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Preparing for the TAAS test was an incredibly boring experience for me. We were forced to do worksheets after worksheets of grammatical corrections. We were in high school and learning how when to put a period or a question mark at the end of a sentence, or when we should capitalize a word. TAAS was a waste of my time. If students didn’t know what tense to use by the 9th grade, then they shouldn’t be there and their teachers weren’t doing their jobs. The TAAS is given out to test our knowledge and to see if we are ready to graduate. Why is 3rd grade knowledge a sufficient amount of knowledge to allow us to pass a high school test. Our teachers were forced to waste their teaching time in order to fit in TAAS exercises. Teachers would get in trouble if TAAS was not being covered in the classrooms. I personally would rather be learning material that will help me in college and in the “real” world rather than reviewing what my 3rd grade teacher taught me.
Preparing for the taas was not as difficult for me as some might imagine. I was very confident in myself to pass and almost never felt too anxious. After taking the taas, I discovered that I had no reason to be. I found it to be simple enough. Therefore, I do not believe the taas was a very good educational experience for me, especially not in assisting or preparing me for English classes to come.
Quite honestly, I feel that the buildup before TAAS testing was stupid. The test was never difficult for me and I always went into the classroom with very little fear. The tests where long and often very boring. It did not even properly test my abilities as a student or my knowledge.
Should we be tested, or how much should we be tested? This is the question that is in front of the Texas State Legislature. Who makes the money on publishing and grading the tests? I don’t think students should be tested like this. There is too much pressure put on one test. I don’t like the TAAS test because I believe that I have not been taught to write an my own, but rather must learn how to pass the standardized tests. Students are taught to write to the format of the test rather than using their own common sense and thinking skills to write. We are taught to write in a formula, type, to write to a specific prompt and to make a five-paragraph paper, nothing more and nothing less.
Every time a new school year begins all students are confronted with the pressure and solutions an haw to succeed an the TAAS test. Schools can say that they don’t teach to the test, but it is a lie in most schools. “You have to do good on the TAAS test so that our school will look good and will get more money the better you do.” In elementary school writing was fun and interesting, but once TAAS came on the scene it was so structured.
We would write practice prompts periodically before the actual test so that everyone knew the routine and format. Every teacher would try to come up with little tricks and songs to try to help us remember key points about the TAAS test. One of these tricks is “mouse and tracks”. The mouse is for cause and effect and the tracks were the defined words. As I prepared for the test it was very nerve racking and it really tried your patience. After weeks of preparing with games and practice tests, it was finally time to take the real test.
We had three days to work on different parts of the test. It was always surprising to me that if you didn’t do well on the test you were put into a class to try to help you learn strategies an how to “pass” the test rather than learning how to think and write. Also, the pressure caused a lack of creativity--if you didn’t pass the TAAS test you were not able to graduate until you passed. Because of the TAAS, freshman in college have a difficult time transitioning from TAAS writing to the writing in the reat world.
Since I moved to Texas my senior year of high school, I took the TAAS test that year so I would be able to graduate and attend college in Texas. I didn’t really do much I preparing, and the test was one of the easiest I’ve ever taken. I ended up receiving a perfect score on the test and being exempt from taking the additional TASP test. Taking the test, to me, was a waste of my time. I missed two of my AP classes for this test, and it seemed to take forever. However, I feel that if I took the TAAS as a sophomore, it might have been slightly more difficult and this would not have been the outcome. I would have taken it more seriously and I would have to use real knowledge instead of common sense. The test consisted of math-related word problems and a writing section (with an assigned topic).
Besides the TAAS test, I was basically forced to take other standardized tests at my school in Virginia. Everyone made these tests such a big deal, but I never understood why. I think tests such as these should not have been forced on us to graduate to the next grade.
