Post by: roo_ster on May 30, 2007, 06:17:56 AM
The deal is this:
Texas has a high school exit exam called the TAKS. My wife took its predecessor, the TAS. It is the sort of test so pathetically easy, you have to be an idiot to fail it, according to my wife and current students.
Lo & Behold, some students fail it and were prevented from walking in their graduation and getting their diplomas. They and their parents don't like that and protest.
Quote from: http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/localnews/news8/stories/wfaa070524_wz_taksprotest.6fe879b.html
FORT WORTH Students who had been planning to walk across the stage at graduation ceremonies this weekend were instead walking a picket line Thursday morning.
The Trimble Tech High School seniors marched in front of Fort Worth Independent School District headquarters to protest Wednesday's decision by trustees to bar students who failed the TAKS test from commencement exercises.
About a dozen young people, carrying signs and chanting, began picketing at 8:30 a.m. Thursday. They represent the 613 Fort Worth seniors who did not pass the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills exam.
Crystal Martinez complained that while she finished at the top of her class with a 3.5 grade point average, she is now blocked from graduation by failing the TAKS test.
"We know we're not going to get our diplomas, but we just want to walk across the stage," Martinez said. "That's all we ask for right now."
Classmate Chloe Walker agreed. "I believe that I have at least the right to walk the stage with all my friends," she said. "I made it this far, and I have all my credits I need. I deserve to get my certificate of completion."
School officials said non-graduating seniors will have a chance to take the TAKS test again in July. If they pass, they can participate in a separate commencement exercise in August.
The Trimble students said they planned to continue their protest through the day, and may be joined by other students.
Not all school districts ban students who fail the TAKS from graduation ceremonies. Arlington, Coppell, Duncanville, Frisco, Grand Prairie, Hurst-Euless-Bedford and Richardson students are permitted to "walk the stage."
But school districts in Allen, Carrollton-Farmers Branch, Dallas, DeSoto, Garland, Irving, Lancaster, Mansfield, McKinney, Mesquite, Plano and Wylie all have policies similar to the Fort Worth ISD.
The Trimble Tech High School seniors marched in front of Fort Worth Independent School District headquarters to protest Wednesday's decision by trustees to bar students who failed the TAKS test from commencement exercises.
About a dozen young people, carrying signs and chanting, began picketing at 8:30 a.m. Thursday. They represent the 613 Fort Worth seniors who did not pass the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills exam.
Crystal Martinez complained that while she finished at the top of her class with a 3.5 grade point average, she is now blocked from graduation by failing the TAKS test.
"We know we're not going to get our diplomas, but we just want to walk across the stage," Martinez said. "That's all we ask for right now."
Classmate Chloe Walker agreed. "I believe that I have at least the right to walk the stage with all my friends," she said. "I made it this far, and I have all my credits I need. I deserve to get my certificate of completion."
School officials said non-graduating seniors will have a chance to take the TAKS test again in July. If they pass, they can participate in a separate commencement exercise in August.
The Trimble students said they planned to continue their protest through the day, and may be joined by other students.
Not all school districts ban students who fail the TAKS from graduation ceremonies. Arlington, Coppell, Duncanville, Frisco, Grand Prairie, Hurst-Euless-Bedford and Richardson students are permitted to "walk the stage."
But school districts in Allen, Carrollton-Farmers Branch, Dallas, DeSoto, Garland, Irving, Lancaster, Mansfield, McKinney, Mesquite, Plano and Wylie all have policies similar to the Fort Worth ISD.
A 3.5 GPA and still failed? And folks wonder why so much emphasis is placed on the SAT & ACT?
She is a fine example why "10% Rules"* are a BAD IDEATM. Not all classes & schools are equal.
* State schools MUST admit any public school student from the top 10% of the graduating class.
Post by: cosine on May 30, 2007, 06:35:53 AM
*shakes head*
Post by: K Frame on May 30, 2007, 06:40:32 AM
Yep, you're SOL if you don't pass them...
Post by: nico on May 30, 2007, 06:41:10 AM
The same trend takes place in college too; people who want to go to med/dental school take easy majors where they can get a high GPA and take the minimum pre-reqs to get in.
it is really funny though
Post by: mountainclmbr on May 30, 2007, 07:04:19 AM
Post by: The Rabbi on May 30, 2007, 07:37:47 AM
Post by: crt360 on May 30, 2007, 10:18:37 AM
It's my understanding that the kids take the TAKS test during their junior year and then have multiple (like 5) opportunities to retake it before graduation time. How is it that graduation shows up and all of these kids and parents act surprised?
