There are two end-of-year tests that students take: Galileo and Sage. Galileo is a district test, and Sage is a state test. Students are allowed to opt out of taking the Sage test, but Galileo isn’t an option, because while Sage scores are used to reflect on the teachers, the Galileo scores are more for the students (and parents) to see how they are learning. Even though Sage is optional, almost all the kids take it anyway just 'for the heck of it'. Galileo could easily be used for everything, so we don’t have to spend six weeks straight testing. So, why do we need to do Sage in the first place? Can’t Galileo scores just reflect on the teachers?
Galileo is a test that is used throughout the school year to make sure students are learning. There is a test at the beginning of the year, the middle of the year, and the end of the year. Galileo is important, however, the amount of testing toward the end of the year can be really stressful. With Sage beginning the week after Galileo ends, the end of the school year isn’t as fun as it should be. Typically schools only take one EOY (end-of-year) test for each core subject, but the Park City School District requires two to four EOY tests for each subject unless you opt out. Galileo doesn’t need to be taken three times a year, and on top of it, we don’t need a whole other test to deal with. It is understandable why Galileo is taken, but since Sage is just to reflect on the teachers, Galileo is perfectly capable of being used for that.
Students are allowed to opt out of Sage because it is “completely pointless”, as some kids would say. Sage is not really helpful for the students in any way, it just helps the state see how well the teachers are doing their jobs. Unlike Galileo, Sage is only once a year, at the end of the year, but it is still just as torturous. When students know that the test won’t benefit them in any way, and that it’s just used for the teachers, they are less motivated to do well. If kids are allowed to opt out, why does anyone have to do it in the first place? The only reason kids take Sage is because their parents don’t want to teach them that you can just quit something because you don’t want to do it. The purpose of Sage is to see how good the teacher is, but can’t Galileo tell them the same thing?
Maybe you’ve heard your teachers say, “Oh, don’t worry, this won’t count on your grade.” or, “This test won’t affect anything, it only helps the teachers get better.” This may or may not be a lie. In the past, even after teachers have said stuff like that, Galileo and Sage testing have affected class placement for the following year. For example, this year, the MOY (middle-of-year) Galileo test affected whether you got into 9th grade Honors English or not. Also, Sage scores have affected whether you get a letter that allows you to take a test to get into an advanced math class. Sure, test scores are important to determine how much you’ve learned throughout the year, but it shouldn’t be used to determine whether or not a student should be in a certain class. If there is going to be a test to get into a class, there should be a separate test that must be take specific to that class. Also, students should know how their test scores will be used.
Students are allowed to opt out of Sage because it is “completely pointless”, as some kids would say. Sage is not really helpful for the students in any way, it just helps the state see how well the teachers are doing their jobs. Unlike Galileo, Sage is only once a year, at the end of the year, but it is still just as torturous. When students know that the test won’t benefit them in any way, and that it’s just used for the teachers, they are less motivated to do well. If kids are allowed to opt out, why does anyone have to do it in the first place? The only reason kids take Sage is because their parents don’t want to teach them that you can just quit something because you don’t want to do it. The purpose of Sage is to see how good the teacher is, but can’t Galileo tell them the same thing?
Maybe you’ve heard your teachers say, “Oh, don’t worry, this won’t count on your grade.” or, “This test won’t affect anything, it only helps the teachers get better.” This may or may not be a lie. In the past, even after teachers have said stuff like that, Galileo and Sage testing have affected class placement for the following year. For example, this year, the MOY (middle-of-year) Galileo test affected whether you got into 9th grade Honors English or not. Also, Sage scores have affected whether you get a letter that allows you to take a test to get into an advanced math class. Sure, test scores are important to determine how much you’ve learned throughout the year, but it shouldn’t be used to determine whether or not a student should be in a certain class. If there is going to be a test to get into a class, there should be a separate test that must be take specific to that class. Also, students should know how their test scores will be used.
No comments:
Post a Comment