CRCT

I wanted to write a blog post about CRCT because after being in a 3rd grade classroom these past few weeks I'm shocked at how intense the whole situation is. I remember taking standardized tests in elementary school, but it wasn't a big deal. About a week before they would remind us we have the test and tell us to get a good nights' sleep on those nights.

Now a month before the CRCT even started my teacher got every student a folder ready with tons and tons of worksheets. There were reading passages, math questions, and language arts questions. Everything resembled how it would look on the CRCT. She cut guided reading, and writing out of reading and writing time and it turned into reading passages and answering questions. We also taught test taking techniques like underlining key words, "taking out the trash" (cross out any multiple choice answers you know are "trash"), and "plug it in" (plug in the answer to the question to see if it makes sense)

All I have seen the last month is CRCT prep, even science and social studies has basically been cut off. There are test taking tips posted all around the school. I feel like there is so much pressure on these kids to pass and when a majority of them (especially in my class) are "on the bubble" (depending on the day could pass the test or fail it) it's really scary.

This past week one of my jobs was to cover every bulletin board, calendar, and alphabet in the classroom with butcher paper. No words can be on the wall, because this might help students find an answer on the test (I learned this from our teacher CRCT prep meeting) This meeting put pressure on the teachers too. Make sure they are bubbling correctly, but don't erase the stray marks without another teacher there or you can be accused of cheating. It's crazy.

Finally on Friday we had a "CRCT Pep Rally" Where there was a game show that students answered questions about test taking strategies. Then the 5th grade girls put on a "cheer show" with a CRCT cheer (Do your best to ace the test) After the cheer we had a fifth grade teacher do the CRCT rap and all the kids loved it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgSwRttJI6o&feature=related is they one he sang.

I'm just shocked at how much pressure is on this one test. It makes me sad that we are teaching kids how to take a test and many of them are worried they will fail and be in 3rd grade again.