Post by: Matthew Carberry on May 30, 2007, 12:24:53 PM
I heard that in NoLa the schools are so bad that the valedictorian of one school had to take the exit exam 3 times before she passed.
Is that serious or are you waiting for a rimshot?
We need a rimshot smiley.
Post by: The Rabbi on May 30, 2007, 12:31:47 PM
Post by: Boomhauer on May 30, 2007, 03:06:45 PM
When your momma is a welfare ho'...
The education exams for government school are rediculously easy. You would really have to work hard to fail it.
Educating from a government high school is no real cause for celebration these days. Nor do you have a right to walk across the stage if you are too stupid to pass the exit exam.
Don't even get me started on the conduct of the parents and relatives at the graduations, either...
Post by: Azrael256 on May 30, 2007, 03:17:56 PM
The previous test (or maybe the test prior to the previous...) was called TAAS. Texas Assessment of Academic Skills. I took the very first TAAS in the third grade. They changed the name shortly after I took the "exit level" TAAS in the tenth grade. The newer test is much more frequent. I think they take it every year.
Here's the thing: "Exit level" was tenth grade. Kids didn't walk because they failed it. Graduation is twelfth grade. Yes, that's three years of failing it.
I missed the last few questions in tenth grade. I fell asleep. It's not my fault they made it so unbelieveably boring. My TAAS score still exempted me from the TASP (standardized college entrance exam), and landed me in the ninety-something-eth percentile.
Remember, standardized testing is not about education, it's about money. That said(tm), those people are idiots.
Post by: Hugh Damright on June 01, 2007, 05:09:46 AM
Post by: El Tejon on June 01, 2007, 05:22:35 AM
Feeling good about oneself, but crashing and burning=defining achievement down. Good work, NEA!
Post by: MechAg94 on June 01, 2007, 05:33:12 AM
I hear complaints from some teachers on another site. They complain about having to spend so much time teaching the test. I have to admit that some of the example questions I have seen are pretty strange. I think Texas' current test is a bit harder than previous tests.
There was a guy who graduated 5th in our class who took nothing but easy classes. He was a smart guy, but he was a farmer and that is what he was going to do. The guy who was 6th was pissed as he was trying to go to college and just missed out on the top 5.
If anyone cares, I was number 2 of 89. In a larger school, I might have stayed in the top 10%, maybe. My GPA wasn't anything to write home about.
Post by: ECB on June 01, 2007, 05:38:41 AM
Post by: El Tejon on June 01, 2007, 10:51:23 AM
Post by: mountainclmbr on June 01, 2007, 11:00:17 AM
Post by: Perd Hapley on June 01, 2007, 01:10:37 PM
Post by: Sergeant Bob on June 01, 2007, 01:40:17 PM
I axe you this: Is public education working?
Well, ide haf ta say no, beins you caint evin spell AKS rite!
Post by: SomeKid on June 01, 2007, 03:41:12 PM
First things first, they don't dumb down the assessments (as much) at this level. More than once I have walked out of a test and chuckled at how easy it was, and heard multiple girls whining about how difficult it was. (Granted, the girls mostly pass too because they are smart, but the dumbed down tests they were used to left them unprepared for something that wasn't made easy.)
If they actually wanted to prepare the kids, every year they would take a progessively harder test, but the test is designed to be so hard that no more than 20% of the takers pass. Why? The ones who pass are obviously getting a good education. The kids who see themselves doing bad but are going to be productive will see the need to work harder, and do so. What about the lazy trash that never tries, and always fills out the bottom? Well, someone needs to pick the lettuce and mow the lawns of the world. Unlike most assessments, grades wouldn't be given in a graph showing how many people you beat. It would be a good ole number, so that they know whether or not they put in the right answers, not whether or not they made fewer mistakes than the guy next to them. (Also, this would be a statewide standard.) This would further cause perfectionist types who see themselves getting an 85 (which on this test is pretty good) to feel a need to work harder, and do even better.
The only test not designed to be so insurmountably hard, would be the true assessment given once at the end of their senior year. It would be designed to accurately assess if they learned what they were supposed to. Fail it, and no graduation for you. Don't bother with re-takes, especially since this test would take a full week of full school days to administer. This one would give both a grade showing % correct, but also a graph showing where the student stood in comparison to other takers.
Post by: Vile Nylons on June 02, 2007, 02:51:23 AM
Post by: Matthew Carberry on June 02, 2007, 08:40:08 AM
We can joke about it and all, but I can't get beyond the fact that year after year we are shoving out another graduating? class who are going to be crippled throughout their lives by not being able to read reasonably well, nor do basic math. I suppose keeping their esteems at a high plane keeps them from realizing and thus complaining about the shoddy education they received. Rather than making them smart, it deluding them into just thinking they are. But real education is hard work and that's no fun.
