Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Complainers gonna complain. We've been perfectly happy with our APS experience. The scores show zero difference between our school and high achieving MCPS / FCPS schools. So, shrug.

So you are at Jamestown?

Dang you went there. And you’re probably right.

Frankly so jealous of Jamestown. We are in North Arlington and the schools were supposed to be good, but it is such a difference apparently between neighborhoods. Jamestown is apparently amazing and meanwhile we are looking at private school because our neighborhood school is not the best. We should have bought north of Langston.

Which NA schools are not as nice as Jamestown?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Complainers gonna complain. We've been perfectly happy with our APS experience. The scores show zero difference between our school and high achieving MCPS / FCPS schools. So, shrug.

So you are at Jamestown?

Dang you went there. And you’re probably right.

Frankly so jealous of Jamestown. We are in North Arlington and the schools were supposed to be good, but it is such a difference apparently between neighborhoods. Jamestown is apparently amazing and meanwhile we are looking at private school because our neighborhood school is not the best. We should have bought north of Langston.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Complainers gonna complain. We've been perfectly happy with our APS experience. The scores show zero difference between our school and high achieving MCPS / FCPS schools. So, shrug.

So you are at Jamestown?

Dang you went there. And you’re probably right.

Frankly so jealous of Jamestown. We are in North Arlington and the schools were supposed to be good, but it is such a difference apparently between neighborhoods. Jamestown is apparently amazing and meanwhile we are looking at private school because our neighborhood school is not the best. We should have bought north of Langston.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Complainers gonna complain. We've been perfectly happy with our APS experience. The scores show zero difference between our school and high achieving MCPS / FCPS schools. So, shrug.

So you are at Jamestown?

Dang you went there. And you’re probably right.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They've switched to online assessments for grading and it's stupid. Elementary kids shouldn't have their math tests be multiple choice. They shouldn't be assessed on only 3-8 questions per unit and there should be partial credit. It's a bonkers way of deciding if kids know the materials.

Are you kidding me?! My kids are no longer in ES, but I swear I was repeating "You have to show your work so they know you're thinking like a mathematician" in my sleep.

Also, SBG is trash.

(I do love almost all APS teachers, though)

Yup, the online tests also have tons of mistakes or terribly unclear questions. At parent teacher conferences out conversation went like this:

Us: So how did Larlo get a B in math this quarter? His Math Inventory is off the charts and he is great at math.

Teacher: Well, there were two tests and he got a 66% on one of them.

Us: Really, what didn't he understand.

Teacher: We'll, it was three problems and he got this one wrong, so he got a 66%.

Us: (Looking at the problem) Uh, but none of those answers is correct? The answer should be X.

Teacher: It says the answer is (C)

Us:. But that's not correct.

Teacher: I have to go by what's in the system.

Good times in APS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I’m an elementary APS teacher. I have no idea what you are talking about with this testing… sounds like you are not in an SBG school.

We do multiple check ins and also track formative assignments for progress. Students have many many opportunities to show mastery of a standard.

You're saying math tests are not multiple choice and students are required to show their work?

Our math check-ins are a mix of multiple choice and showing work, depending on the question. We do have students show their work. If your teacher uses mastery connect for all tests and quizzes, that's up to them, and then the questions are mult choice, write in the blank, drag and drop, etc.

Each quarter APS also makes a larger quarterly assessment that is SOL style on mastery connect which is our online testing software attached to canvas. It's not required to use mastery connect.

We were told that APS has made Mastery Connect mandatory and that teachers must use it for tracking math progress, so it has to be used for all tests/evaluations. It doesn't matter if kids show their work. Like all things APS, I'm sure your mileage varies by elementary school.

I’m an APS elementary teacher. We have never been told that mastery connect is required for anything. We do use it sometimes but it’s not a great program (especially compared to powertest whuch we used previously). We prefer paper pencil and we often reformat to paper pencil from master connect.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I’m an elementary APS teacher. I have no idea what you are talking about with this testing… sounds like you are not in an SBG school.

We do multiple check ins and also track formative assignments for progress. Students have many many opportunities to show mastery of a standard.

You're saying math tests are not multiple choice and students are required to show their work?

Our math check-ins are a mix of multiple choice and showing work, depending on the question. We do have students show their work. If your teacher uses mastery connect for all tests and quizzes, that's up to them, and then the questions are mult choice, write in the blank, drag and drop, etc.

Each quarter APS also makes a larger quarterly assessment that is SOL style on mastery connect which is our online testing software attached to canvas. It's not required to use mastery connect.

We were told that APS has made Mastery Connect mandatory and that teachers must use it for tracking math progress, so it has to be used for all tests/evaluations. It doesn't matter if kids show their work. Like all things APS, I'm sure your mileage varies by elementary school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I’m an elementary APS teacher. I have no idea what you are talking about with this testing… sounds like you are not in an SBG school.

We do multiple check ins and also track formative assignments for progress. Students have many many opportunities to show mastery of a standard.

