35-281-2002
My TAAS experience was probably very similar to other students.
Basically in English all we did was go over a few things that the TAAS was going
to ask for. We would practice things like having a certain amount of paragraphs
and starting each one with the appropriate line. We also took several practice
TAAS tests that didn't seem to be very useful. As it ended up all we really did
in English was prepare for the TAAS test so later when we no longer had to take
the TAAS class was really different. We were not prepared for future classes
and therefore we suffered academically. The TAAS seems rather pointless and is
not a good assessment of a student's ability.
35-282-2002
My TAAS experience was rather inconsiquential. I dont think the test
is a good idea. Teachers spend too much time teaching classes that are focused
on passing the test. It prevents them from teaching things that are actually important.
Besides the test is a joke. Its very easy. And I thought it was a waste of my
time.
35-283-2002
My TAAS experience was really interesting. I remember our teachers and
principles making a big deal out of it. They tried their best to teach us what
they could in a little peroid of time. I think the teachers were too caught up
in trying to bring the scores higher than the year before. They could have did
a better job on working with one individually.
35-284-2002
My TAAS experience was so ridiculously messed up that I'm angry about
it to this day.
At my old high school we always did practice TAAS tests and on every
one I ever did I made 4's on my writing. My teachers always said I had
absolutely nothing to worry about when it came to the writing section and
although I was confident this was true I still always did my best work.
When the time came to write the actual paper for TAAS I read the
prompt and was completely at ease. Our prompt was something along these lines:
“write about one thing you think should be put in a time capsule to represent
America in this generation.“ I knew exactly what I would write about and had
all of my points to back it up. I wrote that a compilation cd of all the
different types of music listened to by all ages in this time period would be a
great reflection of American life. Music is what you go to when you are sad
angry hurt happy in love, anything. I know that my generation is a musically
based age group. We are categorized as “punkers” or “hard core rockers” or “kickers”
or even “emo kids” and “pop rockers”, all of which are types of music. Music
just identifies our nation. I wrote with well organized style that I had used
and perfected to the best of my ability since 4th grade. I backed all of my
thoughts up with “data” and evidence that this would be a good thing to put
into a time capsule. After it was all written I felt well satisfied that I had
just written one of the best papers I could.
At lunch that day I sat with some of my friends and we discussed what
we wrote about. One said he had written that a chicken should be put in a time
capsule because “Americans like chicken.” He said his paper had been only 4
paragraphs long, was really just thrown together and that he hadn't even cared
to try to do well on it. Another friend realized that she had not even followed
the prompt. She had somehow gotten confused and ended up writing about all the
opportunities in America and had not even mentioned anything to put into a time
capsule. We laughed and decided that they'd probably end up with 2's but they
didn't care.
When the results came back we were shocked to find that my two friends
had recieved a 4 each and I had gotten a 2. My teacher called me up after class
and said that she had read over what I had written and could see no reason
what-so-ever that they should have given me such a low score. She said that she
would personally pay to send it back to be re-graded but I declined after all I
suppose it is just a grade.
But all the same that is the score that will be seen by all of my
english teachers to come and will be something that I will not forget. My
confidence in writing was pretty much shot after that and I will never have the
same respect for the readers and graders of TAAS writings.
35-285-2002
My TAAS experience was too easy. The test in general in my opinion was
ridiculous and insulted my intelligence as a high school student. The test was
too easy and I was done with the writing in an easy five or ten minutes. For
students in high school to take a test at such a low level is a joke and
therefore I thought it was just a waste of everyone's time.
35-286-2002
My TAAS experience was unforgetable. My teachers drilled us daily on
how to write our papers. We had spelling contests to learn TAAS vocabulary. We
even had TAAS pull-outs these were classes that helped us with areas of the
test that were hard for us. When it came to the reading portion we were
brainwashed to highlight everything imaginable. We had to number our paragraphs
and underline bold words. I think it was a waste of time because the tests were
fairly easy. Or maybe they were easy because we were so prepared for them. All
the hard work payed off because I mastered all three parts of the TAAS and
received Academic Recognition for Math and Reading. I was even exempt from the
TASP test. All I know is that I am glad it's all over. I think the test should
be harder because it doesn't challenge students to do well. It shuld be made
over actual material that students are learning in school.
35-287-2002
My TAAS experience was very helpful to me because it showed me my
progress throughout my years of school. It showed me where I was in comparison
to other people in my same age level and grade. The test seemed to be a burden
at the time with all the long hours and tireless writing excersises. However
the teachers prepared me well for what to expect of the test and what material
it would cover. Preparing for the test was actually harder than taking it.
After you learned all the basic material when it came to the test it all seemed
to topay off. Recieving the results, I was able to view position my education
had put me in. It was rewarding to know that I had “mastered” that particular
subject and actually learned something.
35-288-2002
My TAAS experience was very long and was very boring at times. I took
the TAAS test towards the end of my sophmore year of high school and we spent
most of the year preparing for it. We were always doing writing activities in
my english class to prepare for the test and by the end of the year I was so
sick of them that I almost couldn't stand it anymore. However all the
activities paid off and I did very well on the test and since my score was so
high that I was TASP exempt. I am still using writing skills that I learned for
the TAAS test.
35-289-2002
My TAAS experience wasn't really much of a learning experience at all.
For me as well as many others the TAAS was a very easy and pointless test. It
might not have been so easy for others though, and maybe that's one positive
point of the TAAS. The test might actually catch those students that are
“falling through the cracks”. If a student can't pass the TAAS or doesn't score
very well on it, then there's a problem somewhere. I'm not trying to sound full
of myself but I usually made pretty good grades in school and those kinds of
tests were never really a problem. The TAAS might have helped some students
because those that didn't do well got extra help.
Preparing for the TAAS was very time consuming and very boring. I felt
as though I was already prepared enough to take the test and that the
activities took up too much time. Taking the TAAS wasn't hard and many students
just breezed right through it. When I got the results back I can't say that I
was too surprised. The test was simple and I didn't really understand what it
was supposed to be measuring. The test level always seemed to be a lot lower
than the grade that I was in while taking it.
The TAAS can never be an accurate measurement of a school's success.
Although some students may not be able to pass the TAAS because they are not
capable some students might not pass because they don't test well.
35-290-2002
My TAAS experiences were really boring. We practiced questions every day
and went through different writing prompts and the one prompt we didn't go over
was the one on the TAAS. I made a 3 on the writing 91 on the reading and an 85
on the math portion. Now that I think about it those boring questions helped me
pass with high scores. When I got the scores I was really suprised about how
well I did. It wasn't a good educational experience for me because we just
learned what things would be on TAAS. I didn't learn anything else but TAAS
questions and that hurt me in other English classes that I have had.