What are some ways to advocate to reduce the SOL testing?

[Anonymous]

Opting out DOES get the attention of legislators and school boards. Google it. you have to hit them where it hurts... And that is the pocketbook. My son is a great tester.... Super high NNAT and CoGat. I know he can multiply and read because I talk to him every day. I check his homework.

The SOLs are out of control. Tell your teacher that your child will not participate. Expect a call from the principal urging you to reconsider. They will try to guilt you in to it, saying funding depends on it. This is true. However, this isn't about a single school's funding. This is about a ridiculous system that has had absolutely no positive impact on the education of our children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What would be easier, and would help your student greatly, is to pressure your superintendent to cut down on the amount of pre-SOL standardized testing, such as eCarts (FCPS) and IA testing (APS) that goes on all year. This testing, done so that the superintendents can check up on principals and teachers constantly, cuts class instructional time considerably and creates additional stress for the students.

Yes. Bingo.

Another vote for this. I've never seen any place that throws away so much time prepping for standardized tests as the state of VA. We took Iowa tests and other standardized achievement tests when I was a kid a 40 years ago, growing up in other states, in a variety of school systems. We never were taught the tests until I moved to VA at the end of high school. And it's gotten much worse over the years.

Is our children learning?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What would be easier, and would help your student greatly, is to pressure your superintendent to cut down on the amount of pre-SOL standardized testing, such as eCarts (FCPS) and IA testing (APS) that goes on all year. This testing, done so that the superintendents can check up on principals and teachers constantly, cuts class instructional time considerably and creates additional stress for the students.

Yes. Bingo.

Another vote for this. I've never seen any place that throws away so much time prepping for standardized tests as the state of VA. We took Iowa tests and other standardized achievement tests when I was a kid a 40 years ago, growing up in other states, in a variety of school systems. We never were taught the tests until I moved to VA at the end of high school. And it's gotten much worse over the years.

Is our children learning?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What would be easier, and would help your student greatly, is to pressure your superintendent to cut down on the amount of pre-SOL standardized testing, such as eCarts (FCPS) and IA testing (APS) that goes on all year. This testing, done so that the superintendents can check up on principals and teachers constantly, cuts class instructional time considerably and creates additional stress for the students.

Yes. Bingo.

Another vote for this. I've never seen any place that throws away so much time prepping for standardized tests as the state of VA. We took Iowa tests and other standardized achievement tests when I was a kid a 40 years ago, growing up in other states, in a variety of school systems. We never were taught the tests until I moved to VA at the end of high school. And it's gotten much worse over the years.

Is our children learning?

Clearly not English. DC is in a top elementary in FCPS. No child is below grade level. The kids spend three days preparing for each SOL. They don't take multiple choice tests the rest of the year except first and second quarter scarf tests. Growing up, we spent one or two days practicing for the IOWA's and took multiple choice tests all year long. There are less multiple choice tests now than before. Some schools spend longer on these tests because they have more remedial students.

[Anonymous]

Scarf should be ecart

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

So you can find out in sixth grade that your kid basically stopped understanding math in fourth grade? There may be value in adjusting the format of the test, but some kind of evaluation at the end of each year to make sure children are continuing to progress against a standard baseline (as opposed to whatever the teacher decides is enough) is critical to holding school systems accountable and making sure children don't fall through the cracks.

Sad statement that a parent has so little faith in the teachers. Almost seems like he/she has no faith in the system at all. Gee, I wonder how we all learned math without all this standardized testing.

FYI, the teachers are the best judge.

On the contrary. We have this in place now because during the 1990s we realized that children WERE falling through the cracks and we were falling behind in terms of education relative to other economies.

Teachers are NOT the best judge -- they have a conflict of interest. Any teacher who opposes SOLs or Common Core testing is afraid of personal accountability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Opting out DOES get the attention of legislators and school boards. Google it. you have to hit them where it hurts... And that is the pocketbook. My son is a great tester.... Super high NNAT and CoGat. I know he can multiply and read because I talk to him every day. I check his homework.

The SOLs are out of control. Tell your teacher that your child will not participate. Expect a call from the principal urging you to reconsider. They will try to guilt you in to it, saying funding depends on it. This is true. However, this isn't about a single school's funding. This is about a ridiculous system that has had absolutely no positive impact on the education of our children.

No, you are ridiculous. Not every child is your child -- we need to make sure every child is learning. Testing achieves that. Stop being so myopic. It's not all about your precious little snowflake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Opting out DOES get the attention of legislators and school boards. Google it. you have to hit them where it hurts... And that is the pocketbook. My son is a great tester.... Super high NNAT and CoGat. I know he can multiply and read because I talk to him every day. I check his homework.

The SOLs are out of control. Tell your teacher that your child will not participate. Expect a call from the principal urging you to reconsider. They will try to guilt you in to it, saying funding depends on it. This is true. However, this isn't about a single school's funding. This is about a ridiculous system that has had absolutely no positive impact on the education of our children.



No, you are ridiculous. Not every child is your child -- we need to make sure every child is learning. Testing achieves that. Stop being so myopic. It's not all about your precious little snowflake.

You are missing the point. Of course it isn't about my special snowflake. As I said - he's a great tester. He doesn't get nervous, he doesn't have issues mastering the material. But studies prove that this standardized testing does NOT, in fact, make sure every child is learning. Quite the opposite. I agree the intention is quite gallant, but the stats just don't back up the effort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What would be easier, and would help your student greatly, is to pressure your superintendent to cut down on the amount of pre-SOL standardized testing, such as eCarts (FCPS) and IA testing (APS) that goes on all year. This testing, done so that the superintendents can check up on principals and teachers constantly, cuts class instructional time considerably and creates additional stress for the students.

Yes. Bingo.

Another vote for this. I've never seen any place that throws away so much time prepping for standardized tests as the state of VA. We took Iowa tests and other standardized achievement tests when I was a kid a 40 years ago, growing up in other states, in a variety of school systems. We never were taught the tests until I moved to VA at the end of high school. And it's gotten much worse over the years.

Is our children learning?

Clearly not English.

Oh for crying out loud. That poster was referencing a GWB quote from 2000: "Rarely is the question asked, Is our children learning?"