Some NCLB first grade test questions....

[devilgrrl]

Grammar - Phonics....

1. My cat drinks from a _________.
This sentence needs
A. a verb (action word).
B. a noun (naming word).
C. an adjective (describing word).

2. My birthday will be in june.
Which word needs a capital letter?
A. birthday
B. will
C. june

3. The _______ are hungry.
This sentence needs
A. a period ( . ).
B. an action word (verb).
C. a naming word (noun).

4. Which is correct?
A. cats like to drink water.
B. Cats like to drink water.
C. CATS like to drink water.

====================

Reading

Colors by Denise Stallcup
Red is
big smiles,
stop lights,
cherries,
my bike.

Black is
my skin,
my cat,
my father's hat.

Blue is
oceans,
spring skies,
blueberry pies.

Green is
things
that grow,
the light
for "Go!"

Colors fit For a queen,
Red and black,
Blue and green.

Copyright 2001 Measured Progress

1. This piece of writing is about
A. the colors of things.
B. things a boy owns.
C. what colors a queen wears.

=============

:wtf:

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. you mean to say, 1st grade teachers can't pass this test?

[pnwmom]

38. These questions are supposed to be for first graders, not their teachers.

And they are ridiculously inappropriate.

[roody]

49. A few of them can.

[electropop]

2. No Child Left Unharmed

is destroying the future of America. They've perfected a way to dumb down our children and disable all critical thinking.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. leave no childs behind.

[electropop]

11. I know the Bush "bizarro world" acronym,

I think mine is more accurate though.

You know some of the Bush regime oxymorons:

"Healthy Forests Initiative"
"Clear Skies Initiative"
"Peace Through War"
"Freedom is slavery"

[Thothmes]

60. The States can tell the Feds to take NCLB and

shove it. All they have to do is be willing to loose federal aid. But the states have become so addicted to sucking off of the Federal money nipple that they do not have the will to wean themselves off of the dictates from Washington. Don't want NCLB, not problem, break out your check book and make up for the loss of Federal money. If people are not willing to do that, they deserve whatever the Feds force you to do. JMO.

[devilgrrl]

3. 5th Grade civics...

1. The government of the United States guarantees citizens certain rights and offers certain privileges.
Which of these is the BEST example of a privilege that the government offers?
A. getting a driver's license
B. going to college
C. having a job
D. owning a home

2. Why is democracy referred to as self-government?
A. The government runs itself.
B. People pay for the government themselves.
C. People choose representatives who make decisions.
D. The citizens are free to do whatever they want.

3. There are governments in the United States at the local, state, and national levels. The elected officials in these governments are MOST directly responsible to the
A. president.
B. legislature.
C. people.
D. courts.

4. Citizen participation is an important part of self-government.
Which of the following is an example of citizen participation in government?
A. attending a school
B. driving a car
C. owning a business
D. running for elected office

5. Which of the following is a basic responsibility of citizens living in the United States?
A. getting a driver's license
B. earning as much money as possible
C. paying income taxes
D. running for political office

[devilgrrl]

7. 5th Grade CORE SKILLS 1

1. As a result of Abraham Lincoln being elected president in November, 1860, six states seceded from the Union. By the time of his inauguration in March of 1861, five more states had seceded. In his inaugural address on March 4, 1861,

Lincoln said, “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.”

What does this statement say about Lincoln's purpose?
A. Lincoln did not plan on forcing the southern states back into the Union.
B. Lincoln planned to end slavery.
C. Lincoln did not plan on interfering with slavery where it was already allowed.
D. Lincoln planned to continue slavery.


2. In the 1950s and 1960s, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others led nonviolent protests, like marches to gain civil rights for African Americans.

How did protesting help African Americans gain their civil rights?
A. Army soldiers protected civil rights protestors from violence.
B. Civil rights protestors collected money to help fight discrimination.
C. Protesters sought to bring people together to solve differences.
D. Congress passed a law forbidding civil rights protestors to use violence.


3. Monroe Elementary School, in Topeka, Kansas, played an important role in the landmark Supreme Court case, Brown vs. Board of Education.

