Tuesday, March 25, 2008

FSA redux

A marked copy of the written portion of the FSA tests Sophie wrote came back today. The computer portion of the results isn't available to us yet. She scored 5/6 on the written portion of the Reading Comprehension, and got perfect scores on the Writing and Math sections. Where did she lose her mark in the Reading Comprehension? Well, she wrote a short paragraph suggesting that collecting roadside trash would be a personal action that would good for the environment. But she failed to explain exactly why less roadside trash is good for the earth. I assume she thought that was self-evident. I'd tend to agree, but a sentence explaining why her proposed environmental action was good for the environment was part of the marking criteria. Don't you just love standardized criteria?

This feedback, while marginally reassuring, has been rather a non-event in our family.

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:19 pm

    http://vhln.blogspot.com/

    This link is to an US Mom's blog,(who links to yours btw).She has a post referring to the FSA.The most interesting, in that post, is the info referring to a couple of FSA markers, who spoke the truth of how they marked.(Link to actual article is in post).These people were fired, as were the rest of the markers who worked alogside them.Funny, they were only doing what they were told to do.
    The info provided by the "whistle blowing markers", proves that the "testing", is MOOT!Glad to read on your blog, that the test outcome, is irrelevant to you.Hopefully to your DD as well.

    Chasey

    Life Learning Mom of two DD's
    Okotoks,Alberta

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi, I came across your wonderful blog somewhere, and am enjoying it immensely. My youngest son (of 4) is a home learner with a wonderful distributed learning program (EBUS) but we are likely going to register him as a homeschooler next year. He is 11 and, like your son, is named Noah. He also has a blog.

    I'm wondering why you opted to do the FSA exams as an unschooling family? (Or are you with a DL program?) My kids have done the FSAs, and it was never a big deal -- but I'm wondering how you and your kids made this decision?

    Anyway, thanks for posting your blog. It's inspirational.
    -Maureen Bayless, Vancouver

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  3. Hi Maureen, I recognize your name from hs-ca or somewhere out there in cyberspace. Yes, my kids are with the Wondertree SelfDesign program, and participation in the FSA testing was strongly encouraged as a way to help legitimize the program in the eyes of the Ministry. The SD team were very good about helping make the testing work for the various families, and supporting the dialoguing / deciding that went on within families. How neat that you have an 11yo Noah with a blog!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Miranda,
    You recognize my name? I'm blown away! (Now I feel famous!) I don't post on HS-ca, though I get it in digest form, but are you on HS-Van? Or perhaps we were both at SelfDesign at the same time? Noah and I were there for a year, when he was 8 or so. Lots of our friends hang out there and we've even gone to a Wondertree/SelfDesign musical fundraiser.

    I think your blog is wonderful, by the way. Your lives look very rich, with the warm community, music, freedom, etc. It seems such a small world, that the two of us have DL home learners who are the same age, have the same name, and seem to share many of the same interests. As I write this, my Noah is playing a game called Jello or something, that your son recommends on his blog.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Maureen, perhaps I just recognize you from SelfDesign. My eldest was there for three years starting in 2003, so we would have overlapped. Your name seems more familiar than that would indicate -- I have a mental imprint of you being some sort of Vancouver home-learning mover and shaker :-). My Noah has been to your Noah's blog and had his curiosity piqued by all the similarities.

    ReplyDelete

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