If you want to boost your home value, boost your school's API. To boost your school's API, you should start preparing your kids for the California STAR tests. Actually, the 2011-2012 school year testing has already been completed in Cupertino Union School District, so it may already be too late for this academic year. You can always prepare your kids for next year.
What kind of questions are in the STAR test? The questions in the STAR test are actually very good questions to test kids' intuition and underlying understanding of the subject matter. A student with a deeper understanding of the underlying concept will score better than a student who relies on rote memory. For example, for 2nd graders, a sample question is:
3 + 2 + 4 = 3 + 4 + [ ]
A student who relies on rote memory and doesn't understand the underlying concept might spend the time to add up the numbers on the left hand side then subtract the numbers on the right hand side. However, a student who understand the concept better will see right away that the numbers are the same, except for the order, and will quickly know the correct answer.
The reading comprehension section might ask the child to read two separate stories and ask questions that test whether the child really understands the similarities and differences between the two stories.
Overall, the questions seem to have been chosen wisely by the state to test childrens' mental sharpness. On a humorous note, some of the questions are obviously old because they are outdated. For example:
If you want to find out where New York is, you should look in
a) a dictionary
b) a thesaurus
c) an atlas
d) a storybook
The correct answer is missing. Even little 2nd graders know these days that the correct answer should be:
e) Go to Google or Yahoo maps and type in "New York"
Showing posts with label Math. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Math. Show all posts
Saturday, May 5, 2012
STAR testing for Cupertino Union School District's Eisenhower Elementary 2nd graders
If you are wondering why a bunch of 7 year old kids in Santa Clara near the Cupertino border look to have a sense of relief, it's because Cupertino Union School District's Eisenhower Elementary 2nd graders just completed their STAR tests this past week.
Each spring, all students in California from grades two through eleven take the state's Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) exams, a battery of standardized tests.
The California STAR Program looks at how well schools and students are performing. Based on STAR tests and the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE), California assigns an Academic Performance Index (API) rating and growth target to each school and district. Ratings range from 200 to 1000, with a goal of 800 API for all schools statewide.
The STAR Program includes four tests: the California Standards Tests, the California Modified Assessment, the California Alternate Performance Assessment, and the Standards-based Tests in Spanish.
The STAR program used to include the California Achievement Test, Sixth Edition Survey (CAT/6), but this test was eliminated in the 2008-2009 school year.
The test taken by the majority of students is the California Standards Tests (CST).
In 2nd grade through 11th grade, the CST covers English-language arts. In 2nd grade through 7th grade, the test also covers math.
Additional tests are added at various grade levels. The CST adds a history-social science test for 8th grade, 10th grade and 11th grade. The CST adds a science test for 5th grade, 8th grade, and 10th grade. The CST also adds a math and science test for students in 9th, 10th, and 11th grade. The test they take depends on which math and science course they are enrolled in that school year, such as algebra, geometry, physics, or chemistry.
The STAR - CalEdFacts page provides a more detailed overview of the program.
For more information, you can also visit California Department of Education Testing and Accountability.
Each spring, all students in California from grades two through eleven take the state's Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) exams, a battery of standardized tests.
The California STAR Program looks at how well schools and students are performing. Based on STAR tests and the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE), California assigns an Academic Performance Index (API) rating and growth target to each school and district. Ratings range from 200 to 1000, with a goal of 800 API for all schools statewide.
The STAR Program includes four tests: the California Standards Tests, the California Modified Assessment, the California Alternate Performance Assessment, and the Standards-based Tests in Spanish.
The STAR program used to include the California Achievement Test, Sixth Edition Survey (CAT/6), but this test was eliminated in the 2008-2009 school year.
The test taken by the majority of students is the California Standards Tests (CST).
In 2nd grade through 11th grade, the CST covers English-language arts. In 2nd grade through 7th grade, the test also covers math.
