The results are in, and Zach is a STAR
Expecting to find nothing but the standard issue of junk mail and bills awaiting me, I just opened up our mailbox and discovered buried among the paper destined for the trash or paper shredder Zach's Star Student Report (also known as the results of last year's California Standardized Testing And Reporting). I'll be honest and say that I opened it with some hesitation.
Zach's earned amazing grades the last couple of years, with straight As or close to them every report card. But he's typically not done as well on standardized tests. (Gee, he must get that from me. I hate standardized tests, whereas Kelly kicks butt on such things.) While that hasn't directly affected his grades, it has hurt him in other areas, such as nearly missing the chance to join his school's Odyssey of the Mind team. So, I was a bit nervous about what I'd see when I unfolded the report.
Did you hear my deep sigh? I'd be surprised if you didn't. And rest assured, it was most definitely a sigh of relief. Because this year, Zach proved that he can do well on those pesky standardized tests--and just in time for his move to his new school, University Preparatory, too!
Scores in each testing area (English/Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science) are broken down by range, from "Far Below Basic" to "Advanced." All students are expected to be in the "Proficient" or "Advanced" range, though many are not. Zach was "Advanced" in all areas, but check out these scores!
With 600 being the highest score possible in each area, Zach scored:
English/Language: 456 (Advanced was anything above 395; mean for his school and grade was 370)
Mathematics: 555 (Advanced was anything above 430; mean for his school and grade was 381)
Science: 481 (Advanced was anything above 410; mean for his school and grade was 362)
Most exciting of all of those was his math score, since that's traditionally been his weakest subject. It didn't help that his fourth- and fifth-grade teachers taught it basically when they got around to it, which is why I spoke with his new school's counseling department just yesterday, concerned whether he'd tested at minimum proficiency in math for incoming sixth graders!
Pardon me if I'm boasting, but yeah, I'm just a wee bit proud of my kid right now. As a parent, you do all you can to help your kid do his or her best. And on days like this, you know it's all worth it--and I don't know if there's any more satisfying feeling in the world.
Zach's earned amazing grades the last couple of years, with straight As or close to them every report card. But he's typically not done as well on standardized tests. (Gee, he must get that from me. I hate standardized tests, whereas Kelly kicks butt on such things.) While that hasn't directly affected his grades, it has hurt him in other areas, such as nearly missing the chance to join his school's Odyssey of the Mind team. So, I was a bit nervous about what I'd see when I unfolded the report.
Did you hear my deep sigh? I'd be surprised if you didn't. And rest assured, it was most definitely a sigh of relief. Because this year, Zach proved that he can do well on those pesky standardized tests--and just in time for his move to his new school, University Preparatory, too!
Scores in each testing area (English/Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science) are broken down by range, from "Far Below Basic" to "Advanced." All students are expected to be in the "Proficient" or "Advanced" range, though many are not. Zach was "Advanced" in all areas, but check out these scores!
With 600 being the highest score possible in each area, Zach scored:
English/Language: 456 (Advanced was anything above 395; mean for his school and grade was 370)
Mathematics: 555 (Advanced was anything above 430; mean for his school and grade was 381)
Science: 481 (Advanced was anything above 410; mean for his school and grade was 362)
Most exciting of all of those was his math score, since that's traditionally been his weakest subject. It didn't help that his fourth- and fifth-grade teachers taught it basically when they got around to it, which is why I spoke with his new school's counseling department just yesterday, concerned whether he'd tested at minimum proficiency in math for incoming sixth graders!
Pardon me if I'm boasting, but yeah, I'm just a wee bit proud of my kid right now. As a parent, you do all you can to help your kid do his or her best. And on days like this, you know it's all worth it--and I don't know if there's any more satisfying feeling in the world.
posted by Scott at
4:02:00 PM
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