Standardized testing is an effective way to tell if the teachers are teaching the material that the state has set forth. The state of Texas makes every student take the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills Test, or TAAS test to graduate. This shows that they have learned enough throughout school to graduate and they have fundamentals of education to either make it in college, or out in the job market. I feel that standardized test are very effective in making sure that the teachers, and school are meeting up to state standards.
The TAAS test also has many unfair advantages on students and teachers. Students have to listen to TAAS material all throughout their school lives. Having to go to TAAS pep rally’s, which most kids hate, and TAAS tutorials after school. It makes going to school harder than it really is. Students do not get a lot of interesting material because the teachers have to make sure they pass. There is such a high demand that teachers teach the TAAS curriculum, some are hard to fit in the states requirements for teaching. My mother is a school teacher, and there is a TAAS season for them the same there is hunting season for a hunter. Every body gets riled up and on their toes ready to jump at anybody who stands in their way. When it finally gets here there is total silence until everything is over with, except a hunter gets the trophy or does not. The students and teachers have to wait until the following school years for their trophies. Another thing that students do not understand is the special ed student’s advantage over them. They get to go to another room and watch movies while everybody else has to take the test. This does not help out the students who are taking the test and makes them not care. Is it okay for students not to take tests just because their not mentally competent like the rest of the students are? Maybe that is the reason for standardized testing, but if that was the case it is not standard to every student.
Standardized testing does have many flaws, but the goods outweigh the bads. Changes in the school system needs to be made to make students come out better.
Standardized tests have many positive aspects to them but at the same time they have some pretty bad ones as well. Whether it is the TAAS, ACT, or AP these test and study programs for them need improvement as does pretty much everything in life.
The good aspect of these tests is that they allow us as students to have a set goal. They allow us to reach that goal in an organized educational manner with the student study guides and programs available to us referring to the student body The organization of these tests and the wide variety of knowledge allows us to obtain a college type prep work for our years to come in college. High school doesn’t really ever test you over as much material as these test due and as college does at one particular time. In retrospect I would say these tests were not a bad thing for me personally.
The bad aspects of these tests are that they were not very exciting. They did not hold my attention long enough for me to really grasp the whole purpos of them. They are seen so strongly as test you have to take instead of test to turn you into a better student. The study programs could become a little more exciting to hold student’s attention longer. If excitement and interesting material were used in these tests I believe my scores and personal strengths, as a student would have been higher.
Whether good or bad, these tests are meant to be a positive part of everyone’s education. I feel that if the people who make and distribute these test sat down with the students and asked them how they learn better and then teach according to the students strengths in learning, the whole standardized test community would be better off. In the end it is all only about how to learn more as students and teachers.
Standardized tests--what all high school students dread. By the time I was a freshman in high school, I knew how to write a paper. I never really saw the point of taking the TAAS test; the people in AP English always did the best on the writing part, and all the math wizzes always did the best on the math part. The TAAS test always seemed pointless to me. All the test does is make students prove that they can write a basic five paragraph paper, answer simple reading comprehension questions, and perform simple math problems that we had known how to do since middle school. The five paragraph essay was never really a challenge for me, it was actually below the level of writing that I was at in high school.
For those students that are not good at taking standardized tests, the TAAS was a dreaded test to take. Simply the thought of sitting in a stone cold quiet room for four hours in one day taking a test to measure “how smart you are” is not everybody’s idea of fun. I have known some extremely smart people in my life that did not score very high on the TAAS. Who is to say that one needs to be put in remedial English just because he does not have an opinion about gun control? I don’t agree with the fact that students are forced to take exams like the TAAS, the TASP, the SATs and the ACTS to move on to higher education. I don’t think that these tests are in any way an accurate measure of one’s academic ability. Overall, I would have to say that taking standardized tests was not a valuable experience for me, even though I scored high on the TAAS, SAT, and ACT. I can honestly say that those tests did not accurately measure my knowledge and did not contribute to my academic experience.