Additional tests are added at various grade levels. The CST adds a history-social science test for 8th grade, 10th grade and 11th grade. The CST adds a science test for 5th grade, 8th grade, and 10th grade. The CST also adds a math and science test for students in 9th, 10th, and 11th grade. The test they take depends on which math and science course they are enrolled in that school year, such as algebra, geometry, physics, or chemistry.
The STAR - CalEdFacts page provides a more detailed overview of the program.
For more information, you can also visit California Department of Education Testing and Accountability.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Cupertino Lynbrook High School Math Curriculum
Many parents like to buy homes in neighborhoods that will get their kids into the top schools. One such neighborhood is the Lynbrook High School neighborhood. Lynbrook High is one of the top high schools in the state.
What can your child expect at Lynbrook High as far as math curriculum?
After holding multiple open houses in the Lynbrook High neighborhood, I took the opportunity to speak to some of the parents about what their kids actually learn while in Lynbrook High. Since math is a subject which builds upon itself from stage to stage, this is the most important subject to plan. The sequence of math classes in Lynbrook High is as follows:
8th Grade: Geometry
Freshman Year: Algebra2 & Trigonometry
Sophomore Year: Pre-Calculus
Junior Year: AP Calculus
I don't know yet what comes in Senior Year. I'll have speak to some parents who happen to have a child in their Senior Year.
Is it true that the only way for students at Lynbrook to keep up with their peers is to use a private tutor? I don't know whether it's the ONLY way, but I can tell you from my discussions with Lynbrook parents that indeed it is common to have outside tutoring. Why is this so? Because other students gain extra knowledge through outside tutors, your child may need one just to keep up. Some of the Lynbrook teachers know that their students are getting outside tutoring thus make up very challenging exams. Some kids who listen in class and do well on the quizzes, but find that the exams test much more challenging concepts than were on the quizzes.
By the way, two topics that I am very good at are real estate and math. I've been interested in real estate ever since I was little 3rd grader and heard the story of one of our neighbors who was set for life because he bought many homes during the Great Depression. As a 3rd grader I started saving money for a down payment by saving the money my father gave me for getting all A's on my report card. With math, I was naturally good at it. I competed against the smartest kids in my state and came out on top as NH State Math Champion my senior year in high school. As you probably guessed, I got an 800 on my GRE Math.
If you are interested in buying or selling a house in one of the good school districts, I can take care of your real estate transaction and also tutor your kids in math.
What can your child expect at Lynbrook High as far as math curriculum?
After holding multiple open houses in the Lynbrook High neighborhood, I took the opportunity to speak to some of the parents about what their kids actually learn while in Lynbrook High. Since math is a subject which builds upon itself from stage to stage, this is the most important subject to plan. The sequence of math classes in Lynbrook High is as follows:
8th Grade: Geometry
Freshman Year: Algebra2 & Trigonometry
Sophomore Year: Pre-Calculus
Junior Year: AP Calculus
I don't know yet what comes in Senior Year. I'll have speak to some parents who happen to have a child in their Senior Year.
Is it true that the only way for students at Lynbrook to keep up with their peers is to use a private tutor? I don't know whether it's the ONLY way, but I can tell you from my discussions with Lynbrook parents that indeed it is common to have outside tutoring. Why is this so? Because other students gain extra knowledge through outside tutors, your child may need one just to keep up. Some of the Lynbrook teachers know that their students are getting outside tutoring thus make up very challenging exams. Some kids who listen in class and do well on the quizzes, but find that the exams test much more challenging concepts than were on the quizzes.
By the way, two topics that I am very good at are real estate and math. I've been interested in real estate ever since I was little 3rd grader and heard the story of one of our neighbors who was set for life because he bought many homes during the Great Depression. As a 3rd grader I started saving money for a down payment by saving the money my father gave me for getting all A's on my report card. With math, I was naturally good at it. I competed against the smartest kids in my state and came out on top as NH State Math Champion my senior year in high school. As you probably guessed, I got an 800 on my GRE Math.
If you are interested in buying or selling a house in one of the good school districts, I can take care of your real estate transaction and also tutor your kids in math.
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