Prepping/Scamming the Cogat

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The principal told me to prep! I was so dumb! It took me some time to understand that when he said ..."you go on the Internet and you find some ...ummm materials... then you have your DCs study them...then you will see a rise in scores..." He meant prep, duhh. And then you will leave this school and never come back! What great advice and so glad I did! Really worked well. A win-win for all.

I asked a parent what the test was like and she referred to this site. I bought a book from Amazon 4 days before the actual test and my DC did the test on the weekends. I am not sure if it helped or not because when he did the test, he made very few mistakes. The actual test results seemed lower.

I prepped my son. Got the new Fairfax County test prep. as well as numerous other CogAT tests and critical thinking books. We worked half an hour or so a day for two or three weeks and then crammed with tests before the exam (plus the section specific practice tests each night during the test). My DC did great. I have no regrets whatsoever. We are thrilled and so is she. I think you waited a little to long to start, as it is a process to get some of the patterns down. The repeat, as there are only so many ways you can flip a pattern.

Can you give the links of what you specifically bought?

Mercer and Critical Thinking. Worth every penny.

Specific links of exactly what you bought...thanks! (Amazon)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Are these surgeons, pilots, and judges in second grade?? You're talking about grown adults who are making choices for their own further education--not 6-year-olds whose prep is entirely driven by Mom and Dad.

When you clean you children bottoms, diapers and bed sheets I wonder who is driving this?

Children should not prepare ...only adults. Then there would be no doctors, mathematicians, violinists or pilots.

Even cave men and babies prepared in their day. If you didn't you starved or were eaten.

Cave babies prepping so they didn't get eaten...diaper-changing equivalent to making my second-grader memorize patterns.... You know, for all the smarts you imply in your gene pool, you really don't make a damn bit of sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The principal told me to prep! I was so dumb! It took me some time to understand that when he said ..."you go on the Internet and you find some ...ummm materials... then you have your DCs study them...then you will see a rise in scores..." He meant prep, duhh. And then you will leave this school and never come back! What great advice and so glad I did! Really worked well. A win-win for all.

I asked a parent what the test was like and she referred to this site. I bought a book from Amazon 4 days before the actual test and my DC did the test on the weekends. I am not sure if it helped or not because when he did the test, he made very few mistakes. The actual test results seemed lower.

I prepped my son. Got the new Fairfax County test prep. as well as numerous other CogAT tests and critical thinking books. We worked half an hour or so a day for two or three weeks and then crammed with tests before the exam (plus the section specific practice tests each night during the test). My DC did great. I have no regrets whatsoever. We are thrilled and so is she. I think you waited a little to long to start, as it is a process to get some of the patterns down. The repeat, as there are only so many ways you can flip a pattern.

Can you give the links of what you specifically bought?

Mercer and Critical Thinking. Worth every penny.

Specific links of exactly what you bought...thanks! (Amazon)

Google.com

[Anonymous]

Cave babies prepping so they didn't get eaten...diaper-changing equivalent to making my second-grader memorize patterns.... You know, for all the smarts you imply in your gene pool, you really don't make a damn bit of sense.

I\

I quite well understand. Comprehenson requires critical thinking that is in short supply. There is a reason why you are the parent and your second grader is the child who doesn't have a clue what is in her best interest. Prepare you child for the road ahead. Don't worry and have no fear. It's a good thing.

[Anonymous]

I know you're joking, but it's not a bad idea. The county should take action against those who cheat on these tests and then take taxpayer money to go to the centers.

[Anonymous]

Nonsense. These tests have no predictive value in these youngsters therefore the schools should not rely on them. Very simple solution. Get out of parents and children's home study room. Let families chose to study and prepare for whatever they please.

[Anonymous]

To keep a level playing field, the test prep info (Mercer, etc.) should be distributed to the parents of all FCPS students weeks before the test is given, so for October tests as soon as school begins or maybe at the end of the previous school year. Those eligible for free and reduced-price lunch should receive the prep materials at no cost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know you're joking, but it's not a bad idea. The county should take action against those who cheat on these tests and then take taxpayer money to go to the centers.

What kind of action can they take? Is it illegal to prep for the tests? If it is an issue, they should go after Mercer and other test prep companies. I have never read on any Fairfax Co docs that it is prohibited to prep for the tests.

[Anonymous]

If you want to prep, then prep. If you don't, then don't and be happy with it.

Will I/have I prepped? Absolutely, and not because I think my sons are Einstein incarnate. Good education comes down to good teachers, and guess where all the good teachers are...yup, you guessed it! If they don't get into AAP then I would love to take the $17000 a year FFXCTY spends per pupil and send them to private school (fat chance of me getting that cash from the county).

