MOMania

By Beautiful

April 3, 2008 8:08 AM | Link to this

yes ma’am, we are! we have a sign-in and password to use at home on the computer/internet. plus, when they come back from spring break, their practicing for the test only (no regular class work).

good luck pumpkin!

By Jayne

April 3, 2008 8:12 AM | Link to this

With the amount of homework that my 2nd grader has—who has time to do the practice? My son’s school asked that we buy t-shirts for a CRTC pep rally to get the kids excited about taking the test. I will encourage my child to do his best, but I don’t think that we will spend time online looking at the sample test questions. His teacher has been cramming this test down his throat in the computer lab at school everyday, so getting my son to look at the test online would require boxing gloves!

By Jeff

April 3, 2008 8:23 AM | Link to this

How does one prepare for the CRCT???

Easy. Same way you do for ANY test, including the SAT:

Know your content backwards, forwards, diagonally, and upside down. Have it down so well that you could LITERALLY be asleep, take the test, and still ace it.

I can honestly say that the only test I ever took sample tests of was the SAT, and even then my emphasis was simply on learning the types of questions so that I could make sure I knew the given content as indicated above.

BTW: Momania and Get Schooled should have a lot of crossover today on each other’s topics. We’re talking about bullying over there…

By catlady

April 3, 2008 8:24 AM | Link to this

The kids who practice are the kids who don’t need to, 98% of the time.

By clay

April 3, 2008 8:28 AM | Link to this

No schools do not practice to much. They can not afford not to under the Bush plan of No Child Left Un-tested…I mean Behind. Yes we practice. UNfortunately the state login rarely works. However the school is great to send home practice stuff.

The practice does help some with stress but anytime you use the word test…stress appears!

By Craig

April 3, 2008 8:33 AM | Link to this

Wouldn’t it be easier to have everyone sit in class (because attendance counts in the money formulas) Have the teacher read the test to them, give them the answers and fill in the bubble for them. That way every school will get their money from the State and Feds. That is what this is all about anyway. High test scores means more money to the school.

By V for Vendetta

April 3, 2008 8:58 AM | Link to this

LOL, practice for the CRCT?

A monkey could pass that test, and as catlady said, most of the kids who would practice don’t need to worry about it.

I’d be more interested in talking about why so many kids who fail the CRCT are promoted to the next level regarless. That’s a much more explosive topic.

By Beautiful

April 3, 2008 9:00 AM | Link to this

what’s up catlady? lol.

By dolphin

April 3, 2008 9:06 AM | Link to this

V for Vendetta, you say a monkey could pass that test, but in the next breath talk of how many children are failing it! If it’s so easy for a monkey, why are the kids failing? Are you saying monkeys are smarter than kids?

By fk

April 3, 2008 9:18 AM | Link to this

Way too much emphasis on the CRCT testing. When my son was in elementary school, there was a lot of hype regarding the test. And, the classic reminders: Remember, get a good night’s sleep, eat a good breakfast. Well, isn’t that something they should do every day for school? If your child is on target in the classroom, all of the hype is unnecessary. It needlessly stresses some kids out. Seriously, have you seen the questions? I don’t see a problem with practice run thru, but all of time prepping should be spent on teaching. Practicing for this test, students are not learning knowledge, they are learning how to take a test.

By JJ

April 3, 2008 9:20 AM | Link to this

We are done with CRCT FOR EVER!!! My daughter is now testing for graduation. She is a junior in high school.
After this and the SAT she may not ever get tested again (until college). WOO HOO!!!

