Prepping/Scamming the Cogat

[Anonymous]

What if everybody who used CogAT prep materials took them to the AART at their child's school, explained how they had been used, and just asked if the school recommended the use of these materials before the CogAT?
If the AART thinks they're fine, then there is no issue with them.

[Anonymous]

Wow. 25 pages and still going strong.

Here is a modest proposal for you anti-prepping fetishers. The NNAT is something like 40 pick the next object in a series questions and the FxAT is 40 or so each of rather simple verbal and login and math questions. Of course prepping is going to help kids get better scores and some parents are going to do it despite all of your protests, name calling and high pitched whining (25 pages, just in this one thread) so why don't you lobby for FCPS schools to give the most prep-proof test out there to all students - the WISC.

You can even create a non-profit to help FCPS defer the costs of administering the WISC to all students and then donate your own money to the fund. If any of you do this, I promise to donate 5 dollars of my own money to help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. 25 pages and still going strong.

Here is a modest proposal for you anti-prepping fetishers. The NNAT is something like 40 pick the next object in a series questions and the FxAT is 40 or so each of rather simple verbal and login and math questions. Of course prepping is going to help kids get better scores and some parents are going to do it despite all of your protests, name calling and high pitched whining (25 pages, just in this one thread) so why don't you lobby for FCPS schools to give the most prep-proof test out there to all students - the WISC.

You can even create a non-profit to help FCPS defer the costs of administering the WISC to all students and then donate your own money to the fund. If any of you do this, I promise to donate 5 dollars of my own money to help.

WISC is fine. But $5 won't buy that. Give $400.

[Anonymous]

What if everybody who used CogAT prep materials took them to the AART at their child's school, explained how they had been used, and just asked if the school recommended the use of these materials before the CogAT?
If the AART thinks they're fine, then there is no issue with them.

Another silly idea from one who avoids responding directly to questions. This idea is impractical and not attainable on a County level scale and not feasible.

[Anonymous]

Take the specific CogAT prep materials and explain how frequently they are used to the AART at school and ask if they are appropriate.

The children are weighing in. What a stupid idea. No sense of scope and scale.

[Anonymous]

FCPS could save a boat load of money if they tore up the multi million dollar contracts with these greedy and money grubbing testing enterprises and developed their own test for their own students in house.

[Anonymous]

Aren't they in the in the same bed with the "for profit" testing businesses?

Isn't this a conflict of interest? FCPS will do and say what the testing company tells them to do and say and some posters here will parrot their sound bites and talking points ad nauseum.

"Prepping is kids having the test questions before the test" but all other preparation and prepping (like they do in their households) is legitimate.

What utter nonsensical illogic.

[Anonymous]

Instead of your familiar sound bites, let's get a little deeper; tell us why the developers of the SAT test (and their psychologists, educators on the board) argued for many years they did not want students to prepare for their SAT aptitude test and preparation for the SAT aptitude test would not improve test scores based on studies they conducted over many years?

[Anonymous]

Aren't they in the in the same bed with the "for profit" testing businesses?

Isn't this a conflict of interest? FCPS will do and say what the testing company tells them to do and say and some posters here will parrot their sound bites and talking points ad nauseum.

"Prepping is kids having the test questions before the test" but all other preparation and prepping (like they do in their households) is legitimate.

What utter nonsensical illogic.

Do you still think the poster is working for a test prep company?

Don't bother answering since we all know your answer will be YES

[Anonymous]

Making post after post in an effort to change the scope of the discussion will not change the fact that:

FCPS staff members chose to administer the custom form of the CogAT this year after it came to our attention that some students, in previous years, had prepared for the CogAT using the exact form of the CogAT being administered in FCPS.

If I had CogAT prep books and worksheets at my house, it would be very simple to gather them up and show them to the AART at my child's school. If there were a chance that I might be using materials that FCPS objects to, that is what I would do.

[Anonymous]

Interestingly, if you go back through these 25 pages, you will see that the posts that contain name-calling are overwhelmingly those that advocate practicing CogAT questions before the day of the test. Those who advocate following FCPS's rules in regard to CogAT prep have refrained from name-calling and have remained focused on the topic of the thread, which is

Prepping/Scamming the Cogat.

[Anonymous]

Look, there will always be people who prep/scam. Nothing anyone says is going to change their minds and make them consider the common good over the needs of their own DC. I agree with the PP who suggested making copies of past tests available to everyone. I think that is as close to fairness as we will be able to come.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look, there will always be people who prep/scam. Nothing anyone says is going to change their minds and make them consider the common good over the needs of their own DC. I agree with the PP who suggested making copies of past tests available to everyone. I think that is as close to fairness as we will be able to come.

+1
Since there will always be prepping one way or another, the best approach would be for FCPS to make available to all kids testing preparation material similar to the material sold on line or used at all those prep mills around the county, and make the test questions more difficult (not different, but more challenging). This way, there will be no advantage for the prepped kids, and the more intelligent kids will shine through. I think that this is an easy, straightforward and fair approach.

[Anonymous]

The best solution is from the poster who says over and over again to collect all study materials the year before the test and get approval from the AAP police to use them for daily study. I would add that parents must show the receipts of all purchased educational materials and tuition for academic enrichment. I agree this approach will smoke out cheaters in Fairfax County.

The AAP czar solution is the best policy.

[Anonymous]

Well, the architect of this policy will definitely be going to jail for cheating.