STAAR Testing next week v. makeup games

Coach said tonight that LH is considering trying to squeeze in make up games from the rainouts into next week - which also happens to be STAAR testing. He also said that when he informed LH that it was STAAR testing week their response wasn't necessarily one of understanding or compassion. So parents..would anyone have a challenge with their DD playing a makeup game the night before STAAR testing?

if your kid can't pass the STAAR test pull them out of soccer now they lack the mental aptitude to do more than one thing at a time. The staar test is a joke

Let them play soccer!

To me it depends on game time and school start time. Starting a game at 8 means getting home pretty late, showering and getting to bed close to 11...

Oh, and while STAAR isn't rocket science, it also isn't a joke for these kids. I would have no problem with a 6:30 game, but kicking at 8 would raise a question, especially if the girls were younger or if the school start time was one of the earlier ones.

go99 wrote:if your kid can't pass the STAAR test pull them out of soccer now they lack the mental aptitude to do more than one thing at a time. The staar test is a joke

Not true. The STAAR test is difficult for a lot of students. The test has increased in rigor and the stakes are high- especially for 5th graders, 8th graders and high school students taking the EOC. I don't agree that life should shut down the week of STAAR, but it is incorrect to suggest that they are so easy that everyone passes.

it covers information that you have already covered in school and then pre tested reviewed pre review and post review sideways and backwards. If you learned in class then the test should be easy and I have an 8th grader. And no not everyone passes but then not everyone passes school either.

State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness and if you aren't ready after having then entire year to prepare the a couple of hours from a soccer game isn't going to help you

Most students should be able to pass the tests if they have received high quality instruction throughout the year. Last year 76% of 8th graders in TX passed the math test and only 59% passed the 8th US history test. Kids in North Texas generally did well because we have some great school systems here. Other kids around the state struggled more. Despite the best teaching, kids with different learning disabilities still struggle with the test. Unfortunately for them, a night off from soccer isn't going to help them. They will continue to struggle in the current testing system with or without soccer.

the kids have been trained on how to pass the test all year. They stay up till after 11 texting friends, posting to Instagram, pinterest and Vine anyway.

Such an easy question, school always before soccer. Especially if its just academy.

I would have to agree that it depends on age and game time--a start time of 8pm across town may not be reasonable. However, maintaining your standard practice schedule or squeezing in a local 7pm game wouldn't bother me.

IMO, the kids need the diversion and physical activity, especially during the testing week. The schools (at least in our district) them basically locked down in classrooms all day for the tests, so getting them out to play soccer is probably the best thing for alot of them.

justamomof2 wrote:I would have to agree that it depends on age and game time--a start time of 8pm across town may not be reasonable. However, maintaining your standard practice schedule or squeezing in a local 7pm game wouldn't bother me.

IMO, the kids need the diversion and physical activity, especially during the testing week. The schools (at least in our district) them basically locked down in classrooms all day for the tests, so getting them out to play soccer is probably the best thing for alot of them.

+1. Especially for kids like the ones most of us have. My kiddos exercise often as a part of their normal routine. If they weren't out moving around, as opposed to just staying in the house all evening after being at a desk for a test all day, that would throw off their balance. If they had to study for the test each evening during the testing, that would different.

Getting some good exercise (as is normal for them), eating a healthy dinner, and then into bed at a reasonable time... That makes the most sense to me.

ledger wrote:Most students should be able to pass the tests if they have received high quality instruction throughout the year. Last year 76% of 8th graders in TX passed the math test and only 59% passed the 8th US history test. Kids in North Texas generally did well because we have some great school systems here. Other kids around the state struggled more. Despite the best teaching, kids with different learning disabilities still struggle with the test. Unfortunately for them, a night off from soccer isn't going to help them. They will continue to struggle in the current testing system with or without soccer.

Yea--76% of 8th graders passed because the passing rate was 38%. Anyone could have guessed the whole test and gotten that grade. Sure, the yet covers what's been taught, but no one knows what the questions re going to look like. TEA won't releas a decent sampling to see how each student expectation is tested. I am a math teacher who does 100+ hours of staff development every year (during the summer) and we still don't know much except that the questions cover multiple skills and problem solving that can require upwards of 5-10 different steps to get through. This is no easy test. Much more difficult than TAKS.

As a parent of a kid who takes EOC, as of right now (legislature is still out on his one), algebra 1 & 2 and geometry; biology, chemistry, & physics; and English 1,2,&3 must add up to certain scores in order to graduate. An 8 pm game that doesn't get my cold in bed until 11:30+ the night before one of these tests is unacceptable. I didn't send her to practice the night before her English EOC a few weeks ago because she need more than 5 hours of sleep to be able to concentrate on this 4 hour times test.

Playing devil's advocate though, if LHGCL took into account every test day, there would be NO week night games because once testing starte 2 weeks ago, it doesn't end until mid-May with all te EOC's given. That makes go several multiple game weekends. Don't know how they are going to do it but as of the end of last week, they ha many teams playing league games during the first weekend of State Cup and some during the second weekend as it is.

weenie wrote:

ledger wrote:Most students should be able to pass the tests if they have received high quality instruction throughout the year. Last year 76% of 8th graders in TX passed the math test and only 59% passed the 8th US history test. Kids in North Texas generally did well because we have some great school systems here. Other kids around the state struggled more. Despite the best teaching, kids with different learning disabilities still struggle with the test. Unfortunately for them, a night off from soccer isn't going to help them. They will continue to struggle in the current testing system with or without soccer.

Yea--76% of 8th graders passed because the passing rate was 38%. Anyone could have guessed the whole test and gotten that grade. Sure, the yet covers what's been taught, but no one knows what the questions re going to look like. TEA won't releas a decent sampling to see how each student expectation is tested. I am a math teacher who does 100+ hours of staff development every year (during the summer) and we still don't know much except that the questions cover multiple skills and problem solving that can require upwards of 5-10 different steps to get through. This is no easy test. Much more difficult than TAKS.

As a parent of a kid who takes EOC, as of right now (legislature is still out on his one), algebra 1 & 2 and geometry; biology, chemistry, & physics; and English 1,2,&3 must add up to certain scores in order to graduate. An 8 pm game that doesn't get my cold in bed until 11:30+ the night before one of these tests is unacceptable. I didn't send her to practice the night before her English EOC a few weeks ago because she need more than 5 hours of sleep to be able to concentrate on this 4 hour times test.

Playing devil's advocate though, if LHGCL took into account every test day, there would be NO week night games because once testing starte 2 weeks ago, it doesn't end until mid-May with all te EOC's given. That makes go several multiple game weekends. Don't know how they are going to do it but as of the end of last week, they ha many teams playing league games during the first weekend of State Cup and some during the second weekend as it is.

Yes. It is a hard test. Exactly my point. The passing rate is high because the cut scores are low. However, a quarter or more of the kids were not able to guess correctly and still failed. I imagine some of those kids blew it off or had a poor work ethic, but a lot of those kids have learning disabilities and will struggle on the test despite great teachers and lots of time on task. Also agree that life (and soccer) will go on during STAAR week, but probably best practice to get a good night's sleep before any major exam.

Yep, or didn't finish the test before time was up and/or didn't have time to bubble the answer document.