By Nicole

April 3, 2008 9:37 AM | Link to this

My child’s school is really focused on the children doing well on the CRCT. For the past month my first grader’s homework has changed to practice CRCT booklet’s sent home on Monday’s and due back on Friday’s. In addition there is also concentrated practice time during classwork time each day. In an effort to reinforce those concepts I have gone onto sites and googled practice pages for my son to complete in addition to what is being sent home by the teacher on a weekly basis. Although the 1st grade test doesn’t count I want to ensure that he is meeting grade level requirements and expectations. I am a very involved parent and have found that although I keep in contact with my teacher at least once a week it has only been since this CRCT prep time that I have actually had some real insight into the concepts that are being covered with the children in class. I mean the homework that she had been sending home didn’t mention nouns, verbs and adjectives until the practice booklets came home. The other thing that really took me back was the fact that my first grader is getting subject material that I never got until about 3rd grade. My how have times changed :) smile! Spring break is next week and our teacher has already stated that she is sending home a packet for completion over break. Practicing for the CRCT with my son has also engaged me more in the education process with him.

By Yolanda

April 3, 2008 9:47 AM | Link to this

Instead of practicing for it, we should be finding ways to demolish it. The test is worthless, as is much of the “practice” geared toward it, especially when teaching children the basics is sacrificed for a stupid test that’s no more than a “keep money in the budget” mechanism.

It gets really old hiring high school AND college graduates in, some from so-called IVY league schools, and having to “teach” them to write coherent sentences, spell correctly and perform basic math functions. And when it comes to critical and unlimited thinking, well, that’s pretty much obsolete.

By fk

April 3, 2008 9:55 AM | Link to this

JJ: Is your daughter taking a prep course for the SAT? My son is taking one now. A few of his friends, as well as a few of my friends’ children, have by-passed the course and opted for a tutor who specializes in prepping students for the SAT/ACT. This is all so crazy to me. With so many taking classes to take these tests, how can the tests be true gauges of what knowledge these kids truly hold? They’re becoming expert test-takers.

By b

April 3, 2008 10:06 AM | Link to this

All my grand-daughter’s 1st grade has learned this year is that test. I’m sick of it. NO history, NO science, little to no reading unless the AR party is soon, same for math. She consistently brings home homework for that test that they have never covered in class.

By lwa

April 3, 2008 10:18 AM | Link to this

My daughter is practicing and she she is going to take a review class at a local learning center. We are practicing to make sure she remembers the basic concepts.

By Beautiful

April 3, 2008 10:33 AM | Link to this

i’m amazed at all the negativity on this topic. oh well.

By Jen

April 3, 2008 10:48 AM | Link to this

We got the logon but we’re not going to use it.

My son’s teacher occassionally sends home CRCT practice sheets as the homework assignment. They always seem to be a level BELOW what he’s learning in class so it’s seems a waste of time.

I know the CRCT gets crticized but after taking a look at the math practice sheets I didn’t think they were all that bad. They seemed to provoke some critical thinking.

By Momof2Boys

April 3, 2008 10:53 AM | Link to this

If the teachers are teaching the core curriculumn, why is all of this focused CRCT practice necessary? NO, we do not practice at home. I’m actually annoyed that my oldest has been completing “practice” CRCT questions every morning upon arrival to school since day 1 of the school year in prep for this test. Again, if the curriculumn is being taught…why is all the focus on passing this one test? Won’t the children perform well if the subject matter of their given grade level is being taught?

My oldest was actually making himself sick, literally, last year because of all the pressure being put on the kids at school about passing this test. He and I had MANY conversations about it and I spent a ton of time trying to alleviate his stress.

Both of my boys have scored in the 99th percentile every time they’ve taken the test - with ZERO practice at home.

I would prefer a well rounded education than a kid that can do nothing but pass this test. Nope, no practicing for the GCRCT test here. We do, however, study for our history, spelling, math, etc tests and complete all homework and projects on time. I’m not opposed to studying, but we limit our studying to the actual curriculmn being taught in the classroom and any additional areas of interest expressed by the boys, the youngest is currently fascinated by rocks and minerals…off to B&N we went!

I won’t participate in the chaos of the CRCT. And, I don’t appreciate the schools freaking my kids out over the whole thing either….

