VENT about testing

Specialties School

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Specializes in School Nursing, Ambulatory Care, etc..

Here in the great state of Texas, where no child is left behind :uhoh3:, we have madated testing call TAKS. It is madated that all 3rd and 4th grade students will test (along with several other grades) yesterday and today. I want to say, I don't disagree with standardized tests, I had to pass one myself to get my RN. I do want to say that what schools, districts, and even the state does to these children is ABSOLUTELY UNFAIR TO THE CHILD. There is so much pressure on these 8, 9, and 10 y/o's that I have had them completely broken down in my office. But today, takes the cake. A 3rd grader just showed up in my office, escorted because they can't walk the halls alone today, d/t witnessed vomiting. His temp is 99.0, he just has that "don't feel well" look, and he is now resting on a cot. I was just about to call mom when the school counselor came in and said, "are you sure you don't feel well enough to finish? your test will be scored the way it is and you won't be able to retake it". Now the kid says to me that he feels "bad", but not bad enough to go home. I can't read minds, but i'm thinking this kid needs to go home. He won't now, because he's been guilted into staying. Grrr...

FYI: my plan is to keep him here, recheck his temp and make a decision at that point.

thanks for listening!

s

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Specializes in School Nursing.

OMG I have been dealing with the same thing! (Also in Texas)

I had TWO 3rd graders yesterday with soiling accidents...TWO! So either

a) They are not allowing students to use the bathroom,

b) Students are afraid to ask to use the bathroom, or

c) The stress of this testing is leading to accidents (this is what the teachers claim, they insist that students can use the bathroom whenever they need to)

I am sorry but two 3rd graders having accidents in the same day just screams that there is a problem with this system!

In my first year as a school nurse, I had a student with 102 fever while testing that the teacher/principal strong-armed me into allowing her to finish her exam before dismissing her home. I had only been there a couple months and was still very unsure of myself, my role, etc. and did not have the courage to stand up to them. That incident still haunts me. I am still ashamed that I did not have the guts/knowledge/experience whatever to stand up and advocate for that student. Today, several years later, there is no way in hades I would let an obviously ill student return to take the test!!!! (whew, thanks for letting me get that off my chest!)

Your case is one of those ambiguous ones where there is no black and white answer. :( I know you will make the right decision!

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Specializes in School Nursing.

The test days are more important than all the other days together.:mad: I HATE standardized testing, but at least in Pennsylvania that is how the school is "graded" and the state can take over your school if the students don't do well. The teachers spend tons of time doing practice questions and teaching how to do well on the tests. And this prepares kids for life how???:uhoh3:

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Specializes in School Nursing.

Ugh, I had another related situation. Right before dismissal a 5th grader injured her finger. It had pretty significant swelling right off the bat, and the student said it felt numb and tingly, so I was about to call mom to take her for an x-ray. Mom walked into the office talking to the student's teacher, so I called them over and told them what happened.

As mom was leaving with the student, the teacher addressed the student directly, saying "Susie....I NEED you to be here tomorrow". (Name changed of course) Mom responded, "Oh, she will be back". Teacher addressed the student directly again, "No, I mean I REALLY NEED you to be here tomorrow".

I just standing there thinking, seriously??? Is there really any need for this kind of pressure? Makes me sick. If that kid does have a fracture (it was on her writing hand, natrually), I would not blame mom for keeping her out. How good is she really going to do on that test if she is in pain from trying to write with a fractured finger. Ugh.

Why do we do this to our kids?

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Specializes in Med Office, Home Health, School Nurse.

We had our state standardized tests at the end of March...the kids (3rd-5th) had four days of testing, each morning they did the first section of the day's subject (language arts, math, science or social studies)--the first section was roughly an hour long. Then they got a bathroom and snack break for about 15 minutes, then they go back to do the second section which is also roughly an hour long. I don't have issues with the tests as much as someone people seem to. It's just a matter of finding out how much the child knows and how the school is doing over all. I do have a problem with kids being made to be there when they are sick though. Luckily though, my school is good about doing makeup testing for those who missed.

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Specializes in school nursing.

Most of the time, staff is trying to push me into sending students home for trivial matters UNTIL standardized testing. Then, they do not want even really ill kids to go home! Now that it is all over, they are sending kids in droves. One kid, I have seen 3 times today for a tiny microscopic scratch. Jeez, it's a lose, lose situation with these people! Therefore, my assessment and intervention remains the same every single day - testing or no testing!

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Get this...I was called to a building to assess an injured child, only to be told that the classroom cannot be disturbed because of "testing". YOU CALLED ME!! And no, they would not release the child from the class long enough for me to assess. The 10 minutes it took me to drive to this buildingwas obviously too long!

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Specializes in school nursing.
Get this...I was called to a building to assess an injured child, only to be told that the classroom cannot be disturbed because of "testing". YOU CALLED ME!! And no, they would not release the child from the class long enough for me to assess. The 10 minutes it took me to drive to this buildingwas obviously too long!

What kind of injury? Goodness, one of these days somebody will get burned on that one! Headline news "student with concussion forced to finish state mandated testing.":eek:

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