At the end of April, all of the sophomores take the high school exit exam for the first time. I was in charge of tutoring a girl who is a junior and had not passed the test. Well, one kid means either a 100% pass rate, or a 100% fail rate. I haven't gotten those scores back yet, but I did get some scores back today......
In addition to all the other forms of assessment we are required to give our kids, each high school freshman takes a state mandated End of Course exam in English I. If you've been reading this blog for any extended length of time, the word freshman should conjure up memories of shirtless kids in class, cannibals, camels, and Campbells Soup, not being able to spare a dollar for fear of foreclosure, the list goes on and on...
Well, those very same kids of mine had to take the EOC today. It's a test that counts 20% of their grade, just like a final exam. The test is skills based, so it doesn't cover content that we've gone over in class. Because of this, and because my students have been intentionally selected to be in my class because of low middle school scores from yet a different test, I spent the last three plus weeks of my life working to ensure we covered absolutely every skill, literary term, and reading strategy that could possibly appear on the test. I even created and had my kids play a great Jeopardy review game. Well, I just got the results emailed to me, with of course my assistant principal and department head CCed on the email.....and out of 12 students (drum roll please.................)
2 passed. No, I did not miss type. 2 as in TWO as in 1+1=2 as in 16.7%.
I am crushed. I do not know what I could have done differently. I don't know how else I could have made them take it seriously. They knew how much it would count. I told them time and time again that this was the biggest test they would take for the year and without it they might not pass the class and without English, they can't go to the 10th grade. I have no idea what I could have done differently, and I have no idea where to go from here. I am crushed.
I promise you this. Those kids are not going to be very happy tomorrow. I think they thought they did better than they did.
And this is just one class. I have two that tested today. I should get the rest of the results tomorrow. Great.
Oh please, oh please, let my 1 HSAP student have passed. I don't think I can take it if not.
At a total loss,
OINSL
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
First the HSAP, now this...
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6 comments:
I am sure that there was nothing you could have done better! Don't be so hard on yourself! (easier said than done, I know!).
People don't understand how hard teachers work. Right now there is so much pressure to pass tests and achieve certain levels and scores... follow this or that...it's no wonder many teachers are experiencing burnout.
I know you can't help feeling bad, but remember you did everything any excellent educator would do.
These kids are coming from homes with major issues. Sometimes you can only do so much because at the end of the day, they have to go back to their dysfunctional lives.
Hang in there. :-)
I'm so sorry.. I definitely know how hard you work and when you put so much of yourself into helping these kids, whether they tried or not, it's heart breaking. Just keep your chin up and know you gave them the best you could. Good luck with the rest of the scores.
It's okay, OINSL.
You are an amazing teacher. Just because the state keeps coming up with countless, ridiculous tests, the scores mean little to nothing. It may not look like it based on the numbers, but you are giving these kids something that can't be reflected in scores and percentages. These kids will all pass... eventually :) and it will be because of you. I don't think you realize how far some of them have probably come since you've been a part of their lives. Just because it doesn't show up on an arbitrary scale some bureaucrat made up, doesn't mean you don't make an incalculable difference in these kids lives. I don't know where some of them would be if it weren't for you. Although it may not feel like it all the time, they appreciate you. You are the teacher that these kids are going to remember when they look back to high school or when someone asks them which teacher made the biggest difference in their lives. We've all got one. Even if only one child feels that way about you (and I have a feeling that it is many, many more,) you've done more than your job. You are an amazing teacher. Don't forget that. I am so proud of you and I admire you so much.
OINSL's sister
Oh, sweetie. Ick. I'll be right there with you in a little over a week... It's a shame we don't live closer together so that we could get some drinks and lament together!
Everything your sister said is true, and that's what we HAVE to realize. We make a difference, and the kids appreciate us. As my mother (a teacher of low-level freshmen for many years) said to me after one particularly distressing set of scores, you can't make chicken salad out of...
You did everything you could do, and I'm sure they were very well prepared. Don't stress!
You did all you could do and they are old enough to know better. As a teacher, I know how frustrating it is, but it was out of your hands. Sorry!
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