By JJ

April 3, 2008 10:56 AM | Link to this

fk No, no prep classes. She is taking it next month and if she fails part of it, she can take it again, then we will try the prep course. I believe they can take the SAT numerous times, and then go with the best score.

We decided to do it this year just to see how she does. I’m fairly confident she will do well, but you never know…….

By DB

April 3, 2008 11:18 AM | Link to this

Never had to take the CRCT — whoohoo! The test that our school gave for evaluation purposes was something different, and it was very low-key, other than a reminder to the parents to make sure the kids got enough rest the night before.

On the SAT, we didn’t use a prep class for the son, because he did just fine without it. He bought a review book, just to brush up on some of the math (algebraic and geometry formulas, etc.) but otherwise, no. The daughter is going to be taking a private prep class this summer because she has always had test-taking issues and we hope that it will help her strategize more effectively. But as far as cramming for the test? Forget it.

fk, unfortunately, the SAT is a test that colleges tend to look at indiscriminately — it’s often the college’s first look at a kid, and you know what they say about having only one chance to make a good impression. If a little practice in evaluating test questions helps her do that, then that’s fine by me. Keep in mind, though, that kids who sometimes don’t perform as well on the SAT do very well on the ACT, because of the different emphasis on body of knowledge. Our college counselor advised us not to report ANY scores to schools until we had a chance to determine which test showcased her abilities best. If a school takes both, and the ACT is significantly better, then we won’t be reporting the SAT.

It’s a whole new world of college applications, from when we went through.

By fk

April 3, 2008 11:50 AM | Link to this

DB: We flip-flopped back and forth as to whether or not to enroll him in a course. Actually, we were down to the final minutes prior to class registration expiring. He tests well, but in order for him to be on equal or better footing with the others taking the particular test, we decided to enroll him in a prep class, thru the high school, at a very reduced rate, 25% of what it would have cost to do it privately. He’s looking to get into a number of highly competitive schools and we figured a little prep could not hurt.

I just read your post on the other blog. Good for you for holding your ground. Glad to know your son was not seriously injured.

By V for Vendetta

April 3, 2008 12:38 PM | Link to this

Dolphin,

Check your reading skills. I said “so many who fail,” not “so many fail.” The first implies a large percentage of a group, the second implies a large group. Does that clear it up a bit?

By the way, a monkey could have figured that out. :-)

By DB

April 3, 2008 1:30 PM | Link to this

fk, also have your son check out the free sample tests on www.collegeboard.com — we found that they have actually been a pretty good predictor of final scores. Both of my kids have subscribed to the “SAT Question of the Day” for the last couple of years — my son still gets it, he laughs and says it’s like a daily trivia test. It’s a small, 1-minute daily dose of practice.

And thanks for the kind words — apparently, the concussion didn’t hurt his test-taking ability! :-)

JJ, if you’re at all concerned about what your daughter’s scores may be, consider not reporting them at all and evaluate whether or not the ACT better reflects her abilties. It may cost a few dollars more to report them later, but in this competitive college admissions environment, packaging and positioning is, unfortunately, a fact of life.

By JJ

April 3, 2008 1:54 PM | Link to this

DB Thanks for the info. I’m still learning this myself. I don’t remember it being this difficult when I was a senior…..but that was a long time ago….and we were only allowed to take the test once. It was on a Saturday and it took like 4 hours.

By FCM

April 3, 2008 2:40 PM | Link to this

Yes and no….we do not have the practice books that the school was ordering in December. However, we do reading and comprehension drills. English drills.

Key pts to success:

Don’t train them to cram…they should be practicing and drilling all year round Yes, I mean summer/holidays too.

Let the kids catch you reading! Then if you can tell them about what your reading…no need for graphic details…if its King just give them a general idea…scarry story about a girl who was treated meanly and carried a grudge…then talk about why it’s important to treat other with compassion not hate.

Get a good nights sleep This is important all the ime but kids are in bed 30 min early on test nights.

