A Question for our American Friends

[Dr.Seeker]

OK, so in the UK we have a LONG series of Exams from age 5 to like 19.

Age Exam
5-10 SATs
15/16 GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Eduction)
17/18 AS levels (Advanced Level)
18/19 A levels (Advanced Level)

Anyhoo Ive always been curious about what tests you Americans have, so would you mind enlightening me?

Thanks.

 

[The Mom]

It varies from state to state, school system to school system.

The public schools in Florida have state testing from 3rd grade on; private schools do not have to participate as long as they are accredited by the state, and their students take some form of recognized testing. My son's school uses the Stanford Achievement Tests, but they switch over to a different test in 5th grade; around age 11. (I would have to look up the name, as this is the first year he's taken it). It's used by private schools nationally.

Most secondary school students start taking the PSATS/SATS and/or ACTS in their sophmore or junior years as most colleges/universities require them, along with a transcript.

Many states do not have standardized tests that students have to pass in order to progress on to the next level, and many colleges don't require admission testing.

 

[Spectro shire]

tests :lookaroun i hate state testing. die testing die. you brits have it bad

 

[stitch rocks]

i think in CA u take the SAT until u graduate high school (it's been a while). then some time in ur junior year of hs u take the psats then u take ur SAT's for college. then if u choose theres the another test for college that u can take then theres a bunch of placement tests for college... i glad i'm in college now... no more SAT's!!!!!! :sohappy: :sohappy: :sohappy:

 

[cloudboy]

Some states have tests they give their students, with varying degrees of importance, for instance in Massachusetts, we now have tests which students need to pass to graduate. How successful this has turned out to be is a really, really big debate right now - most people I have talked to think if anything it has gotten worse. But I guess that is a political debate.

In any case, those tests only really mean something for the diploma. To get into college you have to pass the SAT (or there is one other one that some southern states use, too). Your scores on that are what make a difference what college you can attend. The colleges aren't too concerned with the other tests - in fact from what I have seen they aren't too crazy about them because too much time is spent memorizing things for the tests instead of learning how to learn.

While we are on the subject, how are schools divided over there? Over here we have public schools (government funded) and private (pay yourself). In most cases at 5 you enter kindergarden, then elemntary is through grade 5, middle school is grades 6 through 8, and high school is grade 9 through 12. Most kids graduate t 18 then turn around and attend a 4 year college or university for a bachelors.

 

[stitch rocks]

man i'm glad we don't have to pass a test in order to graduate from high school. we did have that here in CA but for some reason alot of ppl wern't passing it so it was banished. now everyone has to do a senior project. 10 page research project and a 7-10 minute speach in order to pass.

 

[mkt]

in High School I took the HSCT and was in the first year of FCAT's for graduation (passing one or the other was required to graduate), took the SAT's and ACT's to get into University, and once there I CLEP'd out of several classes. Now I'm at a junction in life, LSAT or study what I want to study....

 

[imagineer99]

In Virginia, kids MUST pass the SOL (Standards of Learning) in High School. For University recognition, the SAT or ACT are pretty standard.

 

[Dr.Seeker]

Wow, you lot are lucky! Ive just taken my GCSEs. I took exams in Art, English, French, German, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Business Studies, Religious Education, Media Studies and Maths. I get my results mid-August. Argh!

 

[cindrelly31]

In Michigan students are required to take the Michigan Education Assessed Placement (MEAP) Test in grades 3 (8-9yr old),7 (12-13yr old), and 10 (15-16yr old) they students take 2 sections. In grades 4 (9-10yr old), 8 (13-14 yr old), and 11 (16-17yr old) they take 2 different sections. It is not required to pass the grade, but to let the state know what districts are producing "better" students for some kind of purpose.

To pass from grade to grade in elementary school you need to have more "satisfactories" on the report card than "unsatisfactories". In Middle School (or Junior High in some districts) and High School you need a grade of "D" or better to pass the class or a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 1.0 (out of 4.0) or better to pass the grade. Sometimes I think we have it too easy here, but I am not complaining. Sometimes easy is nice, but not necessarily better.

