OATs

The OATs are not meant to be fun. I know this. They are not meant to be exciting. I know this. What I don't know is why so much rides on these tests. Our district is only "good" if we score high enough to be rated as Excellent. Last year we had enough going right for us that we were rated Excellent. This year, I have an awesome group of students. I would do just about anything for them. (Including offering them my backyard for a tent instead of being homeless when they get evicted from their house.) Having an awesome group of students does not mean that they will all pass the test. First off, we are giving them a test that is written at the 8th grade level OR higher, and tests on standards that are not only 8th grade. We are asking students that can't remember what they ate for breakfast to remember something they learned in their 6th grade science class. We are asking students that read on a third grade reading level to read a page long passage and answer questions about it, even though they can't figure out what half the words are. I like that the tests show us where are kids are performing in comparasion to others. I do not like the looks on their faces when they realize that they are the only one in the whole school who is still working on the test. I do not like when they ask me a question that I am not allowed to answer. I do not like that they are so stressed out about these tests that they physically shake writting their names on their test booklet. I do not like having to sit around and watch them struggle when everything in me wants to give them that one little clue word that will open that part of their knowledge.