23-051-2002
I belive that TAAS Is awaist of time. Simply because a Student does
not take the TAAS it doesn't make them incompitent. Its A form of stress that is
uncalled for students have enough problems to deal with.
23-052-2002
I came from out of state Denver Colorado to be exact. Because of this
I never took the TAAS test in high school and because of high scores on the ACT
and SAT was not required to take the TAAS test before being admitted to the
university. However from what I have heard from other students and from having
parents that have worked in the Texas public school system I feel the TAAS test
is not an accurate gauge of learned knowledge because students are taught to
the test so they will preform well but may not actually learn anything.
23-053-2002
I can not really remember the TAAS but I think that the time that we
did recieve was a good amount to get the section done. The only section that I
wished I did recieve alittle more time would have to be the writting. I think
if I was to get maybe an extra 30-45 minutes to write and actually take my time
to think of what I am going to write about and to better prepare myself. By not
having time to think and structure my paper I was to busy trying to make sure
that my time was not going to run out. I even skipped my rough drafts which
would of probably benefited me. But if the writting section is about writting
and thinking fast then it is right.
23-054-2002
I can remember being in the second grade and beginning to prepare for
the TAAS. The main thing that sticks clear in my mind is the repetitiveness of
the whole thing. I can't tell you that I learned anything from the TAAS
preparation or the TAAS test itself. When I was in high school I came to the
realization that the school didn't care about us personally but the image of
the school. So I did what they told me and I passed the test. I think that the
TAAS test puts a huge unnessary stress on students. I remember the students
getting split up into different “intellect” groups to study. Even before the
test was taken there was a sense of discrimination.
23-055-2002
I can remember the feeling of dread that loomed over me as the TAAS
came back to haunt me repeatedly over the years of my public school education.
The last time I took the TAAS Test was my sophomore year. I have never had
problems with this basic skills test but I dislike standarized test for the
fact that many test do not reflect all the aspects of a person's itellect and
can resemble a marathon as they drag on for hours. I agree that there is a need
to monitor schools progess but I watched my high school go out of its way to
improve there scores devoting daily practice and an entire school day to a
basic skills test. However this all payed off as my principle stood before our
class and bosted of how are school passing rate was among the top in Texas. I
feel that the TAAS test is a basic test and not difficult for very many
students to just pass. I think the majority of the students who fail TAAS just
do not care about there preformance. I have Watched students buble in their
sheets in patterns and sleep through the rest of the test. I feel our scores
were high because our school was not taught by better teaches but was better
motivated.
23-056-2002
I can remember the TAAS test back to about the third grade. That was
when it started for me. I never really had a problem with the TAAS test. Some of
my teachers said maybe one word about it the whole year and others based their
curriculum on it. In my experience spending all the time in the world on it or
no time at all didn∆t make a difference. I believe that material
presented in the TAAS is material that any student learns as long as they are
attending school and listening. We all learn to read and write we all learn
grammar and vocabulary. I can∆t really say that I am for standardized
tests. As for the TAAS I think every individual student shall be able to take
it. The TAAS is not hard. If you expect to make it to the next grade then the
TAAS should not be a challenge you can't overcome. Some say that it is not fair
because of special circumstances. All I have to say to that is if you paid any
attention whatsoever than you should be able to read a paragraph know the
meaning of simple level vocabulary and be able to put a period at the end of a
complete sentence. The TAAS test is a mere challenge to many assignments tests
and predicaments that we experience. If you can∆t handle it then maybe
you just aren∆t ready.
23-057-2002
I did not like the TAAS test I beleive that it was a waste of our
valuable learning time. If this letter comtributes to the end of the TAAS then
so be it.
23-058-2002
I did not take the TAAS because I am from Missouri. I did take the ACT
however there were no writing parts on that test except for the English section
but that is multiple choice. I went to a private all girls high school that was
extremely competitive and hard to get into so all of our courses were rigorous
and therefore I was prepared to take the ACT. The average score at my school
was a 29 so every girl seemed to be more than prepared. If you felt that you
weren't though they had after school test prep classes that you could sign up
for and college professors came in and they would teach us things such as smart
ways to answer the tricky questions. Unfortunately I never signed up for these
classes so I am not sure what all went on. I am really the worst person to ask
about this subject since I just went by what I learned in high school in my
english classes and the teachers did not stress the ACT or SAT because they
knew that we were going to do well on it anyways and if we needed the extra
help we could sign up for the prep classes.
23-059-2002
I did not take the TAAS but I did take the ACT and SAT. The ACT was
easier to prepare for. I did not like the SAT because you are penalized for
wrong answers. I think I would have performed better on that test if I had not
been so afraid of answering a question wrong. The SAT was also very long.
The ACT was a much better test in my opinion. If I did not know an
answer I could use common sense and the process of elimination and make a
reasonable response to the question. I do feel that I could have done better on
the ACT if they had switched the practice exam yearly. I took the ACT my
sophomore junior and senior year. Each time I took the practice test. There was
about a year and a half between my sophomore and junior tests so I had
forgotten the practice test. My senior year test was taken only six months
after my junior year test so when I took the practice test the questions seemed
familiar. They were exactly the same. It would have done me more good to have a
different practice test. That would be my only complaint about the ACT: Change
the practice test!
23-060-2002
I did not take the TAAS test. However I took the SAT and I thought
that it was a hard test. I think that it was hard because I am the type of
learner that needs to look at things and study them before I take tests instead
of going into the test not knowing what they will ask. I need more to study
than techniques to use during the test. So I don' t know how this test can
jugde my ability to succeed in certain colleges by not letting me in. Thank
You!