This week is the big English Language Arts test for many New York State school students, which means that since we allegedly ONLY teach to the test, everyone is done reading for the rest of the year (which in NYC, ends on June 26.) Great year everyone…
Lot’s of anxiety attached to these tests for sure, not at all from NCLB or the school report cards but from reality. Public school students in NYC need to score high on the tests if they want to be accepted by the best public middle and high schools, so they are taken VERY seriously by many students. (Plenty of parents in my world pay for afterschool tutoring for their kids so that they aren’t conscripted to crappy public schools.)
So I know it is considered hip and all to badmouth the tests, but it is kind of interesting to see the enthusiasm that some NY State schools are showing in anticipation of this week’s reading exams. One NYC charter school handed out “Slam The Exam” headbands yesterday at their weekly “Saturday Academy.”
Another public school, in Buffalo, held a full-fledged pep rally recently where the kids chanted “ELA” and got all fired up about the exams.
In Albany, an all-girls charter school had a pep rally on Friday with hula-hoops, musical chairs, and “Score 4” cheers.
Good luck this week kiddies!