Okay, I know I need to stop posting about the upcoming MSAs (Maryland School Assessents), but I just can’t help myself. There’s just too much ridiculosity (can I make up a word?) This, for example, was put out by area middle school before spring break:
We know the transition back to work will be an abrupt one for our students – as it will be for school staff, as well! But we also know our kids have worked hard this year, learned a lot, and prepared effectively for MSA success. Please send them back to us well-rested and ready to show their stuff!
One way we hope to smooth the reentry to testing is by offering incentives to kids who stay focused and work hard to do their best. Each day, students will follow a rubric for success that includes such good behaviors as arriving on time, paying attention and going back to check answers. When students demonstrate their best effort, they will have their names entered into daily drawings for incentives that include McDonald’s gift cards; invitations for the student and a friend of his or her choice to a pizza party or a make-your-own-sundae ice cream social; and opportunities to play outside at lunch. Many students will be winners each testing day.
In addition, whole classes can also win daily incentives such as donut parties, the opportunity to eat lunch in our courtyard, tickets to our upcoming musical Annie Junior, and even no homework passes!
On Friday of the first testing week, there will be a drawing for two V.I.P. tickets to the DC United Home Opener on April 5, and on Friday of the second testing week, there will be a drawing for several iPod Shuffles for each grade level.
To qualify for these incentives, all students need to do is be on time, stay on task, check their work and do their best!
iPod shuffles? Gee, nothing like a little bribery. Pizza, donuts, ice cream and MickeyD.? Good work on that adolescent obesity problem.
And then there’s this: a link to a MSA song on YouTube allegedly performed by an MPCS teacher that’s been played in classrooms and on P.A. systems around the county. I guess it’s the whiff of desperation that gets me, the feeling that the whole education system is being warped … and not in a good way.
Oh. My. Goodness. I think if anyone wants to know why we homeschool I will point them to that video and rest my case!
They sure do work hard to motivate these kids for these tests don’t they?
Warped is right…
ok, that video was just plain pitiful. And those “prizes”?! Now we are rewarding kids for basic appropriate behavior at school? Sad, really sad. Here in WA (where we have the horrid “WASL”) the kids get gum and water. And my son’s teacher requested healthy snacks, which I’m more than happy to send in. But ipods? And McD’s gift cards? Crazy. I’m thinking Montgomery county could lower their taxes a bit because clearly they have money to burn.
BTW, the PTSA at this school donated $800 dollars for snacks during the testing period….not sure where the prizes come from.
We’re in a different state but I saw much of this in my daughter’s school this year too. Also, an assembly with the high school cheerleaders cheering about the state tests… what’s up with that?
Yesterday C. told me that the principal and vice principal were calling in small groups of kids to talk about the importance of the MSA. She and her friend thought they were in trouble for something because all the “bad” kids in her group. She also mentioned to my husband that the principal told her that she had received one of the highest reading scores in the county last year. Really? Same kid who was rejected by the communications arts magnets? I wonder why he told her that….
This post is included in this week’s 166th Carnival of Education at http://www.teachforever.com/2008/03/166th-carnival-of-education-testing.html
Check out the rest of the posts…
[...] two and a half years of blogging, it’s practically a tradition! Yes, it’s time for my annual post (or two or three…) about the kick-off of Maryland School Assessment (MSA) prep season. And [...]