Back off the chores at home Yes, the still need to do some stuff..after all I still have to do laundry and look for work…but maybe it’s ok to wait on some of it until the test are done…like do the bathroom on the weekends only that week.

Eat healthy This too should be done all the time but pizza and burgers don’t make brain food! Like wise a smoothie is great, but a good healthy sit down calm breakfast can take the edge off.

Don’t stress the test!!!! This is crucial…the kid will get so stressed about how flipped out you’ll get they might just get ill or do worse!

Last year my child did EE in 2/3 of her tests. Same child is an ‘A’ student….I wish the fortune on yours!!

By carrie

April 3, 2008 3:13 PM | Link to this

If you have a 1st grader, I would definitely do some practice. The CRCT format may be unfamiliar to many of them. For the older kids, if your child has been doing well in school and mastering the concepts easily, then obviously, you are already doing what needs to be done to help them be a successful student. 20 minutes a night on a computer program won’t help anything. I have printed out some of the practice questions for my students so they get comfortable with the format, plus when we work together to answer the questions, I am able to fill in those little gaps of learning that they may have forgotten. One thing to remember if you have a 1st or 2nd grader at home: the questions on the CRCT are read to all 1st and 2nd graders, so you might want to read them out loud to your kids just to get them familiar with that part of the test as well.

I’ve told my students that there is NOTHING on the CRCT they haven’t learned. So many times they hear how high stakes this test is, and they assume that it’s going to be really hard. Seeing some practice questions has really helped my students see that it really isn’t that hard and they are feeling much more confident. This week, I’ve only done about 20 minutes per day of focused CRCT review. I may bump it up a little bit after break, but too much prep just stresses them out. Besides, I can already tell you the ones who will pass and the ones who won’t, no matter how much review they get. If you pay attention in class, do your work, do your homework, and ask for help when you need it rather than assuming the teacher is an idiot, you’ll be fine. Draw pictures all day and not pay attention no matter how much your teacher redirects you, and you’ll find the CRCT very difficult.

BTW, it could be worse. I moved here from Indiana where they do their state assessment the third week of September! The last year I was there I had my students for about four weeks before the test. Try to review an entire previous grade in four weeks. Plus, I didn’t start on my curriculum until October. Insane.

By Tony

April 3, 2008 4:30 PM | Link to this

The testing frenzy we are experiencing will have a devastating effect on students’ learning. The narrowing/dumbing down of the curriculum is already well underway. Teachers only spend time on the material that will be tested.

If your school cancels the regular curriculum in favor of test prep days you need to speak with the principal about having that trend stopped. I am a school principal and am vehemently opposed to such strategies.

For best success, students should focus on learning to read. Reading comprehension is the most important skill. While reading first emphasizes reading fast (they call in fluency), they miss the mark in comprehension. Students should be able to identify the important points, the story line, main characters, and they should be able to retell the story in their own words. Reading every night is the most important thing you can do for your kids!

The second most critical area is mathematics. Arithmetic is essential. Don’t just practice the basic facts, though. Kids will be asked to solve problems that involve multiple steps. Give your kids opportunities around the house to do the same. These opportunities abound in the kitchen, garage, basement, and even the bathroom.

Some practice with test format is helpful. Unfortunately, obsessing about the test will transmit anxiety to the child. This shows up on test day when the kid pukes all over the test!

All the traditional things apply: rest well, eat breakfast, maintain the usual routine in the mornings, and avoid stress during testing week.

As parents, it is time to do something about the testing frenzy! Kids are tested way too much. For many schools, there are now intermediate assessments (code named: Benchmarks) that take up to nine additional days. ITBS takes up five our more days in 3rd and 5th grades. Unite and start writing your congressmen and Senators.

Help restore sanity to our local schools.

