is so successful in raising scores, these prepped kids are not naturally advanced enough for AAP. This highlights the problem. The measures for these programs are inadequate for determining who is actually advanced. Content specific tests would be much more effective. Odd that VA continues to feed an inadequate testing system.

Really, the only "naturally advanced" children are the "unprepped" ones isolated from western humanity and books in Papua New Guinea.

There is a positive correlation with "prepping" (definition boundless) and increasing socioeconomic status. In other words, all DCUMMIES "prep" thier children for school and tests in DC society.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Clearly, if prepping is so successful in raising scores, these prepped kids are not naturally advanced enough for AAP. This highlights the problem. The measures for these programs are inadequate for determining who is actually advanced. Content specific tests would be much more effective. Odd that VA continues to feed an inadequate testing system.

Really, the only "naturally advanced" children are the "unprepped" ones isolated from western humanity and books in Papua New Guinea.

There is a positive correlation with "prepping" (definition boundless) and increasing socioeconomic status. In other words, all DCUMMIES "prep" thier children for school and tests in DC society.

Generally, when people refer to prepping they are talking about time spent working on the types of questions they expect to see on a particular test. That is why people ask which form of the test will be given.
They are not talking about general exposure to "western humanity and books."

[Anonymous]

Generally, when people refer to prepping they are talking about time spent working on the types of questions they expect to see on a particular test. That is why people ask which form of the test will be given.
They are not talking about general exposure to "western humanity and books."

So you are telling me if studying arithematic, reading, vocabulary, analogies and similies will not prepare me for test questions? Who needs the actual questions if you know and are familiar what subject domains are tested? One can indeed "prep" without taking a course, attending a "prep" salon, working on the next Princeton or Barons review guidebook. One does not need secondary sources (questions) to "prep" for a test. You can prep with the primary source (exposure to good literature and books). What do you think folk did before Princeton Review when there were libraries, pen and paper..."prep" my dear "prep". The best "prep" is to actually anticipate and make up your own questions based on the subject matter/content of test. In the days before Baron and Princeton review we tried to predict the questions and at least 1/3 to 1/2 would show up in some shape or form.

You can "prep" with spending time working on the types of questions (e.g., Princeton review) and you can "prep" studying the subject material and thinking about the types of questions you may encounter. It's all "prep" for heaven's sake. Increasing "prep" is positively correlated with increasing SES (it matters not the flavor of "prep"...the end is the same).