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Anyone FCATing?
- Thread starter teachfla
- Start date
Kristine
Full Member
I'm FCATing
I teach fourth grade in Hillsborough County. We had the two SSS Math sessions today. It is so long. It's hard to just stand around and monitor for two hours!! My kids look like they're doing well and are staying focused. We won't take the NRT until next Thursday. In a way, I wish we would just finish this week, but then again, I'm ready for a break from it. I'm really happy with the way my class is doing during testing. I see them flipping pages and looking back at the story to find answers. They're underlining things and working out math problems. They're using those test strategies!!!!!!!!!
I teach fourth grade in Hillsborough County. We had the two SSS Math sessions today. It is so long. It's hard to just stand around and monitor for two hours!! My kids look like they're doing well and are staying focused. We won't take the NRT until next Thursday. In a way, I wish we would just finish this week, but then again, I'm ready for a break from it. I'm really happy with the way my class is doing during testing. I see them flipping pages and looking back at the story to find answers. They're underlining things and working out math problems. They're using those test strategies!!!!!!!!!
teachfla
Senior Member
FCATing some more
Our county asked to break up the NRT testing, so we did reading today (I call it the second-chance-for-4th-grade test) and will do math next Wednesday. Five days of testing for these guys is simply torture!
Do you just stand there for 2 hours? I circulate every 5-10 minutes and take notes on who's playing, finished early, etc. Then I look through my backlog of catalogs, put together our next science unit, anything quiet that doesn't take a ton of thought. I think I go battier than the kids!
Our county asked to break up the NRT testing, so we did reading today (I call it the second-chance-for-4th-grade test) and will do math next Wednesday. Five days of testing for these guys is simply torture!
Do you just stand there for 2 hours? I circulate every 5-10 minutes and take notes on who's playing, finished early, etc. Then I look through my backlog of catalogs, put together our next science unit, anything quiet that doesn't take a ton of thought. I think I go battier than the kids!
We are FCATing too!!!
One more test left...yeah! I teach 3rd in Duval and we have tested every day this week. 1 Hour on Mon. and Tues., 2 Hours on Wed., 80 min today and 70 min. tomorrow. I am glad to get it all done and over with in one week. The kids seem to be doing well except for the one that raised his hand at the "10 minutes left warning" on the first day and asks: "Were we supposed to read past the first story?" Oh well...I guess I can't win'em all! Good Luck to everyone testing this week and next!
One more test left...yeah! I teach 3rd in Duval and we have tested every day this week. 1 Hour on Mon. and Tues., 2 Hours on Wed., 80 min today and 70 min. tomorrow. I am glad to get it all done and over with in one week. The kids seem to be doing well except for the one that raised his hand at the "10 minutes left warning" on the first day and asks: "Were we supposed to read past the first story?" Oh well...I guess I can't win'em all! Good Luck to everyone testing this week and next!
mgf91280
Senior Member
Fcat
I teach 3rd in Orange County, and we're done for this week. Our grade level tested Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Wednesday's two hours of math were fabulously torturous to all. And I teach ESOL, so they're allowed to use extra time. Poor kids! Thankfully, I didn't have any that needed an excessive amount of time.
Next Wednesday we do the norm-referenced test. The kids will have two reading sessions and two math sessions in the same morning, and I'm not looking forward to it. That's a long time for 8 year olds to sit and still be able to produce their best work!
I teach 3rd in Orange County, and we're done for this week. Our grade level tested Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Wednesday's two hours of math were fabulously torturous to all. And I teach ESOL, so they're allowed to use extra time. Poor kids! Thankfully, I didn't have any that needed an excessive amount of time.
Next Wednesday we do the norm-referenced test. The kids will have two reading sessions and two math sessions in the same morning, and I'm not looking forward to it. That's a long time for 8 year olds to sit and still be able to produce their best work!
Mrs. G
Senior Member
two more to go!
I teach 5th grade and we have two more test to give next Monday and Tuesday. This is the first year our students will get science level scores back. The kids seem to like test week because we don't give any homework. They all said it was easy! Well, we'll see when the scores come back.
I teach 5th grade and we have two more test to give next Monday and Tuesday. This is the first year our students will get science level scores back. The kids seem to like test week because we don't give any homework. They all said it was easy! Well, we'll see when the scores come back.
I did testing with my fourth grade ESE (mostly inclusion) students, and it was sooo trying. Some have such a hard time sitting for those long stretches, others can barely read the test, much less come up with the right answers. Though most in my group were SLD, a couple of the students in my testing group are EH or EMH; to take the same test as everyone else is just so ridiculous. Anyway, I'm just glad it's almost over (we do NRTs this Wednesday, and fifth grade has science Monday and Tuesday). The truth is, I'm inspired by my kids, who have actually had a great attitude about the whole thing.
fun_friend
Senior Member
The math section
Did anyone think the math section was particularly challenging? My husband teaches high school in N Florida and the kids thought the math part was pretty hard.
