Benchmarks are for the Birds

Okay, I'm going to complain here and give my opinion on the matter so bare with me.

Our district has been administering benchmarks this week. Luckily, 6th grade on had the math benchmark this week, with Reading coming after the Winter Break. When we received the benchmarks, I looked and worked through it while the kids worked. I was relieved to find that almost all of the problems on the test had been taught in class. Of course the names were changed and the numbers were changed but the stem of the problem was the same. I figured the kids would do just fine on the test.

Needless to say, I was wrong. Turns out there were several questions that had a "trick" to them. Usually it was in the question, but sometimes the trick word found it's way into the problem. So, if the kids didn't read carefully they'd miss it. As I checked their tests, I discovered that the kids understood the process of the problem. For example, the could order fractions, add and subtract fractions with like and unlike denominators, subtract and add decimals, order fractions and decimals, and so on. Where they got messed up was with the "trick" part.

I know that there are situations in life where things are tricky. There are problems on TAKS that are "tricky" but not all of the questions. Our district is known for making their benchmarks incredibly hard, and then when the kids take TAKS it seems easy to them. I get the idea behind it. What I don't get is why they make it so that students fail not because they don't understand the concept but because they don't read. I also don't understand why they make it so hard that a student that has a good grasp on things but low self-confidence is crushed when they fail.

I know that when it comes time for TAKS my kids will be ready, but right now I'm doing damage control. Right before Christmas that stinks.