TAAS experience for me, was interesting. I had a positive attidude about it. I didn’t dread working on our papers. Preparing for these tests was somewhat hectic. I think the instructors were more nervous than the students were. We constantly went over TAAS testing strategies that I think were helpful. I didnt find the test that difficult. To me, it was just basic material that we should have already aquired by that time in our educational experience. I felt prepared and ready for the test. I think my positive attitude reflected on my scores. I believe it to be a good experience for me.
TAAS for me at my school was horrible. In my English classes up to my Senior year clearly focused on the TAAS format and limited free thinking. It was very structured an boring. After the test was finished, their was nothing left to do in the class, the year was over. The test experience was pathetic. We were taught to contain info for a test and after that it was all over. Our school did fairly well on the test and received good funding and that was the only benefit. Other than that, the TAAS was a complete waste of time and truly hindered many people in their writing skills.
TAAS for me in my English class was okay I guess I can say. We just did worksheet after worksheet of the tests prior year. They kind of over load you with worksheets. Practice is good but only to a certain limit. As an individual I get test exiety before any test. What that means is I get real nervous no matter what and I’m not consitrating as I should be. I do everything that they suggest to us. I go to sleep early, eat a good breakfast and try to stay calm and focused. While taking my test my heart in in a rapid, constant beating. I hate taking TAAS test. Regular test, they are all okay because you pretty much know what to study for. You can estimate on your regular test what your score is because you pretty much know what was right and wrong. On the TAAS it seems as though you can not even estimate your score. They are not at all that complicated but I think that most of us are so scared that we just make it harder than what it is. I wouldn’t say it was all educational but it’s a good test that may benefit others but myself.
TAAS for me was somewhat scary. I know that TAAS was standardized but still I felt it was scary. They made the test seem to be that it was super hard and you were in that grade for another year if you didn’t pass it. Not until recently did they do that but the TAAS was never all that bad. This is coming from an average student, it seemed easier then everyone said. My favorite was the reading, the stories about history, a great event or person. The essay wasn’t too bad, maybe it would of been easier if we had had more practices, not only that year either. The math was good some of the stuff on the test was easy, some other questions challenging, but I feel that with more practice, things would have been better. Sometimes practices weren’t taken seriously, it could have been due to both student and teacher but it affect other students as well.
TAAS for me was very easy. I didnt like using alot of our class time preparing for TAAS. At [X] High, where I went to school, the overall TAAS scores were below average so we had to spend even more time than usual preparing. All the years I had to take practice TAAS, like in 2nd grade and years to follow, my scores were good. I never really saw the need to take it over and over again. So overall my TAAS experience was not a very fun or hard one, and I’m happy it is over.
TAAS for my class, was a pain. It was always said that every other grade would take the TAAS test to practice for the final one that you had to take as a tenth grader, not for my class. Every year, my class was stuck taking the test even though we were told that it would skip a grade and then come again. Every year this meant that we had to practice writing essays over topics that could appear as the prompt. Some practice it would be when you would get graded on it for grammar and punctuation as well. The procedures that we took to practice for it in English, was simply getting a prompt from old TAAS test and then write. We even got worksheets over the grammar part of the test, such as which word would sound better in the sentence, was or were, or, what is wrong with this sentence. Sometimes, the questions were tricky and confused people, but isn’t that what happens in life.
For me, I was a bit skeptical and nervous about the test. I did not want to get my test back and then feel like I was stupid or something because I did not do as well as I thought I did. I learned that I have a small case of test anxiety. I don’t understand how they can judge how intelligent a person is or place them in certain classes because of the result of the test. What if they were just having a bad day? Overall, taking the TAAS showed me some insight to how college would be. It showed me that I need to overcome my fears and just prepare as best as possible. These tests show me what areas I need to improve on before I jump into classes that I can’t handle. In general, the test were a pain in the rear, but a good preparation for me and an insight to what kind of person I was and what strengths and weaknesses I have as well.
