21-011-2002
Because I was homeschooled the last time I took a TAAS test in a
public school was around the fifth grade. During the times I remember taking the
TAAS we never really studied for them our teacher told us they were coming up
and we just waited until we took the tests. I never took the time to study or
practice for the test at nine years old I realize the need to.
21-012-2002
Before I took the TAAS test I was prepares for it. My teachers at the
high school helped me prepare for it. When I took the test I was nervous and
after I began reading the first part of it. I felt comfortable because it felt
like I knew what I was doing. The main thing is that I knew I was prepared for
it. As I finished the test I knew that I had done the best that I Could do and
I felt good about my self. When I waited for my results I was just wondring if
I had made perfect scors and I did in Math and English. Other than I couldn't
realy study at home because I played baseball for the school and I had no time
because it was during the season. So try hard when your practice test take it
like if it were the actual test.
21-013-2002
Coming from a very small school in Texas I had been bombarded with
TAAS practice tests and other things of the such from the begining of school.
The school district that I attended Industrial Independant School District was
very strict about grades and very proud of the Exemplory rating it recieved
year after year. Because of this TAAS was an enormous part of my school
experiance.
I can still remember preparing for the fourth grade TAAS exam by doing
descriptive writing and "How To" papers. When doing these things I
felt very much at ease with myself because I enjoyed writing and expressing
myself on paper. As I continued through junior high and then to high school,
the practice tests became somewhat harder as analogies and persuasive writing
got introduced. By the time my sophmore year rolled around I felt I knew
everything there was to know about TAAS and that I was prepared to take the
test.
During the test I felt confident and was grateful for all of the work
the teachers I had up to that point had put in preparing me for this test. I
had been in advanced placement english and math cources in junior high and high
school I wasn't worried about doing bad on the TAAS test because it was based
on what an average sophmore should know. When the results were in I was happy
with them they weren't the best in the class but I was exempt from the TASP and
had done well for the standards all my teachers had set for us.
I believe that the TAAS was a good educational experiance for me
because it also prepared me for the SAT and ACT that I would take later on in
my high school career. It also encouraged me to rise above the average and do
my best in whatever I am faced with.
21-014-2002
Considering that the last time I took the TAAS test was my sophomore
year it's kind of hard to remember back that far for something that is so
irrelevent. I guess my experience with the TAAS was I spent elementary junior
high and my freshman year of high school studying and practicing for it and
finally my sophomore year I passed it. That's probably about it. I don't feel
that it prepared me for anything really though I don't think that's what it was
designed for. If Texas schools wanted to conduct an assessment on what we have
learned why don't they allow the teachers to do it throuh a program or
something? I'm not a good test taker and a lot of other people aren't so how
can someone determine what you have learned through a test if you're not a good
test taker? I'm sure you have gathered that I am against academic testing.
21-015-2002
Dear reader:
My TAAS experiences werent bad. I believe that the TAAS was a pretty
easy test to take. I dont know how it was exaclly benificial but it wasnt
really that bad.
thanks
21-016-2002
During TAAS It was one week that could really give you a headacke. I remember
that you we're in TAAS pretty much all day. It seemd pretty easy as I remember.
I passed all of it. Some of my peers however didn't I dont know how really. I
think the math part breaks people but not me. My teacher that I had during my
practice TAAS was extremely distacting. he was sexist and rude and wouldn't
shut up. Luckily my real TAAS year I had a lady who hated anything that made a
sound. I think that it might be useful. To tell you the truth I really don't
remember it. It was long and tedius. I do remember the English section. Too
long for that type of work thats where I blueout reading and grammer well to
put it bluntly sucked maybe because its my worst subject but after that I
couldnt even add right. To much of one thing screws with your head and thats
all you can think of. I didn't mind the TAAS as much as the SAT.
21-017-2002
During the "pracitce" for the TAAS test throught out my
entire junior high and high school career we took practice tests. Yes, those
tests were the exact tests from previous years but when the test would come at
the mid semester of the spring they were alot harder than the practice tests
had been. The test is a good test yes but I dont feel we have to take it to the
extremes it has been taken to. My high school is a 4A school and the TAAS test
is a expressed as a MAJOR TEST. I passed my TAAS test but I didnt reach the
maximum points to be able to exempt the ACT or the SAT tests needed to get into
a college or university. Therefore I feel TAAS test are rather ridiculous. My
juniors and senior years in high school were the best years because I didnt
have to hear the word TAAS TEST at all. I feel it is a waste of time and puts
alot of pressure on young students that doesnt need to happen.
21-018-2002
Every year in English class we always worked hard for the TAAS but
after that we never did anything in English after that. The teachers always
worked hard in the English portion of the TAAS because that was the hardest
part of the test according to them. My English teachers worked with us so much
that when the TAAS got even closer the we were so tired of the TAAS we didn't
want to even take the test. Every week in all of my classes we had to take a
practice TAAS because they wanted us to do good. Well when we had to take a practice
TAAS every week until the TAAS came everyone was wishing the TAAS was over
before it even started. Overall all the teachings taught me because I ended up
doing really good on the English which was my worst subject. I did so well that
I was nearly exempt from the TASP but I missed it just by one point whuch made
me mad.
21-019-2002
Everything could be worse exept the writing prompts but similar timed writing tests were not necessary. Timed writing are good for getting you to think on your toes and not waste any time on unecessary information. The prompts could be better and more realistic rather than asking us if we could tell us what we would do if all the teachers would would give us a day off. Or if faculty gave me the chance to make a new school mascot or something like that. I don't like writing about things that are not feasable or have absolutely no chance of happening and unfortunatly thats how the TAAS prompts were based on. I really have no problems with the other portions of the test they test our intellegence and what we know.
21-020-2002
First of all I think that the TAAS test was the biggest waste of time
in school. You spend monts and maybe even years practicing and practicing for
one little test that practically determines the outcome of your life? That is
alot of pressure for kids and especially freshman and sophmores in high school.
I know people that were very intellegent and made straight A's in class but
once it came to taking tests they had a type of mental block. I felt so bad for
them cause their is nothing you can do after it is already done. You are just
catigorized as this dumb person that could not pass his or her TAAS and that is
the end of the story no questions asked. Also there are lots of things that can
go wrong when it comes to taking the TAAS test. for instance you can bubble in
the wrong blank or if you skip a line then it mess you up from their on. that
is all