You're saying math tests are not multiple choice and students are required to show their work?

Our math check-ins are a mix of multiple choice and showing work, depending on the question. We do have students show their work. If your teacher uses mastery connect for all tests and quizzes, that's up to them, and then the questions are mult choice, write in the blank, drag and drop, etc.

Each quarter APS also makes a larger quarterly assessment that is SOL style on mastery connect which is our online testing software attached to canvas. It's not required to use mastery connect.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They've switched to online assessments for grading and it's stupid. Elementary kids shouldn't have their math tests be multiple choice. They shouldn't be assessed on only 3-8 questions per unit and there should be partial credit. It's a bonkers way of deciding if kids know the materials.

Are you kidding me?! My kids are no longer in ES, but I swear I was repeating "You have to show your work so they know you're thinking like a mathematician" in my sleep.

Also, SBG is trash.

(I do love almost all APS teachers, though)

Yup, the online tests also have tons of mistakes or terribly unclear questions. At parent teacher conferences out conversation went like this:

Us: So how did Larlo get a B in math this quarter? His Math Inventory is off the charts and he is great at math.

Teacher: Well, there were two tests and he got a 66% on one of them.

Us: Really, what didn't he understand.

Teacher: We'll, it was three problems and he got this one wrong, so he got a 66%.

Us: (Looking at the problem) Uh, but none of those answers is correct? The answer should be X.

Teacher: It says the answer is (C)

Us:. But that's not correct.

Teacher: I have to go by what's in the system.

Good times in APS.

You should land your helicopter. Or go to private.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I’m an elementary APS teacher. I have no idea what you are talking about with this testing… sounds like you are not in an SBG school.

We do multiple check ins and also track formative assignments for progress. Students have many many opportunities to show mastery of a standard.

You're saying math tests are not multiple choice and students are required to show their work?

Anonymous wrote:
I’m an elementary APS teacher. I have no idea what you are talking about with this testing… sounds like you are not in an SBG school.

We do multiple check ins and also track formative assignments for progress. Students have many many opportunities to show mastery of a standard.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They've switched to online assessments for grading and it's stupid. Elementary kids shouldn't have their math tests be multiple choice. They shouldn't be assessed on only 3-8 questions per unit and there should be partial credit. It's a bonkers way of deciding if kids know the materials.

Are you kidding me?! My kids are no longer in ES, but I swear I was repeating "You have to show your work so they know you're thinking like a mathematician" in my sleep.

Also, SBG is trash.

(I do love almost all APS teachers, though)

Yup, the online tests also have tons of mistakes or terribly unclear questions. At parent teacher conferences out conversation went like this:

Us: So how did Larlo get a B in math this quarter? His Math Inventory is off the charts and he is great at math.

Teacher: Well, there were two tests and he got a 66% on one of them.

Us: Really, what didn't he understand.

Teacher: We'll, it was three problems and he got this one wrong, so he got a 66%.

Us: (Looking at the problem) Uh, but none of those answers is correct? The answer should be X.

Teacher: It says the answer is (C)

Us:. But that's not correct.

Teacher: I have to go by what's in the system.

Good times in APS.

You should land your helicopter. Or go to private.

Anonymous wrote:
I’m an elementary APS teacher. I have no idea what you are talking about with this testing… sounds like you are not in an SBG school.

We do multiple check ins and also track formative assignments for progress. Students have many many opportunities to show mastery of a standard.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They've switched to online assessments for grading and it's stupid. Elementary kids shouldn't have their math tests be multiple choice. They shouldn't be assessed on only 3-8 questions per unit and there should be partial credit. It's a bonkers way of deciding if kids know the materials.

Are you kidding me?! My kids are no longer in ES, but I swear I was repeating "You have to show your work so they know you're thinking like a mathematician" in my sleep.

Also, SBG is trash.

(I do love almost all APS teachers, though)

Yup, the online tests also have tons of mistakes or terribly unclear questions. At parent teacher conferences out conversation went like this:

Us: So how did Larlo get a B in math this quarter? His Math Inventory is off the charts and he is great at math.

Teacher: Well, there were two tests and he got a 66% on one of them.

Us: Really, what didn't he understand.

Teacher: We'll, it was three problems and he got this one wrong, so he got a 66%.

Us: (Looking at the problem) Uh, but none of those answers is correct? The answer should be X.

Teacher: It says the answer is (C)

Us:. But that's not correct.

Teacher: I have to go by what's in the system.

Good times in APS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Complainers gonna complain. We've been perfectly happy with our APS experience. The scores show zero difference between our school and high achieving MCPS / FCPS schools. So, shrug.

So you are at Jamestown?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Complainers gonna complain. We've been perfectly happy with our APS experience. The scores show zero difference between our school and high achieving MCPS / FCPS schools. So, shrug.

Not true. At least compared to Fairfax peer schools, our HS underperform Fairfax.