#go retake 10th grade English!! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

katyobsesses · 3 years

Note

Katy my beloved 🧡

so once you're up and you have time!!

I'm requesting your list of the characters brithdays

anyways good night may your dreams be sweet because it is late for you ✨

Good Morning! It is 8am on a Sunday! and I want to go back to sleep! but I have a train to catch at 9!

So, Birthdays!! I posted about it on Reddit like almost a year ago (the first thing i ever did on reddit, actually!) So I'll copy paste that and change some things because i think I have changed some things since.

So I started this because of my fic series One More New Direction and i went a bit inane due to, like, timelines. so i wanted to give everyone birthdays if they didn't already have them. (and obviously have a note of them all just in case they could be used in the plot)

Here is a screenshot from my timeline google sheets of all of the birthdays (ignore the OCs and the colour coding, it's just me trying to keep track of who is new and who is graduated, this is also why Roderick isn't in this, becasue in my fic he hasn't transfered yet (this is the year between S5a & 6) and Jane hasn't started highschool so that's why she's not on it) and I'll explain them (mostly S2 NDs) under the cut (my reddit comment amended, basically) 💛

I know I missed Blaine but... he's not in my fic as a ND member at all so i didn't give him a birthday just yet because i haven't needed to.

Puck: Aug 17th 1993 I choose Mark's actual birthday because Glee did that with Kurt so why not the other characters. - I see Puck as being the second oldest after Kurt, just based on vibes, so Mark's birthday fit here.

Rachel: Dec 18th 1994 This is her canon birthday. this means she turns 16 in S2 which makes her the youngest of her year group. I've headcanoned that she skipped a grade, or maybe her dad's started her in school a year earlier than everyone else because, well, it's Rachel.

Santana: Jan 12th 1994 Basically I used Naya's birthday. I know this messes up Finn's 'canon' birthday but bare with me.

Finn: Jan 15th 1994 I didn't use Finn's canon birthday because in S4 Sue says he's 19, like a lot, and I also couldn't find it anywhere but the Fandom Wiki. So his canon birthday doesn't work. Finn dies at 19 and if his birthday was the canon one of Aug 24th 1994 he wouldn't have been 19 when he died but 18. So I changed it and used Naya's birthday and what was said during S1's madona episode that Finn was 3 days younger to come up with Jan 15th.

Quinn: Feb 1st 1994 Basically I just looked up her birthday and there was a random thread on Fandom Wiki that stated this was her birthday so I rolled with it because it works with the timeline.

Britt: March 14th 1994 It's what it says on Fandom Wiki, but I don't remember it ever being said in canon. However it's also Pi day (3.14) so that's fun for the 'math genius'

Tina: Mar 28th 1995 A year younger than the others as she graduates S4 not S3. I was going to go with Jenna's birthday just because but apparently her and Harry (Mike) share the same birthday! So I had Mike have April 28th and moved Tina's up a month

Mike: Apr 28th 1994 See above I guess. It's Harry's birthday so I rolled with it. graduates S3

Sam: May 6th 1995 A year younger because he graduates S4. It's said in the prom episode that his birthday was a week before so I looked up when American's have prom (I'm english) and yeah. this was what I decided??? I can't remember why exactly I chose that date but I'm sticking with it because I can't change it in my fic now without messing stuff up. I maybe would change it to a week earlier so at the end of April.

Kurt: May 27th 1993 This is canon and makes Kurt the oldest in the club which is fun since Chris is the youngest of the main cast and it's also Chris's Birthday take away 3 years. My headcanon is that his mum and dad kept him back a year before starting school because he was so small or something OR that he missed too much school when his mom died and had to retake a year. I'm leaning towards the latter because that's a sadder backstory.

Artie: Jun 14th 1995 A year younger than everyone. again, I used the actor's birthday because I'm lazy and it fit.

Mercedes: Jul 10th 1994 I just see Mercedes having a summer birthday for some reason. IDK? literally just picked my mom's birthday.

And that's it for the main cast.

Here's the S3&4 newbies too, but it's mostly either random or the actor's birthday.

Unique: Aug 20th 1995 so she's in the year below Sam/Tina/Artie in my headcanon which is why she's not still at McKinley or highschool in S6. Alex's Newell's birthday.

