Wanna know why public education is ridiculous?

[cougarfreak]

After teaching AP Human Geography for 4 years and getting good scores, I was called two days before school starts this year and told I was being moved to AP US History. I was fired up, excited, and quite frankly nervous as hell. But I dug in, and have been working my ass off like crazy (and the kids have been working like crazy as well) to get my current crop of 48 students ready for the AP Exam in May. In September, our state decided that four courses would have a new "end of course assessment", basically a final exam given by the state. The is new EOC was designed by ACT, it's not as hard as an AP exam, but it's difficult. And it counts for 20% of a students final grade, so there is a lot of pressure involved. The AP exam doesn't count for any kind of "score" credit at the school, but if you score well enough, you get 6 hours of college credit for it at darn near any school in the country, and as an AP teacher, you strive to get the kids ready for the AP Exam. Today, I was told........the 3 hour EOC test will be on 5/10. The day before the AP Exam, on 5/11. So basically my kids will be brain dead the day of the AP exam. Our school runs through 5/18, yet our district decided on that date full well knowing the AP exam schedule.

[Lathum]

Maybe I'm a douche, but to me this seems like a pretty good lesson that not everything in life falls into convenient scheduling blocks.

[cougarfreak]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Maybe I'm a douche, but to me this seems like a pretty good lesson that not everything in life falls into convenient scheduling blocks.

I understand that, but at the same time, when it's pretty easy to avoid, it's pretty dumb not too. It's making it a lot more difficult to score well on the AP exam. Or maybe I'm just grouchy about it.

[PurdueBrad]

Originally Posted by cougarfreak

After teaching AP Human Geography for 4 years and getting good scores, I was called two days before school starts this year and told I was being moved to AP US History. I was fired up, excited, and quite frankly nervous as hell. But I dug in, and have been working my ass off like crazy (and the kids have been working like crazy as well) to get my current crop of 48 students ready for the AP Exam in May. In September, our state decided that four courses would have a new "end of course assessment", basically a final exam given by the state. The is new EOC was designed by ACT, it's not as hard as an AP exam, but it's difficult. And it counts for 20% of a students final grade, so there is a lot of pressure involved. The AP exam doesn't count for any kind of "score" credit at the school, but if you score well enough, you get 6 hours of college credit for it at darn near any school in the country, and as an AP teacher, you strive to get the kids ready for the AP Exam. Today, I was told........the 3 hour EOC test will be on 5/10. The day before the AP Exam, on 5/11. So basically my kids will be brain dead the day of the AP exam. Our school runs through 5/18, yet our district decided on that date full well knowing the AP exam schedule.

Hey Cougar-

Good luck man. That really sucks. My wife is an AP US History teacher here (it's her second year as the AP teacher) and she feels incredibly bad for you. The biggest recommendation she can come up with is what we do here for our AP kids. Morning of their specific exam, the AP teachers take their students out for breakfast (wife took 47 kids out to breakfast last year and will likely have 60 this year). It seems to fire up the kids, even if they spent the previous day taking another AP exam (or in your case, the EOC). I take over AP Literature next year and what they've done to you would freak me the hell out too. Sheesh.

[cougarfreak]

Originally Posted by PurdueBrad

Hey Cougar-

Good luck man. That really sucks. My wife is an AP US History teacher here (it's her second year as the AP teacher) and she feels incredibly bad for you. The biggest recommendation she can come up with is what we do here for our AP kids. Morning of their specific exam, the AP teachers take their students out for breakfast (wife took 47 kids out to breakfast last year and will likely have 60 this year). It seems to fire up the kids, even if they spent the previous day taking another AP exam (or in your case, the EOC). I take over AP Literature next year and what they've done to you would freak me the hell out too. Sheesh.

Tell her idea's worked for me too! I usually take the kids 2 doughnuts each and get Starbucks to donate some drinks, so I meet them in the cafeteria at school with their breakfast on the morning of the test. Last year I had 46 kids take the AP Human, so I'll have to buy more doughnuts this year!

[AENeuman]

I am always amazed at district scheduling. Last year, they made the last day of school on a Monday and a teacher in service the day after that!

Best case, the ACT becomes an effective dress rehearsal. While you can prep the students with knowledge and test taking skills, actually doing a real, but not THE test under pressure might get rid of some anxiety.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm generally a fan of testing, including "high stakes" testing like EOCTs but this is just stupid lack of foresight afaic & you're justifiable in being ticked off.

If I were the parents of the AP students I'd be even more ticked off.

[cougarfreak]

Originally Posted by AENeuman

I am always amazed at district scheduling. Last year, they made the last day of school on a Monday and a teacher in service the day after that!

Best case, the ACT becomes an effective dress rehearsal. While you can prep the students with knowledge and test taking skills, actually doing a real, but not THE test under pressure might get rid of some anxiety.

That's kind of what I'm hoping for. We'll dig in and get it done, and hope for the best scores. But it's certainly less that ideal conditions, and for the kids that blows.

[Easy Mac]

Do you guys teach any other type of geography, like arachnid geography? Because that would awesome.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

Do you guys teach any other type of geography, like arachnid geography? Because that would awesome.

What's this human geography bull crap? Why not cetacean geography? 75% of the globe can't be wrong

SI

[sterlingice]

That said, I don't think this is "why public education is ridiculous". The company I work for does stuff like this all the time and it has a lot more to do with one bad decision and isn't an indictment on the whole system

SI

[molson]

Why is human geography different? Is it because other animals have different names for countries and stuff?

[Autumn]

Yes. The orangutans refer to the US as Bigger Botswana

[Glengoyne]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

...

If I were the parents of the AP students I'd be even more ticked off.

And that might be the only place to get traction on the subject. If a change is even possible.


On an interesting, well maybe not to every one, side note. A friend of the family got assigned to be the AP history teacher at her high school a few years back. She spent the summer crafting her curriculum, and submitted to the state just as the school year began. At some point mid-year the state told her that her curriculum was insufficient, and she would have to reapply for certification the next year. Her students could still take and pass the exam, but she wouldn't likely be teaching the class next year. After all she couldn't put together acceptable material. Fast forward to the end of the year, and It turns out that her class had the highest percentage of students passing in the state. She was soon after contacted by the state about adopting her curriculum as a "Standard".

[cougarfreak]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

That said, I don't think this is "why public education is ridiculous". The company I work for does stuff like this all the time and it has a lot more to do with one bad decision and isn't an indictment on the whole system

SI

Here is why it is. One of the big things our school, and these kids will be judged on is these test scores, yet you set them up in a way that the kids wont do as well as they could have. And i know real world isn't about ideal situations all the time either, but you don't intentionally set yourself up to do poorer in a situation that matters as much as this does. Its asinine.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by cougarfreak

I understand that, but at the same time, when it's pretty easy to avoid, it's pretty dumb not too. It's making it a lot more difficult to score well on the AP exam. Or maybe I'm just grouchy about it.

Sounds like you teach in a state/district where they don't place a high value on education. I'd look to GTFO of there to somewhere more sensible. That's just stupid of them.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by cougarfreak

Here is why it is. One of the big things our school, and these kids will be judged on is these test scores, yet you set them up in a way that the kids wont do as well as they could have. And i know real world isn't about ideal situations all the time either, but you don't intentionally set yourself up to do poorer in a situation that matters as much as this does. Its asinine.

But my point is that it's not an indictment on the whole system- just one dumb administrator

SI