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Parent Answers to "How much classroom time should standardized test prep take?"
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There's no standard answer to your good question. Some people could spend years preparing for any standardized test and still not do well on it - some people don't have any knack for the process of a standardized test though they might know the material well. Other people almost don't need to study for standardized tests - they have a gift for ferreting out the right answer even without knowing the material.
The students any teacher has in their classroom are al different - the decision as to how much time to spend on preparing for the state standardized tests is based on last year's test scores. If they're low, teachers are encouraged to spend more time preparing.
If you go to www.teachers.net, you'll find a good article written by a social studies teacher who's realized he's no longer teaching social studies - he's just teaching the test. These new state tests were intended to improve the quality of education offered our children but so far they haven't accomplished that.
The students any teacher has in their classroom are al different - the decision as to how much time to spend on preparing for the state standardized tests is based on last year's test scores. If they're low, teachers are encouraged to spend more time preparing.
If you go to www.teachers.net, you'll find a good article written by a social studies teacher who's realized he's no longer teaching social studies - he's just teaching the test. These new state tests were intended to improve the quality of education offered our children but so far they haven't accomplished that.
Far less than is allotted. Unfortunately, the tests have become so important that too much time is spent on it. It IS important for children to know some test-taking strategies to keep them from curling up in exhaustion--and also to build their confidence. It's also important that they encounter test questions in a format they recognize. So it is important to do some test prep, but it should be done as the year goes along, not for two solid weeks before the tests are taken. This is one advantage to being an experienced teacher: the format is familiar, as are the strategies, and they can be part of the daily curriculum.
I don't know the best percentage of time that standardized test prep should take, but I think it should take up the least possible amount. Part of school is teaching basic skills for students to build on. There are a lot of other things that are equally as important that are not covered on a standardized test. Students should learn to be good people and interact well with others. They should have time for creative thinking and hands on learning. And most of all they should gain confidence in themselves and their abilities.
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