By Disgusted

April 4, 2008 8:45 AM | Link to this

The CRCT has nothing to do with education and everything to do with bureaucracy. No Child Left Behind? HAH! I sent my child to a private school after she completed public elementary school. She is so far behind in academics(along with the other public school refugees in that school), it will take her at least one whole school year to catch up. Why do 50% of Hope Scholarship students drop out of college in the first year? Because all they know how to do is take tests! Finally we are done with CRCT and can get on with real education.

By say what?

April 4, 2008 10:34 AM | Link to this

Wow, my kids study and then we review different test designs ( essay, m/c, t/f, short answer, etc). As my kids complete homework and we review it, we may create our own “quiz” to see if they understood the homework. We don’t do it daily, but when the teacher’s send home information that new concepts are being studied per GPC and QCC standards, then essentially we are preparing for the CRCT.
I don’t like the cramming that goes on for test preparation. The school provides 15 minutes of the day from 7:45-8:00am for specific CRCT test preparation. School really starts at 8, but if kids get there early,then its morning CRCT for them all year.

We will go over test taking strategies the weekend before the test, but we won’t stress our kids out about the CRCT.

By Ann

April 4, 2008 11:02 AM | Link to this

My girls, grades 2 and 5 began practicing over a month a ago. I printed the information off the website. I don’t have them use the internet because I encourage them to use paper and pencil formats. I also believe you can overdue it. I am a teacher and I have seen the stress level children are put under for their prospective schools. Maybe 30 minutes a day during the break is enough. It is a break and how much time do you think the teachers are going to work over the break?

By Jennifer

April 4, 2008 11:11 AM | Link to this

My son practices!!! They sent home the lon on and they take practice tests at school. I purchased the work book from Barnes N Nobles so he has tear out sheets he can practice with in the car or when he’s away from a computer.

He is passing each section with an 88 or 100. On a few he’s had a 76, which means he’s missing one or two questions. We are now working with him so he doesn’t miss just one or two but that he gets them all correct.

Christopher is in 2nd grade and reads comfortably at a 4th grade level. He loves using his dictonary and thesaurus to look up words he doesn’t understand in a story.

I’m very proud of him!!!

By Jennifer

April 4, 2008 11:17 AM | Link to this

It’s about the parents….

It’s disappointing to read some of these comments.

I know my son is in a public school that won’t keep him on a competitive level like a private school and I can’t afford to send him to a private school. What I can afford to do is give him extra work at home.

He reads at a 4th grade level and can do division and 3 digit multiplication in 2nd grade. It’s on the parents to make sure they get the extra umph if you know they’re not going to get it at school.

Step up….

By clb

April 4, 2008 1:46 PM | Link to this

Practicing for the CRCT is RIDICULOUS. The purpose of the test is to evaluate the performance of the school, not the individual student. Because the test is not nationally normed using the results to evaluate how your child is doing academically is almost impossible. The Iowa Test of Basic Skills is much more useful (and it shouldn’t be necessary to practice for that either). Instead of taking practice tests elementary school-age children should be practicing math problems, reading something they enjoy, or not worrying about it and playing outside. All other studying is a complete waste of their time.

By MSS

April 4, 2008 7:22 PM | Link to this

Some of you parents are so clueless about public education. Most of you who respond and/or read this blog are not the ones who need the practice. Its the other 99% that read 2-3 levels below grade level, have vocabularies about as advanced as a gorilla, and can’t find their way out of a paper bag. The schools have so much responsibility and have to be accountable to the Fed. and state laws. They have to show that they have done everything to raise their scores. My school consistently has scored in the 95-98% for the past 6 yrs. However due to demographic changes our math and science scores have dropped 10-15 points across the board. Believe me, if teachers could stop all this testing they would. Anyway, the only test Georgians should be concerned about is the ITBS. Everyone should contact their representative and demand reform. By the way, kids that are very deficient in all academic areas are passed left and right because administrators and parents demand it! I spend an awful lot time chasing around deadbeat kids who sit and do nothing to justify their placement to the next grade level. I actually teach according to GPS but the kids do not have the critical thinking skills for mastery of the content. Furthermore, parents are far more interested in their bumper stickers and think THEIR kid is a genius. If I could I would fail some of my students, but my administrators will not back me! Get used to it Georgia, either accept mores C’s and D’s and learn from it. Or stay comfortable with your little honor student and complain about the test and the teacher!

