Think teachers teach 'to the test'?

Question

This isn't really a question, more of a rant. I got a new curriculum map, and not only do I have to teach the things that my district fears will be on the big English Regents exam (state test) in 3 years, but I actually have to teach the kids how to take the test, and I have to administer old versions of the test four times this year. Of course, I have to prepare them for this as it will be incoporated into their grades.
Yet, we're not 'teaching to the test'.

We now have cookie cutter classrooms, and soon, kids are only going to learn exactly what the federal powers that be want them to know.
Thoughts?

Answer 1

Welcome to the world of public education.

Answer 2

You are exactly right. Kids are already learning what feds want them to learn. This started as soon as this NCLB started.
Some people say it's 'teaching to the test' but I say it IS 'teaching the test'
Lots of teachers complain about this, with good reason.
Teaching every child the same thing in the same way.
One parent expressed concern to a teacher that her dd was upset because she didn't understand something in LA class. The teacher actually said 'oh don't worry about that, it will not be on the test' Can you believe that!!
Another thing, this testing is done to see how the SCHOOL is measuring up and NOT THE STUDENT!!
Yet I have heard so many times that teachers push the kids so much to do good on the tests, and I have NEVER heard of a teacher that tells the students that the testing will NOT count as a grade for them, and that it is ONLY done to grade the SCHOOL and NOT the STUDENT!!
I have seen so many little kids get so stressed out over this.
The laws of our country first started as stating FEDERAL gov't is NOT suppose to be over education. But this is EXACTLY what is happening. How the gov't can make laws to contradict other laws and not get in trouble for it is beyond me.
I have found out that children in special ed can be 'exempt' from these tests if parents request it. But, schools will not let parents know this.
And, a lot of schools are NOT counting the scores of the sped students anyway, just so they can GET MORE MONEY!!
On the home page of Yahoo, it stated that my states (GA) dept of education is ALLOWING schools to NOT report the low test scores!
The whole thing is ridiculous.
Thank God for homeschooling.

Answer 3

I am not very familiar with The English Regents exam but just read up on it to get an idea of what it was all about. I read about this and that The Regents' Test is designed to certify the reading and writing competency of all students and to prepare them for the BA work in university. I thought the foundation year of university prepared them for that further, obviously it is not enough for them if students are required to prepare for this in Grade 11.

Then again students are already getting reading comprehension and essay tests in high school, however it might mean introducing more technical jargon into the curriculum from grade 9 onwards perhaps. Thus, then schools supervisors are required to come up with a syllabus based on the school's curriculum and integrated with the requirements for The Regent's exam for teachers to follow.

Perhaps, schools should design an book for the 2-3 years with previous exam samples in order for students to be prepared for the exam. That way they can get practice with certain vocabulary used in such exams and get familiar with the layout of the exam. I would probably try to approach the situation that way anyway.

Answer 4

As a mother of school age kids I see your point. However higher learning is the same way. Right now am a LPN and in school getting my RN. Everything am learning is for a state test. They don't teach you real life skills you will need in the work place. So as unfair as it is you are teaching kids so they can do well in college so they can get into a career and find out that they didn't learn much from school to help them in real life. Is not what learning should be but is how it is across the board.

Answer 5

Well, teaching to the test is all right if the subject matter is very challenging, and I don't have any problems with teachers who teach to AP tests. However, if preparing for the regents' won't teach the students any necessary skills like how to write excellent essays (which they will need to do even without the test), then it's worthless.

Answer 6

I agree with you completely. But, think about it, have there been tests you have had to take as an adult that did not reflect what you really were about to do. I took a test when applying to work at a movie theater; We live in a big industrial area - people have to take tests before they even get an interview; my husband took a test for being a boat service technician where there were questions about protons and neurons. Relevant? I helped him study; they were NOT. Teaching to "the test" can help students later in life when they have to take other ridiculous tests for later jobs, careers, or whatever.

Answer 7

Go back to about 20 years ago. They stopped teaching grammar in elementary school. They had Distar Reading. Now they see the error of their ways and unfortunately the teachers of today have their hands full. It's very sad.

Answer 8

YES-JUST ANOTHER PART OF ONE WORLD/ONE GOVERNMENT
ALL PEOPLE INVOLVED IN INSTITUTIONS(INCLUDING YOURS) HELPED MAKE IT THIS WAY
WE'VE ALL BEEN DUPED FOR DECADES BY THE SECRET AGENDA OF THE HALF A PERCENT OF THE POPULATION WHO CONTROL EVERYTHING
personally i'd like to be part of that,now that it seems inevitable

Answer 9

all thanks to no child left behind, its no longer about teaching students how to think critically instead its about how score higher on tests that take up all of April and May.