Ryder: Sep 14th 1996 A year younger than Unique. A Sophomore in S4 (I think that may be said somewhere? or at least implied?) He could be a Freshman too, so 1997 or stick with '96 and have him kept back a year because of his dyslexia, but I decided against that in my story. Just a random date I picked because I didn't have anyone else in September.

Marley: Oct 4th 1996 Also a Sophomore in S4. (again I think that's said?) Melissa's birthday

Jake: Oct 17th 1997 Freshman in S4. Honestly, it's simply because Puck doesn't know him and if he was a Freshman in S3 than Puck would have maybe interacted with him? or at least known there was another Puckerman in the school and I don't think it's said anywhere that he's transfered or anything. so hence, a freshman... Jacob Artist's birthday.

Joe: Nov 12th 1994 completely random. In my head canon he's in the same year as Sam/Tina/Artie

Sugar: Feb 14th 1996 A year younger than Sam/Tina/Artie. I also just like the idea of her birthday being on Valentine's day, it kinda makes the whole Sugar Shack thing kinda sad in a 'noone would come if it was just for my birthday but! Valentines!!' way

Kitty: Feb 22 1997 Young enough to come back in S6 as a Senior (don't get me started on the confusion of that timeline) Random date.

I also headcanon the McCarthy twins as around late-1998/1999 (I picked 23rd May because Twins and Gemini! Only one based on astrology!) and in their sophomore year in S6. Same with Spencer

Rodderick ~ 1997 ish. I believe it's stated that he's a senior in S6? Same with Alistair??

Jane's a Freshman in S6 so a late-1999/2000 birthday.

and Myron is around November 2001 ish because he turns 13 in roughly November 2014... i think... again S6 timeline is insane.

#now i need to get ready #that took me longer than I thought it would!!#opps!!#time to pack and rush out the door #uhg #glee headcanon #glee #glee headcanons #glee birthdays #I will tag this properly with the characters on the train i thing #*think #myle 💛#ask

6 notes · View notes

littleone4301 · 5 years

Text

You know, depression and anxiety can really mess up a person’s education. When I started high school, I had four honors classes. I ended up dropping two of them, and then failed the regular English. I dropped my honors English class, a class that I would have passed if I had stayed in it. I was fighting a depression that seemed insurmountable, while dealing with the trauma of being sexually abused in the first relationship I was ever in. All of this during my freshman year, which was already extremely difficult, just because of the struggles that come with adjusting to new surroundings. I failed English, got a D in Geometry and just barely got a C in Biology. My course selection for 10th didn’t really help correct the hit my 4.0 (earned in eighth grade) gpa took in 9th. This year, I had two honors classes, and five regular classes, and I was retaking an English, putting myself further behind an honors program of cheaters and rich kids, only a handful genuine in their ability. I was still struggling in everything but Algebra 2 and German 2, and I barely got Bs in classes I should have gotten As in, because my mental health was still awful, due to a string of abusive friendships that I relied on to even survive. I didn’t have any drive. By the time junior year rolled around, I was screwed, but I was back up to four honors classes. The problem: I still had three regular classes and no AP courses, which everyone above me were beginning to take, a majority cheating in them. But here I am, starting to actually heal, getting my work done, and taking classes that are easy to pass but that won’t put me anywhere close to where I should have been. Not to mention I stopped taking German, arguably my biggest mistake, because I could have traded Chorus for it and I would have gotten an Honors credit, and with my brain, I would have gotten an A. I passed with almost all As, but it honestly feels hollow now. I didn’t grow at all as a student. And now I’m a senior, taking three honors classes and stuck in a Chorus class I hate. I could have, and should have, taken more classes this year. I should have taken on the extra workload, taken at least one AP course, but no. I wanted easy. That’s on me. But you know what? I earned a 3.752 while RECOVERING from DESTRUCTIVE MENTAL ILLNESSES and STILL having suicidal tendencies, and I never had to cheat to do it. I’m one of the most intelligent students in that school, and that’s not even remotely a stretch, it’s just the truth, but because of issues that were out of my control and some that weren’t but that ultimately fall back on said issues, I will walk across the graduation stage #72, behind a bunch of cheaters and people who have never had to struggle through anything even resembling the hell I’ve gone through. Yes, I’m PISSED. PISSED THAT MY REQUEST TO RETAKE CLASSES I NEVER WOULD HAVE DONE HORRIBLE IN IF I HAD BEEN HEALTHY WHEN I TOOK THEM WAS DENIED. PISSED THAT MY INTEGRITY IS BEING PUNISHED AND CHEATERS ARE BEING REWARDED. PISSED ABOUT THE REALITY OF OUR BROKEN EDUCATION SYSTEM THAT SCREWS PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO DESERVE A SECOND CHANCE. But you know what? I’m going to walk that stage with my head held high. I’m going to walk that stage with the genuine appreciation that I am still here and succeeding and for the people who have kept me that way, most importantly Jesus Christ. I will walk that stage knowing I did the best I possibly could in my last two years, both academically and mentally, to prepare myself and heal. I will walk that stage, proud that I never resorted to something as low as cheating even when I was completely in over my head. I will walk that stage, proud that I’m able to own my successes and failures. Most of all, I will walk that stage, grateful for the experience and growth the last four years have blessed me with.