Bottom line, we need to make public education better so that the need for these discussions ceases - with that kind of cash per pupil there really are no excuses. I just want someone teaching my kids to know how to use a personal pronoun correctly...argh!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To keep a level playing field, the test prep info (Mercer, etc.) should be distributed to the parents of all FCPS students weeks before the test is given, so for October tests as soon as school begins or maybe at the end of the previous school year. Those eligible for free and reduced-price lunch should receive the prep materials at no cost.

You can make them available, but the parents would still have to prep'em. The majority would not, just like the majority are too lazy, ill informed, or strung out on meth to do it now when they are as easy to get as clicking the mouse. Don't be delusional, the parents who care will raise the kids that achieve, and the balance will fall into the 48%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want to prep, then prep. If you don't, then don't and be happy with it.

Will I/have I prepped? Absolutely, and not because I think my sons are Einstein incarnate. Good education comes down to good teachers, and guess where all the good teachers are...yup, you guessed it! If they don't get into AAP then I would love to take the $17000 a year FFXCTY spends per pupil and send them to private school (fat chance of me getting that cash from the county).

Bottom line, we need to make public education better so that the need for these discussions ceases - with that kind of cash per pupil there really are no excuses. I just want someone teaching my kids to know how to use a personal pronoun correctly...argh!

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To keep a level playing field, the test prep info (Mercer, etc.) should be distributed to the parents of all FCPS students weeks before the test is given, so for October tests as soon as school begins or maybe at the end of the previous school year. Those eligible for free and reduced-price lunch should receive the prep materials at no cost.

You can make them available, but the parents would still have to prep'em. The majority would not, just like the majority are too lazy, ill informed, or strung out on meth to do it now when they are as easy to get as clicking the mouse. Don't be delusional, the parents who care will raise the kids that achieve, and the balance will fall into the 48%.

Wow, judge much?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I prepped my child, and I am glad I did. He is in the pool and he will be admitted based upon his other academic credentials. He will be challenged and get better teachers and be among better, more serious classmates. He will learn good study habits and more material. He will then be better prepared for AP classes and high school. This will advance him in his class ranking, grades, and SATs. He will do better as a result, get into a better college and then get a better job and career. He will make more money, live in a bigger house, attract a prettier wife, and join a nice country club. He will learn the value of being prepared and teach this to his children by prepping them when they are in second grade. As a result they will be admitted to AAP and will repeat their in their fathers success.

I am guessing the above was typed tongue in cheek, but in case it isn't, I recommend you seriously check out the AAP program at your school and check out the 'SERIOUS' classmates that your snowflake will have. There are MANY GT kids with IEPs (my son is one of them) who can be very disruptive and not serious in the least. Not all of them get good grades either. My son gets excellent grades, but he is quite the handful in the class. He isn't even the worst one.

I could also make an argument against better teachers. We've had some good ones, but we've had a couple of stinkers too. One year, there was a Gen Ed teacher who was SO good that I wished I could take my son out and transfer him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To keep a level playing field, the test prep info (Mercer, etc.) should be distributed to the parents of all FCPS students weeks before the test is given, so for October tests as soon as school begins or maybe at the end of the previous school year. Those eligible for free and reduced-price lunch should receive the prep materials at no cost.

You can make them available, but the parents would still have to prep'em. The majority would not, just like the majority are too lazy, ill informed, or strung out on meth to do it now when they are as easy to get as clicking the mouse. Don't be delusional, the parents who care will raise the kids that achieve, and the balance will fall into the 48%.

You forgot, "or struggling through remedial english at the community center".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I prepped my child, and I am glad I did. He is in the pool and he will be admitted based upon his other academic credentials. He will be challenged and get better teachers and be among better, more serious classmates. He will learn good study habits and more material. He will then be better prepared for AP classes and high school. This will advance him in his class ranking, grades, and SATs. He will do better as a result, get into a better college and then get a better job and career. He will make more money, live in a bigger house, attract a prettier wife, and join a nice country club. He will learn the value of being prepared and teach this to his children by prepping them when they are in second grade. As a result they will be admitted to AAP and will repeat their in their fathers success.

I am guessing the above was typed tongue in cheek, but in case it isn't, I recommend you seriously check out the AAP program at your school and check out the 'SERIOUS' classmates that your snowflake will have. There are MANY GT kids with IEPs (my son is one of them) who can be very disruptive and not serious in the least. Not all of them get good grades either. My son gets excellent grades, but he is quite the handful in the class. He isn't even the worst one.

I could also make an argument against better teachers. We've had some good ones, but we've had a couple of stinkers too. One year, there was a Gen Ed teacher who was SO good that I wished I could take my son out and transfer him.

It all builds, it is not perfect, but it is a much better route than General Ed, as proven by the fact you didn't take your kid out.