While the students at Kickapoo high school take the MAP tests, my practicum teacher, Mr. Wittmer, and I discuss the end of the MAP and what should be put in its place instead of another foolish test. I thought the idea Wittmer had was great but probably wouldn't be established without a lot of push. This is the push.
There has been talk of dropping the MAP this year and starting something new next year and I asked what they would put in its place. He just stated that it would probably be another semi-worthwhile test that is more focused on minuet qualities of what you have to know about the main subjects. Wittmer suggested that instead of these types of tests, the schools should use a test that does more good: the ACT.
Think about it. The schools have to pay to have their students take the MAP right now so why not pay to have their students take a more essential test? The students don't get the results for the MAP so they feel like they're preparing for this test all year for nothing. They take it and forget about it. However, with the ACT, a lot more is riding on it. The test could be given with all juniors or seniors at the end of the year and the students would take it more seriously. The ACT is what colleges look for to get into college and we would be preparing them. Plus, if the students want to take it earlier, they can but they'd have to pay for it (the same as if they want to change their score from after high school).
To me, it seemed like a really good idea and one that could help schools in the long run. State and Federal school personal could take the results from the test like they do with the MAP but the students get their results back.
I like the idea. What do you think?
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4 comments:
I like that idea a million times more than MAP testing.
My teacher and I talked about the same thing because she is currently prepping her students for the MAP. She mentioned how the MAP is worthless because none of her students really care about it and don't find it worth their time and effort. She mentioned that a test more like the ACT would be beneficial because not only would it help students be more familiar with the test but they know the importance of it and it applies to their life.
I think that it isn't such a bad idea. I think I would have personally appreciated this type of testing because it would have prepared me for something that I know most colleges look at when accepting people into their school, and it could have helped a person like me, who is not a great test-taker become more familiar with it. I definitely would have felt more prepared and confident to take that kind of test. However, there is a part of me that considers the students who have no plans to go to college. By implementing an "ACT" type test, it may just be another thing that they could really care less about.
Hmmm....Give us all tests, that can neither help/harm us, that'll we'll never see the results on, and ask us to care. Better yet, have us do this in our teenage years, where the only thing boys care about is girls, and girls boys. The entire concept of the test in its present state is assanine.
~Stan
I think that this is a good idea as well. I'm not from Missouri so I never took the MAP testing. I do however remember taking some form or another of standardized tests while in school. I always hated not knowing how well or bad I did on them. It was like taking a test with no reward in it for me, at least one that I saw, anyway. having the ACT take the place of these standardized test would be great. Like you said, Mike, the students get thier results back. They can see the areas in which they need to improve on instead of like with the MAP where you don't know where you stand. Plus, I think that with having the ACT in place of the MAP there would be less stress for students. So may high school graduates are attending college now that they are going to have to that the ACT anyway. Why not have them take the test in the environment that they are used to, with people they are used to, and have one less requirement to have filled before graduating. Like I said, since most students seem to go on to college anyway they will have to take the ACT anyway. With it taking the place of the MAP test thre is one less test to worry about and the ACT is taken care of even if you don't plan on going to college, or you change your mind and decide to attend later then right after High schoool.
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