Anonymous
Post 10/27/2017 14:11     Subject: FCPS-Are you kids taking two very long tests not part of the curriculum-math and language arts?
NP here - I'm new to shrevewood. Does anyone know how they plan to communicate scores? I haven't received an email or letter about iready. I only knew it took place by my DS came home complaining of 2 long computerized exams a few weeks back.
Anonymous
Post 10/27/2017 08:46     Subject: Re:FCPS-Are you kids taking two very long tests not part of the curriculum-math and language arts?
Falls Church City uses the STAR Math and ELA tests 4x/year that come back as percentiles. It is also computer adaptive and takes around 20-30minutes--I am surprised FCPS did not go with STAR-they are not bad although I am not sure FCC uses the results in a way that I would--for example they base a lot of the GT placement on this--so on an achievement vs abilities test. When you tell me that the kids have games to play inside the iready test and that it lasts so long it does not sound good. I don't understand why they have these tests/websites where you learn and play games at the same time--to me it is a call for increasing all of our ADHD tendencies...I mean either have the kids study OR play--why do we need both at the same time--to me it defeats the purpose of either.
Anonymous
Post 10/27/2017 08:09     Subject: FCPS-Are you kids taking two very long tests not part of the curriculum-math and language arts?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why should they give the results?
1. Because it takes the place of DRA and they had to report DRA.
2. We have NO OTHER away to figure out how our kid is doing as the report card is a gobbelty gook of meaningless numbers the depend even more upon the teachers view than the DRA did.
3. Because what are they hiding that they won't report it to parents - perhaps that switching was a big mistake?
4. Because all parents regardless of zip code should be allowed to see the test results, not just the ones who "know to ask" because they have access to this site or the web or could read the letter sent home
That's why it should be standardized


Either my kid didn't get a DRA test last year or, more likely, I didn't receive his score. Since he's reading above grade level, I didn't ask. I was curious. I'll ask for the iready score.


Hmm. We get the DRAs in the fall conferences and in the last report card of the year.
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2017 22:47     Subject: FCPS-Are you kids taking two very long tests not part of the curriculum-math and language arts?
Anonymous wrote:Why should they give the results?
1. Because it takes the place of DRA and they had to report DRA.
2. We have NO OTHER away to figure out how our kid is doing as the report card is a gobbelty gook of meaningless numbers the depend even more upon the teachers view than the DRA did.
3. Because what are they hiding that they won't report it to parents - perhaps that switching was a big mistake?
4. Because all parents regardless of zip code should be allowed to see the test results, not just the ones who "know to ask" because they have access to this site or the web or could read the letter sent home
That's why it should be standardized


I heard from the other parents that the teacher refused to report the iready results to them. That's weird.
Anonymous
Post 09/30/2017 21:30     Subject: FCPS-Are you kids taking two very long tests not part of the curriculum-math and language arts?
Anonymous wrote:Why should they give the results?
1. Because it takes the place of DRA and they had to report DRA.
2. We have NO OTHER away to figure out how our kid is doing as the report card is a gobbelty gook of meaningless numbers the depend even more upon the teachers view than the DRA did.
3. Because what are they hiding that they won't report it to parents - perhaps that switching was a big mistake?
4. Because all parents regardless of zip code should be allowed to see the test results, not just the ones who "know to ask" because they have access to this site or the web or could read the letter sent home
That's why it should be standardized


Either my kid didn't get a DRA test last year or, more likely, I didn't receive his score. Since he's reading above grade level, I didn't ask. I was curious. I'll ask for the iready score.
Anonymous
Post 09/30/2017 21:20     Subject: FCPS-Are you kids taking two very long tests not part of the curriculum-math and language arts?
Why should they give the results?
1. Because it takes the place of DRA and they had to report DRA.
2. We have NO OTHER away to figure out how our kid is doing as the report card is a gobbelty gook of meaningless numbers the depend even more upon the teachers view than the DRA did.
3. Because what are they hiding that they won't report it to parents - perhaps that switching was a big mistake?
4. Because all parents regardless of zip code should be allowed to see the test results, not just the ones who "know to ask" because they have access to this site or the web or could read the letter sent home
That's why it should be standardized
Anonymous
Post 09/30/2017 15:38     Subject: FCPS-Are you kids taking two very long tests not part of the curriculum-math and language arts?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I was encouraging a kid to keep going on the iReady and noticed that the word "archaeologist" was spelled wrong in the test. Lovely. The county just released a memo saying that schools have the choice to send a letter with results, have teachers give results in conferences, or only give results to parents when asked. Schools can choose.


This makes no sense. Why can't the county just have a standard. This isn't something that needs to be teacher or school specific.


