Testing First, Learning Second

It's time for a rant about testing again.

Fourth grade math is tough.  Kids have to learn double digit multiplication, long division, negative numbers, decimals--conceptually there are many difficult standards to cover during the year.

We've been plugging through the material, and many of my kids have been struggling with double digit multiplication.  Sometimes they forget to regroup (we called it "carrying" in the stone ages), occasionally they forget to multiply the tens place (the second row), and usually they forget to plunk down that zero in the one's place on the second line.  Whatever the problem, they need lots of reteaching and practice.

Double digit multiplication was Chapter 6.  Right now we're doing fractions in Chapter 9.   However, I've been reviewing multiplication continually through every chapter since the sixth.  Anyway, I gave the kids a quiz last week on multiplication.  Ten of the kids failed!  The rest (18) passed with flying colors.

I told the kids who failed that we would review and review, and then they could retake the test and replace their score.  In the meantime, the advanced kids can get extended enrichment lessons.  Then--I looked at our testing calendar.

According to the the school district's testing calendar, we have to administer a quarterly math test in two weeks.  That test will not include double digit multiplication (they were tested on that in November).  They will be tested on geometry, long division, fractions, and decimals.

First--if my kids are struggling with multiplication, do you really think they've mastered long division?
Second--we haven't even started decimals!

Misery loves company, though--the other fourth grade teachers are in the same boat.

But no worries!  We'll cram all of that in next week.  Forget about mastering multiplication.  Don't worry about understanding the concepts.  We'll gloss over the material on decimals and cross our fingers.  Taking the school district's mandated tests is much more important than mastery of the mathematics standards.

Hang on tight--it's going to be a bumpy ride.