By VA

April 7, 2008 10:24 AM | Link to this

There is no percentile score on the CRCT.

By smh

April 7, 2008 12:51 PM | Link to this

The CRCT is a measurement for teachers and the school. My oldest DD is in third grade in Gwinnett County. Her particular school had drilled the CRCT so much she is sick of it. They hear about it throughout the day in their classroom, during the announcements, and weekly in their newsletters from the the teacher and the school. We have advised her that life is not over if she does not perform well.(get the peformance reference?) My spouse and I do not agree with or believe in standardized testing. It measures very little other than the ability to take a test. These instruments do not measure a true knolwedge base. Standardized testing has no value and is a waste of time and money. Thankfully my DD understands this and has relaxed about the whole thing.

By Anita

April 7, 2008 2:36 PM | Link to this

No, we haven’t practiced because we are taking placement tests for Homeschooling next year - BULLOCKS to our local public school, with its bullies, thugs, and illegals swarming the place!

By Anita

April 7, 2008 2:41 PM | Link to this

Also, the sad thing about it, is that no matter “how well” your kid is in their school performance, it is sad that most parents do not know, or care, how lousy their youngsters interact with others. In my daughters 2nd grade classroom, there are 4 out of 20 that are total brats and bullies. And no one does anything because they are doing “so well” grade-wise, and the perpetrators are minorities.

By luvs2teach

April 7, 2008 4:36 PM | Link to this

As someone else said, most of the people reading and responding to this blog probably don’t have kids that will need to worry about the CRCT. You’re already doing something wonderful, and that is modeling reading - you’re doing something else wonderful, and that is being knowledgeable and involved in many aspects of your child’s education.

That being said…there are segments of this society that are not invested in their children’s education - those are the ones we worry about, and those are the ones that much of the testing nonsense is geared at and pushed on.

Example? I teach two gifted classes and 3 on-level classes…Parent-Teacher night, my classroom was standing room only when the parents of my gifted class showed up - on the other hand, an average of two parents from each of my on-level classes bothered to show up - and most of those were kids who were from other countries or missed the gifted cut-off by a few points.

What does that tell you about the connection between parents and education?

NCLB and the testing nonsense was brought about by parents and the community - not the teachers - the politicians played the shell game with their constituents, blaming teachers on the problems of public schools, and promising testing to solve the situation…well, we got what we voted for…and the testing companies and test prep companies are getting rich.

Most of the year, I focused on teaching my curriculum. Near test time, I start introducing typical test questions and talk about how to interpret them - good test taking is a skill, like any other. eing able to answer the questions is as much about the knowledge as it is about the question itself. I want my kids to do well, not just in science, but on all their tests.

To the poster above who gave some tips - those were great - relax - it’s just a test. If you have been doing well on tests all years, you should do well on this particular one.

Best analogy I ever heard about standardized tests compared them to snapshots - sometimes they make you look better than real life - sometimes they need to be burned.

Relax.

By Taft's Mom

April 8, 2008 7:26 AM | Link to this

Yes, we’re practicing for the CRCT’S, and yes, we need to! To whomever made the statement about these tests being so easy a monkey could pass them,perhaps this is true, and perhaps your due for a re-evaluation of the human ego, uh, that being your own! Frankly, we didn’t do so well on the practice CRCT..sss,zzzz’s,/preSATS/who the heck like’S these? And, no, my 8 year old was not stressed at all, he’d rather climb trees! I’m with him, give it a break please! Our biggest problem, focusing and following directions, both of us….very guilty of it. …ooops, time’s up!