30-191-2002
I took the TAAS test for the last time my sophomore year in high
school. The writing portion was fairly easy for me. In the past I had always been
in honors level english classes which also aided to making the TAAS test
simple. Every year we either took the TAAS test or a practice TAAS test. We
also focused on how to write for the TAAS test mainly practicing pursuasive
writing. I am not sure that I agree with our teachers training us for the test
because what this test is supposed to show is how well our teachers are
teaching. Our school is so concerned with their appearance as a result of our
test scores that they set up a TAAS Tactics course. Twice a week every week we
would go to a 50 minute class designed to prepare us for the TAAS test. I know
that some people really needed that and would not pass without it but that is
what the test needs to show. I don't want anyone to be held back because they
cannot pass the test but I do want our teachers to be measured and graded.
Other than that the test was fairly easy for me and I received a perfect score
on the writing portion as well as math and reading. Another good motivation for
us to do well on the TAAS was that if you received a perfect score you were
able to get a parking permit as a junior. I went to a fairly large school where
there was not enough parking. Seniors were able to park and a few select
juniors. By making a perfect score juniors would be guaranteed a parking spot.
This was a major encouragement for me to do well. Overall the TAAS test was a
good experience for me.
30-192-2002
I took the TAAS test in 1997 so there is not much I remember about it.
30-193-2002
I took the TAAS test my Sophomore year in high school of course. They
prepared us for it our first year in high school and the beginning of our first
semester as a sophomore. I wasn't really sure what the whole fuss was about
some test. I guess I didn't know the importance of the test and what it really
meant. I really had no real preparing considering that I went to a sorry
school. The teachers were just there to get paid and really didn't care if we
passed or not. The only thing that I knew about the test is that if you didn't
pass it then you couldn't graduate. That is when I guess I started to take it
seriously. They had us in some computer lab taking practices problems. I wasn't
too worried about the English part because I am pretty good at it I was most
concerned about the Math section. My English teacher however was a wonderful
teacher and she really cared about us. She made us do all these practice essay
questions and gave us a lot of homework. I was kind of nervous about taking the
test but I knew that I would do good. It was really a good educatinoal
experience for me because it tested how smart I really was. So I took it with
no problem and I am proud to say I got a 4 in the English section and overall I
only missed 3 questions the entire test.
30-194-2002
I took the TAAS test when I was in 11th grade because in 10th grade I
lived in Georgia. It was very easy and considering that I missed my prior Texas
high school education I did not have to go through the grueling preperation
that I have heard so much about. Nevertheless I did not write on the free
writing section what they want me to. I knew what they wanted a 5 paragraph
essay with an outline in simplistic form explaining what they wanted me to
expain but decided that was too boring and wrote something much more
contemporary and off-beat. They didn't like it aparently and only gave me a 2.
This forced me to take the test yet again during the summer. This time I gave
in and wrote what they wanted me to write and got a 4. I just thought this was
kind of stupid because the first essay was a much more enjoyable essay to read.
30-195-2002
I took the TAAS twice in high school. I took it my freshmen year as
practice. Then I took it again in my sophomore to determine if I would graduate
high school. I also had taken it in middle school and elementary. In my
personal opinion the TAAS is ridicules. Or in the very least the preparations
for it and what weighs on it is. As a child I remember missing normal studies
for the sole purpose of studying how to take the TAAS test. We would go over
the common tricks of the TAAS and how to make the best guess if you did not
know the answer. Every year that I would have to take the TAAS test I missed
out on actual knowledge. Before the TAAS test the teachers care less about the
normal academic grades and more on the children representing the school with
good TAAS scores. This is too much importance to put on a single test. I
remember feeling a lot of pressure when I was little. If I did bad then it
would pull down the average and show tat my school and most of all my teacher
wasn∆t doing her job. I liked all my teachers. The fact that I was not a
good test taker worried them. They would help me after class going over how to
take the TAAS. I was not learning any relevant information that would apply
anywhere else other then more TAAS tests. The test itself was a long drawn out
thing where by the end you could really care less because you have done it so
much and been testing so long. Afterwards you take the test your brain is fried
from thinking just merely tired from the repletion of it all. I am really
against one test determining if you pass high school or not. Also I dislike
that the SAT determines if you can get into a good college or not. Sure there
are things that count into getting into college but SAT scores must be sent
accompanying all applications.
30-196-2002
I truly think the TAAS test and/or other standardized tests are good
and bad. However I would like to stress on why they are bad. I think
standardized tests are very inaccurate because they form questions by means of
things how smart you are by knowing analogies and stuff like that. you may know
the word they are want ing you to compare but you may not be really big on
analogies then you get the answer wrong your score becomes lower and you are
determined to have a lower iq.
30-197-2002
I view TAAS like most of the other standardized tests submitted by the
state or on a national level. The complexity of the test is lacking and it is quite
probably the easiest standardized test I ever had to take, but I suppose it is
a good indicator in deciding whether or not the “basic skills and comprehension
level” of students is up to par or not. I personally, have always placed in the
top percent so TAAS was just a pat on the back for myself and actually
practically my entire school district (Cypress-Fairbanks ISD in Houston Texas).
But all states give out their own measurement stick in education and I suppose
TAAS is ours.
30-198-2002
I was a sophomore when I took the TAAS test and I was not TASP exempt
because of the fact that I scored 1 point below the required grade in the math
question. Even though I recieved academic recognition in the reading and a 4 in
the writing sections my 85 score in math made me have to stress about the
expences of taking the TASP test as well as having to worry about not scoring
high enough as to not be placed in remedial college classes. The summer after
my senior year I am expected to score well agian in the math section but I am
at a major disadvantage because it has been two years after completing my last
highschool math class. All because of 1 point I will probably have to pay for
classes that I will not get any credit for. Like in highschool I am an A
average and dedicated student that shouldn't have been held back by this
inefficient analysis of intelligence.
30-199-2002
I was in a private school in Southern Texas untill my junior year in
which I switched to a public high school which I graduated from. So my Junior
year was my TAAS year. I did not get all the practice tests like my peers did.
I also did not know what to expect from the test because I was not told that I
had to sign up for this test or even take the TAAS until the week before. The
test it self was a review of things I did way before then. However since my
private school that I attended from seventh grade till my sophomore year had a
different teaching agenda which did not coralate 100% with the TAAS there was a
few things I had never seen before. Taking the TAAS as a private school student
felt unfair untill I noticed how many people I knew in my school that did not
pass the TAAS or some of its sections. This made me realize that a test is
needed for those trying to get into college. I do feel that the test should be
of a higher level and not basic things we learned in Junior High.
30-200-2002
I was in a school where there was a lot of emphasis placed on the TAAS
test. We really hit TAAS objectives hard until my sophomore year which was when
we had to take the test. After that eveything died down because those that
passed had nothing to worry about. We would usually take practice tests where
we have to use our strategies which I thought were so stupid. I think that a
lot of excess time was spent on these objectives when we could have been
learning a lot more stuff.