Wallblog

What can we do? I sit here and look at the students taking the CSAP tests and wonder, "there must be a better way". I really am getting fed up with CSAP's, maybe this year more than ever because 10th graders are now taking the science portion of the test. After discussing the test with other science teachers we concluded that 1) it had a very broad range of questions, 2) there was not a whole lot of integration between math and science, 3) it was more of memorization of facts than actively assessing the problem and coming to your own conclusion. In retrospect I think that CSAP tests are almost against everything that we are trying to accomplish. Since this was the first time science was offered I am interested to see if we are going to have to change the way our courses are taught in order for the students to do better. I think that our school and department may become like other schools that teach just to the test so that they look good in the eyes of the public, even though the students would not actually be learning. Has the Math department faced repercussions beacause of low test scores? Have changes been for the better?