MCAP

[Anonymous]

I don’t understand why public schools must do local, state, and national testing. Waste of time and money. Just local and national should be enough. More time should be spent teaching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why public schools must do local, state, and national testing. Waste of time and money. Just local and national should be enough. More time should be spent teaching.

State should probably only be done at select years, like 5th, 8th and 10th grade. I believe that's how it used to be back when it was the MSPAP.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:oic, for MCPS:

31% avg math proficiency for grades 3–8,
53% avg ELA proficiency for grades 3–8.

great to be front of the pack, mcps

That is SO bad. And incredibly disheartening. Is it simply due to demographic changes, or is there more to it? And, why isn't MCPS discussing this? I'd like to see some media coverage of these abysmal results, if anyone out there has access to a media outlet.

MCPS spends an obscene amount of money per pupil - is this the best MCPS has to offer?

Well, not really; it's 31%, according to the random people who simply made up this test. It's not like anyone ever took it and got over 50% anywhere. It's just a bad test the state made up and is now pushing on kids. They need to go back to the PARC which at least was reliable and you could see how our state compared with others.

Well then how do you explain other counties doing consistently better?

Which other counties are doing consistently better, since this is just the 2nd year they have given this test?

PARCC, MCAP, not that different, and they've been conducting those state level exams for several years. And there are a few counties that consistently do better. I don't know what their FARMs look like, but if it's on par with MCPS, then really, there's no excuse.

Except they're different tests. One has been used extensively whereas the other is new and unproven.

The Alg test was used by all MD counties, yet several other counties fared better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not in MCPS, but our county released them the other day and they're beyond terrible. The solution? "We have virtual tutors." Yeah, no. These school systems that wouldn't reopen really damaged these kids academically.

They damaged their mental health, too. Lots broken, and not a lot of creative problem solving to get things back on track. Quite literally, there's no support for the kids in math. They're expected to carry on with the next level despite having missed a massive amount of material. Some teachers realize this and stop and fill in, but others just keep moving forward with the curriculum and the kids have to catch up on their own. At a certain level of math, lots of parents can't remember/help any more, so it is either get a tutor or fall behind.

Enough with the mental health nonsense. If your kid has mental health issues, what are you doing about it. If MCPS is so bad for your kid, remove them. My kid gets tons of support in math as we use the free tutors and as parents, we also help. They didn't miss massive amounts, they missed a few blocks. MCPS is watered down because parents wanted it that way. Get a workbook and work with your kids if you don't want the free tutoring. But, wait, it's easier to complain than help your kids. School has been back in person for two years now so you need a new excuse. The curriculum sucks but that's what we have so make the best of it. We watched what was missed - it was a few minor sections we did on our own.

There is no mental health "nonsense." It is indisputable that the pandemic, and actions like school closures, has damaged the mental health of young people. Mental health and academic success to hand in hand, so poor mental health is a component of academic failure for many students. There is no easy tutoring or workbook to address mental health issues; it's a process that many students are engaged in. Forcing students (and teachers) to strattle between where they should be and where they actually are is a lose/lose scenario. These problems are real. If they don't apply to you, that's great, but they are real.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:oic, for MCPS:

31% avg math proficiency for grades 3–8,
53% avg ELA proficiency for grades 3–8.

great to be front of the pack, mcps

That is SO bad. And incredibly disheartening. Is it simply due to demographic changes, or is there more to it? And, why isn't MCPS discussing this? I'd like to see some media coverage of these abysmal results, if anyone out there has access to a media outlet.

MCPS spends an obscene amount of money per pupil - is this the best MCPS has to offer?

Well, not really; it's 31%, according to the random people who simply made up this test. It's not like anyone ever took it and got over 50% anywhere. It's just a bad test the state made up and is now pushing on kids. They need to go back to the PARC which at least was reliable and you could see how our state compared with others.

Well then how do you explain other counties doing consistently better?

Which other counties are doing consistently better, since this is just the 2nd year they have given this test?

PARCC, MCAP, not that different, and they've been conducting those state level exams for several years. And there are a few counties that consistently do better. I don't know what their FARMs look like, but if it's on par with MCPS, then really, there's no excuse.

Except they're different tests. One has been used extensively whereas the other is new and unproven.

The Alg test was used by all MD counties, yet several other counties fared better.

I'm not sure that a bulk average for the county is all that meaningful especially on a test like this which is dubious to begin with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:oic, for MCPS:

31% avg math proficiency for grades 3–8,
53% avg ELA proficiency for grades 3–8.

great to be front of the pack, mcps

That is SO bad. And incredibly disheartening. Is it simply due to demographic changes, or is there more to it? And, why isn't MCPS discussing this? I'd like to see some media coverage of these abysmal results, if anyone out there has access to a media outlet.

MCPS spends an obscene amount of money per pupil - is this the best MCPS has to offer?