TAAS I believe took up as much time of my sophmore year nothing was not realed to TAAS. Every activity we did linked to the TAAS test, and no one took it seriously. I think they should tell us before hand that if we make a good enough grade on the TAAS we wont have to take the TASP. Personaly I think the TAAS was very easy and they grade to easily. I was exempt because of my grades on the TAAS for TASP and my experiences were good. However, I feel we could have learned a lot more during the year if they did not spend so much time on TAAS.
TAAS is one of the easiest tests I’ll ever take. TAAS is a standardized test that tests students at a baseline level. All students should know the concepts included on the test. Most students take the TAAS test their sophomore year. The level of information is lower that a 10th grade level. It’s basic knowledge students should have already learned. I took the TAAS tests required in elementary. In high school the freshman were required to take a practice Taas test while the sophomores took the really TAAS. In high school that was my only preparation for the test. I took the TAAS my sophomore year and passed. If you receive acedemic recognition in the subjects you become TASP excepmt. The TAAS was easy, but by doing well in it I was excempt from another test. So, the experience turned out alright.
TAAS prep was really emphasized in my school since we depended on money from the state and grant programs. We at one time or more like for a 1ong time were consider unsatisfactory so that is why it was really emphasized. We also had TAAS videos each week or every morning until the day of the test, this was school wide no matter what grade level. I personally believe that is was beneficial to everyone and the school because the result of some can affect the reputation of all. Just like on bad apple spoils the whole group.
TAAS seems to have a big effect on my school; the teachers take the test very seriously. Receiving an exemplary or recognized school district is what the cirriculum is hoping for, and they strive to achieve it. The school district buys shirts for the students, pep-rallies are put on for the sophomores, and bargains are made if goals are set. After the year in which I took the TAAS, new classes were set up to help students receive attention in specific areas, and a TAAS class was created. It’s not that any class didn’t meet the requirements of the state or school, but the school wanted more of the students to pass. Now, thirty minutes is set aside throughout the day for TAAS Practice, and student’s rotate daily from a math teacher to an English teacher. In my opinion, test such as the TAAS and exit exams is a waste of the states time. Yes, you must pass this test to graduate, but then what would be the purpose of the SAT and ACT. Tests are used to see what level you are at or how much information you have contained over the years, yet I feel that they do not show your actual knowledge. Each section is set to high school sophomores standards, yet these test are used to show the completion of twelve years of high school, and are used as an entrance test to college. Later on, when you apply for college, in Texas that is, you are required to take the TASP; a test exactly like the TAAS only used for college purposes. The whole experience seemed a waste of time, but I’ve taken it anyhow, and here I am in college.
TAAS sucked. I felt like that’s the only thing we went to school for because everyday we had to take time out of class to work on practice problems for it. For me it was pretty pointless because its not like I had to worry about failing it or anything so I never payed attention to anything that had to do with it. Every time I had to take it, it was easy just like I expected and incredibly boring. The only good that I got out of it was that I was TASP exempt so I didn’t have to waist time on that test either. Also, I don’t think it is a very good illustrator of what people actually know. I mean, come on, some people we all know cannot take test very well. Also some kids would just sleep half the time and then wake up and fill some answers in just to get it over with. I think a new way of testing education should be devised.
TAAS test was a joke at my school. We did not even prepare for the test in any way. We had a couple little discussions on how to write a paper and that was it. I just like to use the p-b-and-j method. Whenever I write a TAAS paper I just think about peanut butter and jelly. Ha ha ha. I think It would be nice if high school teachers would take writing a little more seriously. One thing that I would have enjoyed focusing on in high school is becoming a better writer, but we hardly did any writing. It is a good thing that the TAAS test is so easily assessed because I have had hardly any instruction at all. Kids just know that if they follow a few basic corn ball steps they can get at least a three. I think the test should allow the student to write about a topic of interest so that the grader can see what the kids are really able to do. I didn’t like the test one bit, the preparation was weak, and I think the test should be abandoned. That is all that I have to say about that.