Community Chat

[Mindy D]

I am sorry, but these standardized tests mean nothing. All these tests do is serve as a continuous moneymaking tool for the test companies. I'm a retired teacher and the test makers should be out of business. I strongly believe in diagnostic testing and prescriptive teaching. In other words, using testing to assess individual students areas of strength and areas of weakness and then tailoring teaching to the skills that individual students need help with. Instead of this, tests are never even used to foster better education. Additionally, the SAT was initially designed to allow colleges to predict which students were likely to meet with success in college.  This is not how the SAT is used. Many students with high SAT scores are terrible students and many with lower scores do very well. 

[Hayfield]

The SAT are used by colleges to see who will most likely be to well in college.  I have two children one didn't even break 1000 on the SAT, the other just barely broke 1000, this was the old scoring system where 1600 was the highest number you could get.  The first one went on the graduate in 4 years for a really great school and now has a good job.  The other also graduated in 4 years, worked full time while going to graduate school full time getting her masters in 18 months.  My children were solid "B" students in high school.  While they were both in college, many of their friends who were much better students and had much better SAT scores dropped out of college.  I also have met many young adults in their 20's and early 30's that were in those GT programs in grade school, none of them have done any better and some not as well as my two children.   I don't know what the answer is but I do know that I taught both of my children to have a good work ethic and if you want something bad enough and if you're willing to work hard enough to get it, it will happen.  It's just not about being smart. 

[LTT1]

@Hayfield

Good for you, Hayfield! NOTHING can take the place of good home life/parents; good work ethic; determination. In our world of today, it is BEST for children to have ALL of these.

[NoelSeven]

---

@blahblahvampemerblah wrote:

---

@SF Girl wrote:

Not surprising I guess in the age of smartphones, selfies, texting and constant social media.  Who has time to study or read?

---

There are a ton of teachers in my circle, and they'd all say that it really started over 20 years ago.  Remedial courses went from being the exception to the rule, and the difficulty of courses, let alone the type of courses, has never been this worthless.  Grades are raised just to push someone through the system.

When I look at the classes my mother had to take for her HS diploma vs. what I took, and what is now required, it's no wonder we're racing to the bottom.  We have about the highest cost per student on the planet, and yet we stink.  Goes to show that throwing money at the issue hasn't worked.

***************************

It doesn't show that at all.  Of course the cost is greater now.  We pay teachers more now than 20 or 30 years ago because the cost of living is higher.  So is the cost of building maintenance, the cost of textbooks, etc.

What has changed are those who resent teaching science, math and real history.  We suffered a lot because of the hold Texas had on what was included in text books.

---

[Nuttmeg]

---

@betteb wrote:

---

@Susan Louise wrote:

---

@betteb wrote:

@Susan Louise I reinvented myself a few times over my 30yr work history too, and everytime, it was because I could not find a suitable job in my chosen field. Employers would rather hire newbies at a low wage than hire experience at a higher cost.

---

@betteb Yep, talk about a bitter pill to swallow. My father's work history/resume was worth something back in the day...companies would pay for experience over newbies and they appreciated talent/skills.

Although I hate getting old, I'm glad I retired early and I'm out of the crazy workforce in 2006! Job security died as I knew it, companies push workers more and more...like trying to get blood out of a stone!

If I stretched out the hours I worked down to 40 hr weeks, I have already worked enough hours to cover me through the age of 72 and I'll be 56 in December.

---

****************************************************************************

I'll be 56 in October and I am in forced retirement (disability). I never worked more than 1 job at a time, but almost every job I worked had mandatory 10-15 hrs a week OT.

I have enough credits to retire, but I'm too young, so I have to do the disability. That will convert to regular SS.

 http://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/agereduction.html

---

     Social Security Disabilty changes to regular SS at 66. It depends on   your birthday. Social Security has a very nice blog. http://blog.ssa.gov/

[BabyYoda]

Perhaps they should do away with SAT tests all together. I know people who had low scores but did outstanding in college and in jobs. Means nothing these tests.

I received a few flyers in my mailbox about SAT prep courses in my area and they were expensive (not from Kaplan)

[Puzzle Piece]

SAT's.  In my day they looked at them to see how you would be placed in college.  I think too much inmportance is given to SAT's.  Many times a student isn't ready for college and needs a few years off to decide what interests them.  Also, it doesn't mean a student will complete their studies.  They often get the call to go and seek adventure as it's normal for them to do so. 

[blackhole99]

---

@Puzzle Piece wrote:

SAT's.  In my day they looked at them to see how you would be placed in college.  I think too much inmportance is given to SAT's.  Many times a student isn't ready for college and needs a few years off to decide what interests them.  Also, it doesn't mean a student will complete their studies.  They often get the call to go and seek adventure as it's normal for them to do so. 

---

I so agree with you about the maturity aspect of kids being successful in college. I can't tell you how many smart kids with loads of promise went to college in the fall and were back home for good in a few months. They miss their girl or boy friend or even their parents and just can't focus on their studies they are so home sick. We knew our son was in trouble when we took him to check out colleges and his eyes glazed over.LOL College  indeed is not for every one and telling a kid they will not be successful if they don't get a degree is just nonsense. Also, tell that to all the grads who still don't have a job in their field or have a job they really didn't need a degree for.

[LTT1]

I had to add this... I will never understand the need for high school state-wide assessment when there is already a test to test a student's knowledge for college entrance... that is the SAT test?