Well, not really; it's 31%, according to the random people who simply made up this test. It's not like anyone ever took it and got over 50% anywhere. It's just a bad test the state made up and is now pushing on kids. They need to go back to the PARC which at least was reliable and you could see how our state compared with others.

Well then how do you explain other counties doing consistently better?

Which other counties are doing consistently better, since this is just the 2nd year they have given this test?

PARCC, MCAP, not that different, and they've been conducting those state level exams for several years. And there are a few counties that consistently do better. I don't know what their FARMs look like, but if it's on par with MCPS, then really, there's no excuse.

Except they're different tests. One has been used extensively whereas the other is new and unproven.

The Alg test was used by all MD counties, yet several other counties fared better.

I'm not sure that a bulk average for the county is all that meaningful especially on a test like this which is dubious to begin with.

Still doesn't explain why a less wealthy county did better than MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:oic, for MCPS:

31% avg math proficiency for grades 3–8,
53% avg ELA proficiency for grades 3–8.

great to be front of the pack, mcps

That is SO bad. And incredibly disheartening. Is it simply due to demographic changes, or is there more to it? And, why isn't MCPS discussing this? I'd like to see some media coverage of these abysmal results, if anyone out there has access to a media outlet.

MCPS spends an obscene amount of money per pupil - is this the best MCPS has to offer?

Well, not really; it's 31%, according to the random people who simply made up this test. It's not like anyone ever took it and got over 50% anywhere. It's just a bad test the state made up and is now pushing on kids. They need to go back to the PARC which at least was reliable and you could see how our state compared with others.

Well then how do you explain other counties doing consistently better?

Which other counties are doing consistently better, since this is just the 2nd year they have given this test?

PARCC, MCAP, not that different, and they've been conducting those state level exams for several years. And there are a few counties that consistently do better. I don't know what their FARMs look like, but if it's on par with MCPS, then really, there's no excuse.

Except they're different tests. One has been used extensively whereas the other is new and unproven.

The Alg test was used by all MD counties, yet several other counties fared better.

I'm not sure that a bulk average for the county is all that meaningful especially on a test like this which is dubious to begin with.

Still doesn't explain why a less wealthy county did better than MCPS.

Compare groups with similar demographics and it might make more sense. Moco is a diverse place and this means highs and lows.

[Anonymous]

Still nothing for my current 5th grader.

Does the state send the results out, or does MCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Still nothing for my current 5th grader.

Does the state send the results out, or does MCPS?

Scores on this test don't really matter. They're basically just made up. There's nothing to compare it to and no historical record. My point is don't get too worked up over it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not in MCPS, but our county released them the other day and they're beyond terrible. The solution? "We have virtual tutors." Yeah, no. These school systems that wouldn't reopen really damaged these kids academically.

MCPS is doing the same!

Throwing more taxpayer money at a problem they created. MCPS can’t actually teach our kids Math, so now they pay an independent private company to pick up the slack.

I guess it’s our version of ‘school choice’. You get your choice of tutor!

The companies are heavily recruiting MCPS teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why public schools must do local, state, and national testing. Waste of time and money. Just local and national should be enough. More time should be spent teaching.

States help fund public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still nothing for my current 5th grader.

Does the state send the results out, or does MCPS?

Scores on this test don't really matter. They're basically just made up. There's nothing to compare it to and no historical record. My point is don't get too worked up over it.

I know, but in principle if they are going to spend that much time testing the kids, I want the results. They have them, clearly; they simply won’t share them until forced to do so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still nothing for my current 5th grader.

Does the state send the results out, or does MCPS?

Scores on this test don't really matter. They're basically just made up. There's nothing to compare it to and no historical record. My point is don't get too worked up over it.

I know, but in principle if they are going to spend that much time testing the kids, I want the results. They have them, clearly; they simply won’t share them until forced to do so.

+1. It’s a huge amount of time spent. Why are they hoarding the results? It’s been 10 months!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why public schools must do local, state, and national testing. Waste of time and money. Just local and national should be enough. More time should be spent teaching.

Practicing and testing are actually a part of (and an important part of) math learning.

However, that is less true is the "test" results mean nothing to the students - then they just don't care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still nothing for my current 5th grader.

Does the state send the results out, or does MCPS?

Scores on this test don't really matter. They're basically just made up. There's nothing to compare it to and no historical record. My point is don't get too worked up over it.

I know, but in principle if they are going to spend that much time testing the kids, I want the results. They have them, clearly; they simply won’t share them until forced to do so.

+1. It’s a huge amount of time spent. Why are they hoarding the results? It’s been 10 months!

Because the results are terrible. They dumb down the curriculum and pass and promote every student in the name of equity. But can’t do anything about MCAP results besides burning them or hoarding them.. what do you expect? If your child didn’t do well on the mcaps yet he was promoted to the next grade, what do you suppose the parents reaction would be?