Bad News for Test Prep Parents

[Anonymous]

It's clear from this what kind of prep is inappropriate:

Here's a link to a FCPS document that includes an explanation of why the test was changed last year:

http://www.fcps.edu/is/aap/pdfs/FAQre2012CustomizedCogAT.pdf

See fourth paragraph, first sentence:

"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."

When they change the whole test because of one type of prepping, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the school doesn't want kids studying books of old tests.
Anyone who says that can't figure that out really just doesn't want to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The bottom line is that the scores of these AAP identification tests are affected when kids have been practicing with materials that replicate past tests. Some people know this and have decided to make some money off this fact. The more they can convince young parents that:
a: a child's intelligence is dependent on how many of this business's worksheets the child does and,
b: that there is no good education available in FCPS except in AAP and,
c: the best way to get a child into AAP is to use our services/products,
the more money they will make.

They do not want the school to know that kids have been prepped, because they know that the scores would then be taken less seriously. It would certainly be bad for business for the schools to know which second graders have been doing practice questions from old tests at camps or classes or clubs or just at home with a parent. Even the idea that teachers might be asking kids at school if they have seen questions like these before could be bad for business. Parents may hesitate to buy into test prep programs or materials if they hear that the schools might not use test results from kids who say they have seen questions like this before.

Most of these businesses sell other types of tutoring and test prep so they will not lose their shirts if FCPS were to stop using these tests or drop the AAP.
But it would eat into their profits to a certain extent.

It is about the money. And threads like this that point out the issues with prepping for these tests are not appreciated because they interfere with the advertising message.

this I don't get because I started googling around for CogAt test prep and found the books. Thank-goodness! I never saw an advertisement. demand precedes supply.

Why buy advertising when you can post on message boards all day? But posts like the first one in this quote detract from the message that they hope parents will get.

[Anonymous]

The bottom line is that the scores of these AAP identification tests are affected when kids have been practicing with materials that replicate past tests. Some people know this and have decided to make some money off this fact. The more ....

The "true" bottom line is the scores of these AAP identification tests are affected when kids prepare by working hard at reading, writing and solving math problems.

Face it kiddos. Some kids simply work harder than others even at the age of 8. This discussion has absolutely nothing to do with the convenient distraction or cover of "practicing with materials".

If the Koch brothers and "baggers" burned all the "test materials" in the land there are still some of America's children that simply study more, prepare and work harder. The results will be the same despite not so deftly disguised "social engineering".

It does not come down to "test materials" however the hell someone wants to waste time defining. Children from families with high priorities in certain domains (e.g., education or sports) will study, prepare and work harder than most -- just like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

If, like some geneticist wannabes claim; but, Peyton and Tom are naturally gifted, they would have been in a class of their own without hard work and preparation. Then, by that faulty logic, all USAMO, Intel and Siemen winners, Davidson Scholars, TJ and magnet school matriculants are also naturally gifted and in a lofty class despite their effort and preparation. You can't play both sides of the fence. Peyton and Tom have very high preparation and work rates as the do winners of the TJ and USAMO sweepstakes.

[Anonymous]

Why buy advertising when you can post on message boards all day? But posts like the first one in this quote detract from the message that they hope parents will get.

You are right. This is the crowd with the disposable bucks who espouse one thing on these boards but practise another -- under the table under cover. I'm not stupid. My business wants to take the lead in NOVA market share. My hard work and preparation has brought me to the right place. I came to the right place.

Everyone is signing up. I can't keep up and hired 4 tutors on Monday of this week. Who wouldn't want to be like Peyton -- even you. And Peyton says ... hardwork and preparation was key for his success in football, business and life.

PM me offline and I'll hook you up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The bottom line is that the scores of these AAP identification tests are affected when kids have been practicing with materials that replicate past tests. Some people know this and have decided to make some money off this fact. The more ....

The "true" bottom line is the scores of these AAP identification tests are affected when kids prepare by working hard at reading, writing and solving math problems.

Face it kiddos. Some kids simply work harder than others even at the age of 8. This discussion has absolutely nothing to do with the convenient distraction or cover of "practicing with materials".

If the Koch brothers and "baggers" burned all the "test materials" in the land there are still some of America's children that simply study more, prepare and work harder. The results will be the same despite not so deftly disguised "social engineering".

It does not come down to "test materials" however the hell someone wants to waste time defining. Children from families with high priorities in certain domains (e.g., education or sports) will study, prepare and work harder than most -- just like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

If, like some geneticist wannabes claim; but, Peyton and Tom are naturally gifted, they would have been in a class of their own without hard work and preparation. Then, by that faulty logic, all USAMO, Intel and Siemen winners, Davidson Scholars, TJ and magnet school matriculants are also naturally gifted and in a lofty class despite their effort and preparation. You can't play both sides of the fence. Peyton and Tom have very high preparation and work rates as the do winners of the TJ and USAMO sweepstakes.

hard work and brains are good, but it really helped DC to see what the questions were going to look like.
Now DC is in AAP, and that was pretty much the goal so it worked out fine. No need for an appeal of paying for a WISC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The bottom line is that the scores of these AAP identification tests are affected when kids have been practicing with materials that replicate past tests. Some people know this and have decided to make some money off this fact. The more ....