People at his school believe that it was by design that the reading part wasn't too hard but the math was pretty hard. The governor has forced schools to provide extra teaching for kids that can't read up to par. Funding, etc. is the problem of the school system. It is a real drag to teach 10 graders who can't/don't read for two periods versus the usual 1 you give to every other student.
Since the reading part was easier, the government can say that their strategies were successful. Now that the math was hard, they can say that the schools must provide extra services for the great number of kids who didn't cut it on the FCAT. Or the government can say that the schools are failing and take over.
What are your thoughts?
Did anyone think the math section was particularly challenging? My husband teaches high school in N Florida and the kids thought the math part was pretty hard.
People at his school believe that it was by design that the reading part wasn't too hard but the math was pretty hard. The governor has forced schools to provide extra teaching for kids that can't read up to par. Funding, etc. is the problem of the school system. It is a real drag to teach 10 graders who can't/don't read for two periods versus the usual 1 you give to every other student.
Since the reading part was easier, the government can say that their strategies were successful. Now that the math was hard, they can say that the schools must provide extra services for the great number of kids who didn't cut it on the FCAT. Or the government can say that the schools are failing and take over.
What are your thoughts?
Mrs. G
Senior Member
I don't think...
the government is making any portion any easier. If anything they are making it more difficult. They are continually raising the bar and expecting us to have every child reach the bar. I have found that most children don't really know how well they did on the test. Their scores tell the real truth.
the government is making any portion any easier. If anything they are making it more difficult. They are continually raising the bar and expecting us to have every child reach the bar. I have found that most children don't really know how well they did on the test. Their scores tell the real truth.
teachfla
Senior Member
the problem with that
I can't figure out how they score the test. They refuse to give out the secret formula and weigh each question differently. What's a 1280 compared to a 1590 anyway? Why not just simple cut-and-dry 75%? Our CRT said that now they are punishing kids for finishing the test at the end by just bubbling anything in (since they TOLD us any unfinished questions would be marked wrong). Apparently they now have a formula (top secret, of course) that allows them to determine if a kid is answering similar types of questions differently, raising a red flag (i.e. gets harder questions right but misses easy ones). Who doesn't know a kid who does that? This doesn't even make logical sense!
I can't figure out how they score the test. They refuse to give out the secret formula and weigh each question differently. What's a 1280 compared to a 1590 anyway? Why not just simple cut-and-dry 75%? Our CRT said that now they are punishing kids for finishing the test at the end by just bubbling anything in (since they TOLD us any unfinished questions would be marked wrong). Apparently they now have a formula (top secret, of course) that allows them to determine if a kid is answering similar types of questions differently, raising a red flag (i.e. gets harder questions right but misses easy ones). Who doesn't know a kid who does that? This doesn't even make logical sense!
Fla. Teacher
New Member
When are Fl test results back?
Just wondering if anyone has any idea when the results will be back?
I am not going to rest untuil they are.
My thoughts on the tests...well the Math session they seemed out not to test their Math ability but to see if they can be tricked ...what is that all about? 8 yr olds should just be asked a straight forward question not be tested on their ability to know when they are being duped grrr.
I also thought the NRT book for reading was very pretty but for my undiagnosed (not for the want of trying) ADHD kids ...all of that color was just too much they could not focus on the order of the questions and I spotted one who unknowingly missed 4 questions..what do you do as a proctor????
8 year olds I think you should be able to poit to the question on the page if you spot it undone ...obviously I did not but I found this heartbreaking.
Will I have a job next year if my kids fail? ..My first year of teaching has been pretty stressful. I mean here I am after being up halfthe night on here looking for analytical questions for my domain on lesson planning grr....its 5:28 am and I was up till gone one working on it all.
Some days I wonder if I am cut out for this ...I am going to be sooo burnt out by the end of the year...just taking Advil for the headache I have b4 I go in lol ....This is Crazyyyyy aghhhhhh!
Just wondering if anyone has any idea when the results will be back?
I am not going to rest untuil they are.
My thoughts on the tests...well the Math session they seemed out not to test their Math ability but to see if they can be tricked ...what is that all about? 8 yr olds should just be asked a straight forward question not be tested on their ability to know when they are being duped grrr.
I also thought the NRT book for reading was very pretty but for my undiagnosed (not for the want of trying) ADHD kids ...all of that color was just too much they could not focus on the order of the questions and I spotted one who unknowingly missed 4 questions..what do you do as a proctor????
8 year olds I think you should be able to poit to the question on the page if you spot it undone ...obviously I did not but I found this heartbreaking.
Will I have a job next year if my kids fail? ..My first year of teaching has been pretty stressful. I mean here I am after being up halfthe night on here looking for analytical questions for my domain on lesson planning grr....its 5:28 am and I was up till gone one working on it all.
Some days I wonder if I am cut out for this ...I am going to be sooo burnt out by the end of the year...just taking Advil for the headache I have b4 I go in lol ....This is Crazyyyyy aghhhhhh!