Thursday, January 22, 2009

Prior Planning Prevents Pretty Poor Performance

Today we teachers gathered in the library for our annual briefing on how to conduct the High School Exit Exam. You can imagine what a treat such meetings are for all concerned. If I ever go to one where every word on every PowerPoint slide is not read to me, I'll be sure to rush home and write a blog post about it. Don't hold your breath.

California has available a workbook students can get in order to practice for this test--a test given to sophomores, which covers up to 8th grade math and up to 10th grade English, and we give out practice workbooks for it. Anyway, our district ordered the workbooks, and they're scheduled to arrive in April.

We administer the test the first week of February.

8 comments:

Ellen K said...

We've been wondering where our typical training session has gone. We have testing, but nobody's dared mention it. I am puzzled. I have no doubt training will be scheduled at the most inconvenient time. And probably right before we leave for Spring Break or have grades due.

Anonymous said...

Think about the money our state would save if we put a 2 or 3 year hold on the CAHSEE - the reproduction costs, the workbooks, the study sessions. Wow, that would sure save a bundle, don't you think?

Darren said...

I doubt it would put a dent at all in our deficit.

KauaiMark said...

Planning prevented bad results?

Shouldn't the title be "Prior Planning Portends Pretty Poor Performance"?

...just quibbling :)

DADvocate said...

Ah, the joys of bureaucracy!

BTW - the use and misuse of PowerPoint is sometimes hilarious but usually just boring.

Darren said...

Prior planning *does* prevent poor performance. No one seems to have planned, so we get poor performance our school, district, or state officials in this case.

Anonymous said...

“If I ever go to one where every word on every PowerPoint slide is not read to me, I'll be sure to rush home and write a blog post about it. Don't hold your breath.”

Come on Darren, are you sure everyone you teach with can read the English language? :)

Tom DeRosa said...

I sympathize about awful PowerPoint presentations. It reminds me of this video:

How NOT to use PowerPoint.