The "true" bottom line is the scores of these AAP identification tests are affected when kids prepare by working hard at reading, writing and solving math problems.

Face it kiddos. Some kids simply work harder than others even at the age of 8. This discussion has absolutely nothing to do with the convenient distraction or cover of "practicing with materials".

If the Koch brothers and "baggers" burned all the "test materials" in the land there are still some of America's children that simply study more, prepare and work harder. The results will be the same despite not so deftly disguised "social engineering".

It does not come down to "test materials" however the hell someone wants to waste time defining. Children from families with high priorities in certain domains (e.g., education or sports) will study, prepare and work harder than most -- just like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

If, like some geneticist wannabes claim; but, Peyton and Tom are naturally gifted, they would have been in a class of their own without hard work and preparation. Then, by that faulty logic, all USAMO, Intel and Siemen winners, Davidson Scholars, TJ and magnet school matriculants are also naturally gifted and in a lofty class despite their effort and preparation. You can't play both sides of the fence. Peyton and Tom have very high preparation and work rates as the do winners of the TJ and USAMO sweepstakes.

hard work and brains are good, but it really helped DC to see what the questions were going to look like.
Now DC is in AAP, and that was pretty much the goal so it worked out fine. No need for an appeal of paying for a WISC.

no need for an appeal or paying for the WISC.

[Anonymous]

hard work and brains are good, but it really helped DC to see what the questions were going to look like.
Now DC is in AAP, and that was pretty much the goal so it worked out fine. No need for an appeal of paying for a WISC.

It doesn't really matter in my circles. Most of these kids are 2300-2400 on SAT. It doesn't matter whether they see the test the night before or not. I guess these folk must be smarter than your DC by a mile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

hard work and brains are good, but it really helped DC to see what the questions were going to look like.
Now DC is in AAP, and that was pretty much the goal so it worked out fine. No need for an appeal of paying for a WISC.

It doesn't really matter in my circles. Most of these kids are 2300-2400 on SAT. It doesn't matter whether they see the test the night before or not. I guess these folk must be smarter than your DC by a mile.

of that I have no doubt. But DC got into AAP and that was the goal so it worked out fine.

[Anonymous]

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=picture+of+working+brain&qpvt=picture+of+working+brain&FORM=IGRE#view=detail&id=33C596221669DE0225136B5FF832756DB17E026C&selectedIndex=4

This cartoon in my locker aptly illustrates the effects of exercising/preparing/loading the brain with hard work (writing, reading and solving problems) on neural connections and downstream intelligence over time.

Similar molecular signaling pathways are upregulated in exercising and loaded skeletal muscle on downstream contraction and strength.

-Peyton

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

hard work and brains are good, but it really helped DC to see what the questions were going to look like.
Now DC is in AAP, and that was pretty much the goal so it worked out fine. No need for an appeal of paying for a WISC.

It doesn't really matter in my circles. Most of these kids are 2300-2400 on SAT. It doesn't matter whether they see the test the night before or not. I guess these folk must be smarter than your DC by a mile.

Wow, ~400 kids a year get a perfect score on the SAT and you know a lot of them. Impressive.

[Anonymous]

A boat load of kids at TJ alone score between 2300-2400 on SAT not to mention in the USA. At Blair Magnet HS and TJ each graduating class can count 30 to 40%/class of National Merit Semi-Finalist for the last decade. Like Peyton manning all these kids work hard and prepare they did not steal tests or the opposing teams playbook the night before. How many kids are in each TJ class? A brain teaser for you...simply do the math, eh.

[Anonymous]

Wow, ~400 kids a year get a perfect score on the SAT and you know a lot of them. Impressive

When you accuse the poster of providing stolen test material to your County kids why wouldn't you expect this entrepreneur to know the clients. Your light bulb shines dimly -- low wattage.

[Anonymous]

oh shoot. this thread has really gone off the rails if we're posting TJ SAT stats. Here's some simple math -- if TJ kids are so smart than why don't all of them score between 2300 and 2400 on the SATs and become National Merit finalists off their PSATs? My son and two of his friends did, and they're not even at TJ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:oh shoot. this thread has really gone off the rails if we're posting TJ SAT stats. Here's some simple math -- if TJ kids are so smart than why don't all of them score between 2300 and 2400 on the SATs and become National Merit finalists off their PSATs? My son and two of his friends did, and they're not even at TJ?

and they did that by just eating breakfast that day and getting a good night's sleep the night before the test, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:oh shoot. this thread has really gone off the rails if we're posting TJ SAT stats. Here's some simple math -- if TJ kids are so smart than why don't all of them score between 2300 and 2400 on the SATs and become National Merit finalists off their PSATs? My son and two of his friends did, and they're not even at TJ?

and they did that by just eating breakfast that day and getting a good night's sleep the night before the test, right?

funny you should say that. none of the three did SAT prep. I think my son may have looked at some sample problems the night before.