3 notes · View notes

meanwhileinoz · 7 years

Text

Students Shared The Most Frustrating Moments Where Teachers Graded Them Ridiculously

Scoring well on an exam can be very stressful for everybody.

Burning the midnight oil and studying the textbook inside and out, just to get that perfect score. What sucks the most is when the all-nighters become completely useless because you don’t score well on the exam. Even worse if the reason you didn’t score well on the exam is the teacher’s “out of this world” grading scheme. It just leaves you scratching your head in surprise. There are all sorts of valid reasons why you may not agree with the given grade. And all you want to do is storm to your teacher’s office for justice!

Here are a few of the most frustrating stories of students where teachers graded them ridiculously:

1. This teacher who completely missed out the point of education.

“I had a history teacher who wanted our test answers to be EXACTLY like the textbook.

I know it’s history, you can’t change facts or names, but this woman would not even let us change the grammatical format of the sentence.

For example, if the sentence was ‘he ruled from 1822 to 1840,’ and I wrote ‘his rule lasted from 1822 to 1840,’ she would deduct marks for that. Are you kidding me?

Moreover, if someone tried to argue, she’d deduct their marks for arguing with her. She was a senior teacher and was respected by everyone in school, so we students were really scared to complain. As a result, we had no choice but to mug up each and every word of the text if we wanted to pass!”

– Mahenoor Khan

2. This just leaves us to one question – Is that even a legit scoring system?

“In college I had a Physical Education teacher who on his tests had multiple choice questions where there could be more than one right answer.

If there were five possible choices, then the answer could be that all five may need to be marked, or none of them, or any combination in-between. Each question was worth 1 point, but if you marked all of the options incorrectly you would lose 5 points. Put another way, a twenty-question test was worth 20 points, but you could get very easily receive a negative score, going all the way up to -80%. Since 80% was the required score to pass, this meant that you needed a score of 16, so you could mark no more than 4 options wrong on the entire quiz.

I tried to point out to him that his multiple choice questions were really a set of five “true or false” questions where we had to get all of them right in order to score a single point. Thus, it would make way more sense for each option to be a separate question, meaning it would be a 100-question test worth 100 points, but he just couldn’t see it. He was really good friends with one of my math professors so I had my math professor try to explain it to him with the same result.

Fortunately the test was easy enough that most people were able to figure it out, but for some getting 96% right was virtually impossible. For me it was the whole principle of the thing.”

– Carl E. Zimmerman

3. Perhaps, it’s time to contact the wizards and hobbits.

“It was 10th and 11th Grade English. I had a teacher who was… unconventional. She was simultaneously loved and hated for her antics, wildly inappropriate stories, and oddness.

Unlike most English teachers, In terms of grading, she despised written exams; I remember once she had us do a 2-day written exam about a collection of stories we read, and the next week she came back and said, “Everyone gets an A because my neck hurts from reading all these papers.”

So she mostly stuck to the old multiple choice for her tests. Until she got this ‘fun’ idea.

Both years it was the same deal: the school curriculum said she had to teach us The Great Gatsby and Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, so she’d start the year off having us read various classic books and plays. But here’s the thing: she wasn’t a huge fan of the curriculum. So invariably, halfway through the year (oftentimes in the midst of reading some required book) she’d decide to throw the curriculum out the window and have us read (then watch) J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and watch Lord of the Rings. And just as she threw out the curriculum, so too did she throw out conventional exams.”