 

[tigsmom]

In Michigan students are required to take the Michigan Education Assessed Placement (MEAP) Test in grades 3 (8-9yr old),7 (12-13yr old), and 10 (15-16yr old) they students take 2 sections. In grades 4 (9-10yr old), 8 (13-14 yr old), and 11 (16-17yr old) they take 2 different sections. It is not required to pass the grade, but to let the state know what districts are producing "better" students for some kind of purpose.

To pass from grade to grade in elementary school you need to have more "satisfactories" on the report card than "unsatisfactories". In Middle School (or Junior High in some districts) and High School you need a grade of "D" or better to pass the class or a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 1.0 (out of 4.0) or better to pass the grade. Sometimes I think we have it too easy here, but I am not complaining. Sometimes easy is nice, but not necessarily better.

We basically have the same system in NY, though the tests have different names.Standardized testing is given on the same schedule as Michigan.

Each year you have to pass a final exam in each course taken. Here in NY we have Regents Exams...state wide standardized tests that must be passed to successfully complete the course, fail the exam & you fail the course even if you have an A (100%) average. Some of these must be passed to graduate from High School. (even the Special Ed kids have to pass these...a new rule that has caused quite an uproar, because some of these kids will never be able to .) There are non Regents classes also, but they cannot be taken until Junior (third year HS) year.

 

[disney_nutter]

OK, so in the UK we have a LONG series of Exams from age 5 to like 19.

Age Exam
5-10 SATs
15/16 GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Eduction)
17/18 AS levels (Advanced Level)
18/19 A levels (Advanced Level)

Anyhoo Ive always been curious about what tests you Americans have, so would you mind enlightening me?

Thanks.

i did all of them and boy were they a pain in the butt and are own al has just finshed his gcses a few weeks ago.

 

[FigmentJedi]

In the Midwest, K-8th graders have to take the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, or ITBS, which tests skills in math, reading,spelling and grammar, and science.

 

[tigsmom]

In the Midwest, K-8th graders have to take the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, or ITBS, which tests skills in math, reading,spelling and grammar, and science.

Here we have the COGATS...basically the same thing. :wave:

 

[Debbie]

Here in Louisiana, Iowa tests are given in all grades except grades 1,4, and 8. This basically gives the Louisiana Board of Education an overview of how schools are performing. In grades 4 and 8, a student must pass with a Basic score, otherwise they are held back to repeat the grade. It doesn't matter if the student is a straight 'A' student, this test is the deciding factor. In grade 10, students take the Graduation Exit Exam, and have to score basic in this also in order to graduate. The Leap tests here have been met with alot of scepticsism (sp?) due to the fact that alot of students wind up two and three grades behind. The chances of a young person remaining in high school until age 21 are null. Last year, a girl from New Orleans was due to graduate Valedictorian and could not pass the GEE. This is what the BESE is trying to eliminate and with this testing; focus on low performing schools. This is topped off with Bush's 'No child left behind' law. New Orleans schools are the lowest of the low when it comes to education. Families have no choice but to send their children to parochial schools. This is why my parish is growing so fast along with St. Tammany parish; the schools are top rated.

 

[Figment1986]

Thats the same with FCAT... (Florida Columative Assesment Test (I think...))

You take tests and you dont pass... you get heled back. Last School year... (03-04) was the first year that 3rd graders took reading... (I took the first 4th grade test.... I hated it and hated it sence. Now i just have to take SAT for college and then almsot no Standardised Tests....

(I'm glad i do not live in U.K with those tests....)

 

[MichRX7]

In the Midwest, K-8th graders have to take the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, or ITBS, which tests skills in math, reading,spelling and grammar, and science.

Did you say that test was named ITBS or ITsBS :lol:

 

[Mr Bill]

Florida is evil with Standardized Tests. Every single year. Next year is my last year of FCAT though. I just have to finish that, another PSAT, and the SAT and I'm done. The worst part is the Science area. The eigth grade science test was mostly things we learned in sixth grade and hardly remembered. Plate Tectonics =/= Biology

 

[Spectro shire]

this thread makes Rhody sound actually good. anyway 8th, 10th and 12th i think we have standardized testing and obviously PSAT and SAT.

 

[Dr.Seeker]

Kool thanx. Im really envious of you guys!