The second stress-invoking nightmare is that of the Common Assessment, or the STAAR test. Most are familiar with these assessments that eat up class time and affect our GPA, positively or negatively. We all know they count for something. Being new to the state of Texas and having lived up East, I didn’t have any idea of such a test or was never required to take one, since they simply did not exist. I was taken by surprise when I sat down to take my first Common Assessment only to learn prior to starting that we hadn’t gone over half of the content therein and quite frankly the teachers weren’t permitted to see the assessment. I was wished good luck and set off with the words, “Just do your best”. I feel when it comes to taking an exam my best is a reflection of and tied with the study time and attention I put into that class. But how could I do that when I had nothing to study and spent zero amount of time in class to cover the bulk of the assessment? Which brings up the question, which still remains to be unanswered, how can you accurately evaluate a student’s performance and school based on an assessment the teacher hasn’t seen or promptly prepared their students for? |