– Austin R. Justice

4. At least she was straight up about it.

“I went to an alternative school where your homework for the semester was to write two-page essays on five or six topics.

After you finished your essays, you would take an essay exam that was based on whatever you wrote in your essays. Your grade in the class was entirely determined by that exam.

If you got less than a 90 on the exam, you were allowed to retake it (up to three times). If you got less than a 70 on the exam, you were forced to retake it.

Your exam grade was based on the number of sentences you wrote. A ‘C’ student would write four sentences for each question, a ‘B’ student would write six sentences, and an ‘A’ student would write eight sentences. The teacher told us this in advance.

This was how the grading worked for every class (except math, where the exams were computation-based). For PE classes, we had to write an essay, and take an exam on, the history and rules of the sport.

Honestly, I couldn’t wait to get out of there.”

– Jessica Su

5. Bet you’ve never heard of this before.

“My teacher in sixth grade ended the year with a project that had a big impact on our grade. She decided that instead of a normal grading scale, she would grade us on her own scale and tell us what the equivalent letter grade would be. In her scheme, 75 and above would receive an ‘A,’ 60 and above a ‘B,’ something like that.

The only problem was that she still put those number grades directly into the school’s standard grade book (where a 70-80 was a B), so a student who she said got an ‘A’ with 75 would get a B in their official grades!

When I pointed this out and explained the problem, her reply was, ‘Oh, so that’s why students who have done well on the project in previous years have had their grades drop.’

I don’t know how many years she’d been using this system for, but hopefully it ended with us.”

– Tyler Buchman

6. It leaves us wondering….

“I had a professor in 1973 who had a strange grading system, but one that we all understood. He had a lecture class with hundreds of students, and he had TA’s (graduate student teaching assistants) who graded the exams.

Unfortunately, with essay tests, different TA’s graded slightly differently, so it was possible for two people to give substantially the same answer yet get slightly different scores.

The teacher, though, had a unique solution. If you came up with your friend’s test and showed him that you should have gotten five more points on one answer, he would mark your friend’s test down that five points.

Since he told all of us that was his solution on the first day, nobody complained.

I might add that his grades were generous on average. I was getting a ‘C’ in his class, but probably didn’t deserve it. He ended up giving me a ‘B’ because I demonstrated my knowledge of the subject in verbal conversations with him. I was just lousy at writing essay answers. Nowadays, I’d do better, but we couldn’t use computers back then.”

– Dave Williamson

7. Is this a part of the test?

“This happened with my brother when he was writing an exam.

Before he began, the teacher placed a book in front of everyone’s desk and said, ‘In this book are the answers to your test.’

My brother was flabbergasted. What was going on? He was GIVING away the answers to the test.

Now, my brother is incredibly smart. And has a sense of honor. The test had two possible solutions, one being detailed in the book. He decided to use his wits, and solve the test the second way, instead of taking the easy route. He solved it successfully without the book.

Two weeks later, everyone got back their results. 60% for all students.

That was the teachers last month at that college. Maybe he wanted to be remembered for messing with his students one final time. Or saving them, for those who didn’t study.”

– Daniel Bauwens

8. I would like to meet this guy.

“I had a College level Theology class where our final examination was worth 95% of our grade and consisted of showing up and finger painting for an hour.

This occurred during my Freshman year at Southern Illinois University. The only class that properly fit into my schedule was a pan-religion theology course taught by a very eccentric hipster teaching assistant in his mid 20’s. He looked sort of like Hagrid from the Harry Potter novels.

This teaching assistant was not a fan of the ‘system,’ or ‘the man.’ In his class we learned such valuable things as conspiracy theories and the salary of our school administrators. If the weather was bearable we’d have class outside.

Anyhow, due to budget cuts the University was considering cutting quite a few majors and classes.”

There’s more….

“The pan-religious theology course was on the chopping block and my professor had a bone to pick with the administrators. He would attend all of their meetings and lobby in favor of the existence of the courses he taught. During one such meeting, apparently a school administrator said to our teacher’s face that the school needed to generate revenue and classes that taught ‘finger painting’ like his would be the first to go. Ouch.

