<p>My class took a practice EOC for algebra II, and the cutoff for a level 3 (proficient) was getting 48% of the answers right. More than half the class didn't even reach proficient. I don't know how to go about explaining this, but I'll just say both the students and the state testing system is quite pitiful. I have a friend who got 43% and another who got 50% and barely passed. </p>
<p>Anyone care to discuss their state's testing, because I find it hilarious that a 62% (what I got, without any preparation, which is still sad), translates into an 86% on a state test. The one we took was so much easier and I easily expect a 4 (excellent), so just talk about your state's testing, what they test on, what you feel about it. Whatever. I just thought I'd make a comedic/rant/wow thread.</p>
<p>In my state’s EOC Gov test, you could get a 12/40 and still pass with a 62%.</p>
<p>NJ is phasing in EOC testing in Algebra over the coming year, and personally, I think it’s a very good thing. I know kids from various schools who take what’s called ‘algebra’ that only goes over the very basics, and this new testing will put a stop to that and force the teachers to really teach. My school has always had a pretty good math program, and in middle school you can take algebra 1 in either 1 or 2 years, with the 2 year program also going less in depth. Nevertheless, the middle school math teachers have really stepped up the program to a much higher standard because of the need to pass these tests.</p>
<p>I think that a 48 percent cutoff is extremely reasonable, if you can’t get half of a set of math problems correct, that’s a major issue. As for the 62 correlating to an 86, I don’t see that being any different than an AP test, where the material is meant to challenge you to see what you really know, then if you don’t know it all, you can still get a reasonable grade.</p>
<p>I live in Florida. We have FCAT and it’s ridiculously simple. I generally miss only 1 or 2 on a ~50 question test. It’s pathetic. My theory is that they have to make a test that all the ESOL students can have a shot at, but I don’t know. All I know is that anyone who is semi-intelligent thinks that it’s beyond easy.</p>
<p>oh god, state tests in VA are a joke. The SOLs are so pitiful, and the math one requires you to basically plug into a calculator. I’ve gotten a 600 on every one.</p>
<p>In CT we take the CAPT. You need to score proficient (I don’t know what that is in raw scores) in each section, otherwise you have to take the unsatisfactory sections again. We’re a high performing school so the vast majority of students (well over 90%) score at least proficient. When I took them I scored advanced in all sections but reading, where I barely scored proficient (I hate the CAPT reading exercises).</p>
<p>The year that I took the CAPT, the class before us didn’t have such great results and there was a lot of pressure on us to do well. My sophomore English teacher even put CAPT reading for information exercises on our midterm (ugh).</p>
<p>I take the MCAS (Massachusetts) and it’s extremely easy. The math section just barely goes over geometry, from what I’ve heard, and the english section has simple reading passages and whatnot. Even the long composition is easily passable if you’ve ever written anything before. The hardest is the bio MCAS, but maybe that’s me and the fact that the one thing my biology class never went over was genetics and much of the test was on it.</p>
<p>The New York State Regents… just horrible. I BS so much of it since its so simple. My school doesnt count it for anything other than diplomas and whatnot so I dont care what I get as long as I pass.</p>
<p>For Biology, excuse me, Living Environment, last year, a question asked about something harmful that people produce and what it does and how it can be fixed. I wrote about carbon dioxide and to fix it, we just stop breathing. I got a 98</p>
<p>However one of the Maths WAS hard. It used to be Math A (3 semesters of HS math) and then Math B (3 more semesters). The Math B was impossible for most people, and it wasnt required to be taken. I got a 100 on Math A in middle of 8th grade, but only got 93 on Math B. Oh well. Now they changed it to 1 year each tests, Algebra 2, Geometry, and Algebra2/Trig. Much easier tests now…</p>
<p>I hate having these regents exams because it gives the teachers a standard to teach by. But then for SAT II’s, we are screwed because we are learning baby biology or whatever</p>
<p>In Arizona it’s the AIMS. I hate them with a burning passion. Some of the questions aren’t even grammatically correct. It’s poorly worded. The biology section has nothing to do with biology (they asked me something about the best way to treat a fish). Towards the end of my test, I got tired of it and just circled random answers so I could leave. I passed them all, lol.</p>
<p>The PSSAs are a joke. Especially the writing, since you have to write like a kindergartner with no style to get ‘Advanced.’ The new science section is stupid, since there’s no real standard for high school science, and at my school, everything in the science section is taught in a remedial science class for those who aren’t smart enough to take biology after middle school. But they’re phasing them out for the Keynote, which is supposedly a ‘better’ exam. But I’ll still be taking (and sleeping through) the PSSAs next year. Woe is me.</p>
<p>We have the ASK test in NJ up until 8th grade and then the NJPASS in 9th and 10th.
The ASK is graded on a scale from 0-300. Theres generally ~50+ questions per subject. In 8th grade last year, we had math, science, and language arts. I got a 300 in math( didn’t miss any); 299 science(it had a really good curve, i think I got a section of an open ended response question wrong), and a 271 language arts (I got perfect multiple choice, perfect writing responses, but lost points on the open ended responses)
This year i took the NJPASS as a freshman. English was a joke. I’m expecting perfect or close to perfect. Math was challenging; since I do advanced math(calc level work) outside of school, it was a breeze for me, but I could tell it was more difficult than previous years. My friends all feel that they failed. All in all, state testing isn’t too bad here in NJ.</p>
<p>NY State testing is horrible- worse than any state I believe.</p>
<p>^In elementary school in NY, I got 99th Percentile on every test.</p>
<p>^^^ Lol don’t forget HSPAs.</p>
<p>What a joke.</p>
<p>LOL HSPA</p>
<p>Joke Test. As my math teacher would say it was Mickey Mouse. :P</p>
<p>Seriously, I’ll cry if I got one wrong on that stupid test (which I didn’t haha)</p>
<p>I liked how they gave us a ruler.</p>
<p>NJPASS isn’t a real state test. Your school makes you do it for practice for the HSPA, and maybe for their own internal assessment, but it doesn’t actually count for anything with the state. Our school used to have standardized testing every year in HS, but they got rid of it so now we only have the HPSAs (the state high school test to graduate). Of course, it is incredibly easy.</p>
<p>lol EOC’s actually test your knowledge of the subject, which was honestly new for me. But I think I’ll get over a 90 on everything because the Curve is amazing. Last Year I got a C/D in Geometry and got a 93 on the EOC.</p>
<p>Lol for out school, NJPASS determines what level math/english course u take next year</p>
<p>@MattNC: haha nice</p>
<p>I genuinely suck at math… xD.</p>