I'm not sure about the word "shoving". If you provide kids teachers to teach them, libraries to read from, internet access, all for 12 years. At what point are you "shoving" them out as opposed to making room so other kids, who may want the opportunity more, can get access.
If the kids themselves and the parents can't pull something out of the schooling provided over 12 years, no matter the bad apple teachers or decaying infrastructure, they really aren't trying very hard.
At a certain point I lose sympathy and refuse to feel any responsibility.
Post by: BakerMikeRomeo on June 02, 2007, 11:31:14 AM
~GnSx
Post by: Sergeant Bob on June 02, 2007, 12:10:57 PM
If they have to teach the test to kids in order for them to pass, they must all ride the short bus to school.
Post by: MechAg94 on June 02, 2007, 01:35:53 PM
I always tested well so I often assume my own experience is not a good example.I agree with the sentiment above. I think the basic problem with public school is that we have basically made it almost a right to graduate from High School. IMO, if people can't pass the normal curriculum in 4 years, they get kicked out and have to go for GED or other equivilent degree. You get one chance. I would even be generous and give them 2 or 3 chances at the test. As my mother always said, being a high school graduate meant something in the distant past. Now days it means nothing.
I remember there was a full class of supposedly remedial kids in my high school. They just lagged behind everyone and I thought they were doing little more than sitting in a day care until they graduated. Surely some sort of trade classes or just plain old full time work would have benefited and trained them more than sitting in useless classes learning next to nothing.
Post by: Stand_watie on June 02, 2007, 05:16:28 PM
..
If anyone cares, I was number 2 of 89. In a larger school, I might have stayed in the top 10%, maybe. My GPA wasn't anything to write home about.
If anyone cares, I was number 2 of 89. In a larger school, I might have stayed in the top 10%, maybe. My GPA wasn't anything to write home about.
I was lazy, lazy, lazy when it came to 'buk larnin'.
I think I was 11 out of 13. I still got a better education than 90% of American school students (I base that on the students I went to college with). I don't say my education was better than that which is available to 90% of American school students, just better than 90% of American school students.
Even kids in big, crummy, inner-city schools (like the one my ex-wife attended, graduating class of 800 or so) have a decent education available to them, IF, they have parents that are motivated and capable of getting them into the better classes at the school.
As the original poster implied, ignorance is a vicious (familial) cycle.
Post by: MechAg94 on June 05, 2007, 01:48:58 PM
I guess school came easy to me. I paid attention in class out of shear boredom and took notes. I have a good memory if I take notes. I hate reading text books. On the other side, I like working with my hands, but it doesn't come natural to me.
Post by: onions! on June 05, 2007, 01:53:16 PM
..
If anyone cares, I was number 2 of 89. In a larger school, I might have stayed in the top 10%, maybe. My GPA wasn't anything to write home about.
If anyone cares, I was number 2 of 89. In a larger school, I might have stayed in the top 10%, maybe. My GPA wasn't anything to write home about.
I was lazy, lazy, lazy when it came to 'buk larnin'.
I think I was 11 out of 13. I still got a better education than 90% of American school students (I base that on the students I went to college with). I don't say my education was better than that which is available to 90% of American school students, just better than 90% of American school students.
Even kids in big, crummy, inner-city schools (like the one my ex-wife attended, graduating class of 800 or so) have a decent education available to them, IF, they have parents that are motivated and capable of getting them into the better classes at the school.
As the original poster implied, ignorance is a vicious (familial) cycle.
I agree but I will add one thing.
Motivated teachers would be kinda handy too.When the teacher doesn't care & the principal can't be bothered & the school board...Oh never mind.
Post by: SteveS on June 05, 2007, 02:47:22 PM
If the kids themselves and the parents can't pull something out of the schooling provided over 12 years, no matter the bad apple teachers or decaying infrastructure, they really aren't trying very hard.
At a certain point I lose sympathy and refuse to feel any responsibility.
I agree. I managed to get a decent education from a rural, public school. While there are some bad schools, it seems to also be a matter of lazy students that are ill prepared to attend school.
Post by: MechAg94 on June 05, 2007, 06:15:10 PM
Post by: cassandra and sara's daddy on June 05, 2007, 09:21:37 PM
one part i remember was they had a campbells souo can label on it the question asked was "how much water do you add. folks failed it and graduated. scary on a funny note my dad graduated college at 19 has 2 phd's and speaks 9 languages and i can remember him calling mom for help making the same soup in the microwave