I think our teacher sensed that his days at the University were numbered. However he still had our class and the course’s grading policy was entirely at his discretion. As a parting gesture of defiance he announced that our final would consist of a fun finger painting hour. We all showed up for the final, paints were passed out, and we took our examination. I painted a scenic picture of a sailboat in the ocean. For this I received three college credits and an A+ in pan-religious theology.”

Michael Jones

9. I’m going to duck you marks for that.

“In my freshman year, we had a single class that combined History with English, and had a teacher for each respective subject. They decided together that they would grade us with ducks.

Allow me to explain. They had a 4×4 chart where the leftmost top duck was the happiest and the rightmost bottom duck was the saddest. For every assignment, you received a different ‘duck grade.’

Though strange, this does seem fine in principle as you would think you could still tell around where your grade would be. However, it didn’t really work out that way…

Despite many people getting a majority of leftmost top ducks (including me), only one person in our 40 ish student class actually got an A first semester, so the system proved to be a bit misleading.

When I went in talk to the teachers, along with others in the same confusing situation, we all got the same response. They told us what to work on for next semester, and wouldn’t address the confusion. So, we all tried to do better second semester, and a few did, but the system still felt unjustified to many in my class.

I hope they don’t still do this. Many in my class thought they did this on the basis of favoritism or something discriminatory, though I just think it was a flawed system. If we must have grades, they should just be the straight forward traditional kind that keep everyone satisfied, at least to know the truth.”

– Murphy Rodriguez

10. The perks of studying mineralogy .

“I had a mineralogy professor at Michigan Technological University in 2000 who was a character. He was a grizzled-looking guy in his sixties, bald-headed and with an unkempt gray beard. He was a smart man and a nice guy, but a difficult teacher.

Anyway, I was doing ok in the class. Not great, but alright. I had an 83%. Almost a B, probably a BC under Michigan Tech’s weird grading scale (a BC being half way between B and a C, like a combined B-/C+). There were students from two very different departments in the same class, each comprising around 50% of the class. Half were geologists, of which I was one. The other half were mining engineers.

No one had an easy time in the class, but the mining engineers really struggled badly. As the professor explained at the end of the semester, he was faced with a grading dilemma.

‘All of the geology students have grades between 96% and 83%. All of the mining engineers have grades between 60% and 18%, with a mean around 32%. If I leave the grade scale as it stands now, all of the geologists will pass and every last mining engineer will fail.”

That’s not where it ends….

“My professor went on: ‘I can’t just fail an entire department, though. If I slide the grading curve down the scale to pass most of the mining engineers, then every geology student will get an A and that will raise alarms with the school. Instead, the only fair thing I can think of is to expand the bell curve.

And that’s what he did. An A was 100–96%, an AB was 95–92%, a B was 91–88%, a BC was 87–84%, a C was 83–28%, a CD was 28 to zilch.

I got the short end of the stick. Not only was my grade lowered from a BC or maybe even a B down to a C, but I ended up with the same grade as people who had originally earned a fraction of mine. In what world does a person with an 83% get the same grade as someone with a 28% in a class? Well, in mineralogy at Michigan Tech in Fall of 2000. Kind of a poor incentive for hard work.

I didn’t complain in an official capacity because the professor has the right to choose a grading scale for his/her class and, by his chosen scale, I got the grade I deserved. Hasn’t stopped me from complaining about it almost two decades later, though!”

– Craig McClarren

You may also like

http://ift.tt/2zTctPH

#ENTERTAINMENT

0 notes

homeschoolbase · 7 years

Text

10th Grade Was a Mess; I'm Worried About My High School Transcript

Hello! I'm a junior, and personally responsible for planning my education (my parents can't help me, except on the financial aspect). Sorry if this is too long/excessively wordy; I didn't edit it much so some things are badly written. Please tell me--if you know--about any other places where I can seek help for my situation. I know that some homeschooling forums don’t allow minors to post.

Quick summary of my high school education: 9th: Normal high school; completed the entire year there 10th: September--January I spent in an alternative education program. I literally didn't learn anything there, as we didn't cover any of the stuff required by the state curriculum. Homeschooling paperwork approved at the beginning of January; I could only begin a full course of study at an online high school in eleventh grade. In other words, I had to teach myself all of the tenth material. Unfortunately--being a rather lazy person--I can’t say that I did very well on this. Here's what I did in every subject:

Biology: Read an online biology textbook; no labs/homework assignments/quizzes/tests. In the beginning, I read the chapters very carefully and tried to understand the material. But as time went on, I realized that biology is not my cup of tea and started to only copy the notes without bothering to understand the material.

