TCAP Week

[Netmom]

For those of you with students in elementary and middle school, TCAP testing is next week. I read a study years ago on the effects of chocolate on brain function, and always gave my kids a bit of dark chocolate before the TCAPs (and the ACT). Between the chocolate and not having any homework for a week, they actually looked forward to the tests.

Here's an article about it from Science Daily. So long as your child isn't allergic to chocolate, this might be something good to try. If nothing else, it probably puts them in a better mood, which can't hurt.

[Soaring Hawk]

Thanks for sharing your dark chocolate tip NM! I read the article and will purchase some this weekend for my kiddo next week. Like you posted, it can't hurt. Every little advantage helps!

[Ernestine]

You mean I can eat all the dark chocolate I want?

[Knight Rider]

Of course you can, E... It's power's are almost magical. I even use it as a substitute for viagra.... Works for me.....

[Netmom]

There are known health benefits in dark chocolate, similar to the same ones found in red wine. They also contain monounsaturated fatty acids, which help lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol. Of course, moderation is key... a fact that is sometimes hard to live by.

[Ernestine]

It's that moderation that gets me. Guess I won't need my hormones either KR.

[Mike]

Reporting of tcap scores has been delayed 2 to 3 months state wide. Word on the Nashville (we should all be familiar with that concept) is the tests were sent back to the vendor for re-ranking. Due to the new education performance standards tests have generally scored lower across the state, on average. Scores for Oak Ridge will be lower than what we are accustomed too. That should not be considered a negative for OR schools as we will still have schools among the top ranking; just that the top ranking is supposedly going to be lower.

I predict some in Oak Ridge will use the supposedly lower scores to knock the system. That's why I am posting now; hopefully sending an idea about the results and not to alarmed for the wrong reason. The scores should give all systems pause that work lies ahead to take the TN education system to higher achievement.

[Netmom]

Thanks for pointing that out, Mike. Two things changed: the content of the test was made more difficult, and at the same time, the score needed to be designated "proficient" was raised. This really needed to happen -- the old test was too easy -- but you are correct in that some folks may try to make it appear that we've somehow declined in quality. Every school system in the state will face this problem.

What troubles me is that the State Dept. of Ed. waited until after all the tests were in to set the new number needed for "proficient." By not setting the standard until after the test was taken, it certainly appears that they made the standard for proficiency "better than N% of all students," rather than "able to correctly answer X number of questions."

Criterion-referenced testing (how much of the material have you mastered) is far more useful than norm-referenced (how do you compare to everyone else). We switched to criterion-referenced testing years ago, but the delay in setting the proficiency standard sure smacks of a return to the old ways.

We're already implementing several new things to ensure that our students can meet the new, higher standards. It will improve teaching and learning, but it will take some time to master.