Why? Lots of things in FCPS are school-by-school. FWIW, our ES said they'd be sending out scores to everyone.
Anonymous
Post 09/30/2017 15:34     Subject: FCPS-Are you kids taking two very long tests not part of the curriculum-math and language arts?
Anonymous wrote:I was encouraging a kid to keep going on the iReady and noticed that the word "archaeologist" was spelled wrong in the test. Lovely. The county just released a memo saying that schools have the choice to send a letter with results, have teachers give results in conferences, or only give results to parents when asked. Schools can choose.


This makes no sense. Why can't the county just have a standard. This isn't something that needs to be teacher or school specific.
Anonymous
Post 09/30/2017 14:14     Subject: FCPS-Are you kids taking two very long tests not part of the curriculum-math and language arts?
I was encouraging a kid to keep going on the iReady and noticed that the word "archaeologist" was spelled wrong in the test. Lovely. The county just released a memo saying that schools have the choice to send a letter with results, have teachers give results in conferences, or only give results to parents when asked. Schools can choose.
Anonymous
Post 09/28/2017 11:31     Subject: Re:FCPS-Are you kids taking two very long tests not part of the curriculum-math and language arts?
FWIW, My first grader came back home complaining about the "too hard" test. He was saying there were really long word problems and it is very tiring. But looks like some of the kids completed their test well ahead of time. My kid said he did about half of it and said he need to do the rest today.

Anonymous
Post 09/27/2017 18:56     Subject: FCPS-Are you kids taking two very long tests not part of the curriculum-math and language arts?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:IReady takes a very long time. My students are quickly wearing out and just click any answer to get to the games that are embedded. Then I have to give a DRA to kids who don't do well. I haven't learned anything helpful from the scores. By the time they get to the part with the reading stories, after all the phonics and other isolated skills they are toast. They are told to just guess if they don't know an answer, so they are. A waste of instructional time like you wouldn't believe.


So stop and finish it later.


There's no time. When you have 25 students to test and a limited window, you are either completely giving up on instruction for weeks or just doing what the PP above said and telling them to guess and giving them the DRA.

I hate the iready test. It's not developmentally appropriate, it's too long, and it's not giving meaningful data.


I have a similar number of third grade students. Those who didn't finish the first day chipped away at it during subsequent days during the independent reading block. Those who needed a break the initial day took one. I really didn't lose any instruction time since I could still meet with groups while they tested. I feel I lose a ton of time administering the DRA.
Anonymous
Post 09/27/2017 18:51     Subject: FCPS-Are you kids taking two very long tests not part of the curriculum-math and language arts?
Anonymous wrote:When will parents receive the IReady results? I'm curious as to whether they seem at all accurate, or whether the results seem way off. I hope teachers don't use these in place of the DRA tests, considering that a one-on-one test will be much more accurate than a computerized one for young children.


I don't know. We get students from the previous grade who supposedly passed at a certain level, but when you look closely at the DRA there is no way it should have been considered as a pass. The problem is the teacher basis his/her personal goal on DRA results and then is too loose on the scoring.
Anonymous
Post 09/27/2017 10:45     Subject: FCPS-Are you kids taking two very long tests not part of the curriculum-math and language arts?
Anonymous wrote:There's no time. When you have 25 students to test and a limited window, you are either completely giving up on instruction for weeks or just doing what the PP above said and telling them to guess and giving them the DRA.

I hate the iready test. It's not developmentally appropriate, it's too long, and it's not giving meaningful data


Definitely this- I truly think someone who bought the test for FCPS or was involved in the decision making process posts here because it is so clearly the wrong way to go. I am wondering what the correlation between DRA level and iready test score is. Teachers still have book baskets in DRA form- are they being told to switch to lexile level that the DRA test supposedly gives or is there a conversion chart? If there is a conversion chart, it is not on the iready website and is it made public for parents??


There are lots of conversion charts between Lexile level, DRA, and others. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of DRA so I don't mind if teachers are moving away from it. They'll have to rework the book baskets though, maybe labeled with colors instead of numbers.

https://www.readinga-z.com/learninga-z-levels/level-correlation-chart/

Anonymous
Post 09/27/2017 10:27     Subject: FCPS-Are you kids taking two very long tests not part of the curriculum-math and language arts?
When will parents receive the IReady results? I'm curious as to whether they seem at all accurate, or whether the results seem way off. I hope teachers don't use these in place of the DRA tests, considering that a one-on-one test will be much more accurate than a computerized one for young children.
Anonymous
Post 09/27/2017 10:01     Subject: FCPS-Are you kids taking two very long tests not part of the curriculum-math and language arts?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:IReady takes a very long time. My students are quickly wearing out and just click any answer to get to the games that are embedded. Then I have to give a DRA to kids who don't do well. I haven't learned anything helpful from the scores. By the time they get to the part with the reading stories, after all the phonics and other isolated skills they are toast. They are told to just guess if they don't know an answer, so they are. A waste of instructional time like you wouldn't believe.


So stop and finish it later.


Our school had to stop because the internet was down. My kids said the test lasted more than one day.