Geometry: Read through most of an online geometry textbook

Social Studies: I covered the first part of world history in 9th grade so I was supposed to cover the second half. Did some reading in a textbook but didn’t finish it (got to around 1800s). I’m not worried about this, as I’m taking AP Euro right now and hopefully AP World History next year. Or if I don’t take AP World History in school, I’ll still do some independent reading to catch up on what I need to know.

English: Used many different online resources but ultimately didn’t get that far. I took a summer English class (so I’ll use that grade on my transcript), and I’m taking AP Lang right now.

Health: Was supposed to study this but...did very little. If anybody has recommendations on interesting (free) health curriculum or preferably books which cover all that you’re supposed to know, that would be great.

Psychology: (Used a college level textbook) Read the entire book, but due to time constraints, I didn’t study my notes in much depth. I might take the AP exam, but before that, I don’t know what to put on my high school transcript (didn't take any quizzes/tests)

So that brings me to the point of this post: What do I write on the transcripts I have to send to colleges? (I'm just going to list a bunch of possibilities here) --Fake the grades (not a good idea, I know) --Don’t “retake” the classes, but rather review the material and notes. Find some online quizzes and tests, take them, and add them up to get a final course grade. --Your ideas/thoughts/suggestions here!

The college I want to attend has an acceptance rate of 42%. All they require from homeschooled applicants (in addition to the stuff required from ALL students) is either copies of the IHIPs or semester progress reports (unlike colleges that ask you for elaborate documentation of everything you did, which makes me very glad)

TLDR: 10th grade was an educational disaster and I have no grades for most of my classes to put on my high school transcript.

#homeschool

0 notes

missleonteachnow · 7 years

Text

High Stake Assessments

Korea is known for their obsession with testing. I currently teach middle school students who are stressed for their high school exams. Later on in their educational career, they can take the SAT. The SAT is not what Americans would be familiar with. It stands for the Samsung Aptitude Test. Scoring well on this test means not only are the students well educated but they have the ability to move up in society. Working for Samsung is a status symbol and it’s common for parents and teachers alike to put the pressure on their students to do well.

So how hard is this test?

A mock test of 10 questions was released from NPR to give English speakers a chance to try out their abilities.

I wanted to give it a shot to see if I was worthy of Samsung. The questions were expected with solving math problems. Others made the test taker think in three dimensions and really push the ability to think differently. Sadly, I scored only a measly 40% which measured out to be closer to the average of people who have taken this test. Out of 7,061 people, only 121 gotten between a 90%-100% on the mock test. Give it a shot yourself!

This was a fun little quiz, but this is the reality that faces my students. If one of my students got 40% on their score, the repercussions are astronomical.

The SAT test is a high stake test, but it not required to be taken by all students. The CSAT is the college scholastic aptitude test and all students feel the pressure of doing well on the tests. On the day of the test, the city provides more buses and subway lines so the students can get to the testing centers. They even stop planes from flying over the centers to ensure the students can focus.(T.K., 2011) The test itself is 8 hours long and students have been studying for it since middle school. If the student is successful and does well on the test, then they can go to the top universities in the country. If they fail or not do as well as they can, they can retake the test, but they must wait one full year before doing so. With such high stakes, there have been severe consequences such as 48% of students have contemplated suicide from stress.(Power, 2010) They spent on average 7.6 hours a day studying for the test. (Lee, 2011)

The test can create a lot of stress for the teachers. They mostly teach for the test to a class of 40 to 45 students. Because of the class size, it is very hard to differentiate the learning. Often parents send their student to hagwons (cram schools) to help boost their students chance of doing well on the test. (Power, 2010) Some have critiqued the schools where they have hurt the idea of learning because they want to rather they learn because they need to.

It is also stressful for the teachers. In 2016 there were accusations that unionized teachers taught students who ultimately did worst on their CSAT exams. Data was collected from the test scores and the names of the teachers have been made public. The rationale behind it was so the parents would know what results the teacher’s education would be given to their child. The list was eventually pulled due to the court demanding it to be removed or to pay a hefty fine of $27,000 USD. (Lee, 2010)

From the research that I gathered and the personal experience of living in Korea for three years, it seems that the high stakes CSAT test are too stressful. There doesn’t seem to be any flexibility or alternatives like there are in the states. Here in Korea, social status really affects the education and reinforce the stress of success. I’m not saying the U.S.A. doesn’t have similar social standards but it seems that the students in Korea are so focused on this test that they are suffering mentally from the whole process. There is a time and place for high stakes test, but not when it causes such high levels of unhealthy stress.

When I was a student, I remember vividly the PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) testing. It was administered to 11th graders school-wide over the course of a few days. I remember being stressed on how important it was for our school to do well. They promised more technology paid by the state for doing well. Even then, it seemed more like a practice for the SATs or ACTs that some of us will take later that year.

On testing days, the Freshman got to have extended study hall during the test, while the 10th graders started practicing for the test. The seniors were the lucky ones and had a half day. It was a right of passage for seniors to go out for brunch before class to blow off some stress that comes with graduation. Compared to the CSAT in Korea, it really doesn’t seem that stressful. But how has it changed since I was in school?

For one thing, in the state of Pennsylvania, only 3rd graders and 8th graders are taking the standard PSSAs. 11th-grade students are still taking a test, but it has been refurbished and adopted a new name called “The Keystone Exams.” The test covers algebra 1, biology and literature. It was thought to have the score count for 30% of the student’s final grade, but in the end, it was left up to the school whether it would hold weight or not. For the class of 2016-2017, it is now a graduation requirement to pass all subjects or else they will not be able to graduate. It will also be reflected in their transcripts. (PSEA,2016)This was not a requirement when I was in school. Also, students who are taking International Baccalaureate, or Advanced placement Algebra, Biology, or Literature, can skip the Keystone test for that subject.The results of the tests are used to rank the schools. It is also used as a factor for the required annual teacher evaluation ratings. (Hardy,2015)

In order to teach to the new test, some schools said they had to make sacrifices. Most of the sacrifices made by the school were cutting down on art, music, physical education and social studies. It should also be noted that colleges don’t look at PSSA/Keystone test scores. This could also be a reasoning why some of the test scores haven’t been high and students not taking it seriously enough. While students may not view it as a critical high stake exam, it seems that the teachers and administration does, especially if it is taking away from other subjects. There have been further complaints from teachers that they feel that they need to “teach to the test.” Students have also noticed, due to teachers needing to skip around the material to make sure all of the information was covered. This can hurt the logic behind setting up a unit plan in the first place. Others have also complained that teaching for the test can halt actual learning. Yes the students could score well, but that doesn’t mean they understand the material. (DeJesus, 2011) It seems that for high stakes test comes with a lot of negativity. Yes, they are a good measure of a big population, but between the stress and the burden to teach to the test, it seems a bit counter intuitive. Maybe it is the way that the tests are designed. Maybe they should not just test for information but more on skill sets, abstract thinking and reasoning. Maybe there is a way to lessen the burden of high stakes testing.

References

DeJesus, I. D. (2011, April 18). Pennsylvania System of School Assessment tests require sacrifices in lessons, teachers say. Retrieved May 06, 2017, from http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/04/pennsylvania_system_of_school.html

Hardy, D. (2015, November 17). Keystone exams: Questions and answers. Retrieved May 06, 2017, from http://thenotebook.org/latest0/2015/11/17/keystone-exams-questions-and-answers

Lee, J. (2011, November 13). South Korean students' 'year of hell' culminates with exams day - CNN.com. Retrieved May 06, 2017, from http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/10/world/asia/south-korea-exams/

Lee, T. (2010, May 05). Unionized teachers blamed for poor CSAT scores. Retrieved May 06, 2017, from http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2016/10/113_65406.html

Power, J. (2010, November 22). Students speak out on exam stress. Retrieved May 06, 2017, from http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20101118000821

PSEA. (2016, September). Understanding Pennsylvania's Keystone Exams. Retrieved May 06, 2017, from https://www.partnersforpubliced.org/PartnersForPE.aspx?id=12131

T.K. (2011, November 11). Can You Go to College in Korea? (Take the Exam!). Retrieved May 06, 2017, from http://askakorean.blogspot.kr/2011/11/can-you-go-to-college-in-korea-take.html

0 notes