How did the Brown vs. Board of Education decision affect the Civil Rights movement?
A. It led to more limits on the rights of African Americans.
B. It led to the integration of public schools.
C. It led to the removal of African Americans from public schools.
D. It led to the continuation of segregated public schools.


4. These are important periods in United States history.

What is the correct order of these periods?
1. New Deal
2. Great Depression
3. Roaring Twenties

A. 3, 2, 1
B. 2, 3, 1
C. 2, 1, 3
D. 1, 2, 3

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

17. Is is true that states can opt out of NCLB and forgo the federal

funds ? Or that cities/towns can ?

This came up in connection with our town's BOE budget recently.

[proud2BlibKansan]

55. Yes that's true

My district is considering it.

[dsc]

34. I have serious problems with two of these questions

the one on civil rights marches appears to have no correct answer. Question 5, only has a correct answer if you either refer to the start of or end of each event. The GD and ND overlapped.

[shain from kane]

10. Number 5 --- there was no individual income tax until 1913. So, I don't see it as a basic

responsibility if it wasn't here at the beginning.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

16. Hence the stupidity of these questions.

[JDPriestly]

27. So -- getting a driver's license is referred to as a privilege,

but it isn't granted by the U.S. government. It is granted by state governments.

I'm embarrassed by this question, because I don't see a correct answer among the possible answers.

I believe that owning a house or going to college are also the privileges if you want to call them that. But owning property is a constitutional right -- personal property can be taken only after due process and just compensation. Further, to the extent owning or building a house is a privilege, it is given by state and local government. The permit for building a house, the granting and recording of deeds are governed by local law, even if private national organizations may set standards applied at the local level.

I don't know of any colleges or universities run by the U.S. government. I suppose receiving a federally insured loan for the purchase of a house or obtaining an education is a privilege granted by the U.S. government, but that seems kind of far-fetched to me.

Being able to get a job???? Being able to practice certain professions or run certain businesses is a government granted privilege. But again, I believe the privilege is granted at the level of state and local government.

The privilege of practicing law in federal courts is certainly granted by the U.S. government. I'm sure there are other similar examples. Broadcast licenses are privileges of the U.S. government. But somehow the question seems to refer more generally to having any kind of job.

Did I miss something in my government class? Please let me know the correct answer here.

[shain from kane]

30. You do not automatically receive a driver's license. The state ALLOWS you to test for it.

You have the opportunity to test for professional licenses, but they are not provided to every citizen on the moment that you become a citizen.

[JDPriestly]

31. Yes, that is why a driver's license is a privilege and not a right.

[dsc]

35. sorry, you are wrong here

the question only says government, not US government. The drivers' licence answer is spot on.

[JDPriestly]

50. The government of the United States . . . offers certain privileges

The government of the United States guarantees citizens certain rights and offers certain privileges.
Which of these is the BEST example of a privilege that the government offers?

The government is initially defined in the first sentence as "The government of the United States." Since that first sentence is the "topic sentence," It is appropriate and correct to assume that the term "the government" continues to refer to "The government of the United States."

Maybe this question is clear to fifth grade teachers. But, in the absence of other texts or context, a court would understand "the government' in that context to refer to the government of the United States. In a sense, the first sentence defines the terminology used in the rest of the question.

That is a poorly drafted question. There is no right answer.

[hlthe2b]

5. Education for the "is our children learning" crowd....

However, just think what this cohort will produce or become in contrast to many of the "home school" crowd. Geebus, what a crap shoot for parents determined to provide a good education for their chldren.

[spartan61]

6. OMG, I was a 1st grade teacher. There is no way

most first graders could read this, never mind understand what a verb, noun, adjective, etc. is. In fact, there are many first graders who don't even have sight/sound recognition. It's apparent that the person or persons who wrote this test has/have never been in a primary classroom.

[JackBeck]

8. You can thank Neil Bush.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/1/8/125556/7027

[devilgrrl]

9. I don't recall learning of the OP until 4th grade...

it's a set-up for failure, plain and simple.

[hlthe2b]

14. I would bet $$ that Bush* could not pass the 1st grade test...

That would be a sizeable bet $$ (for me, at least).

[T Monk]

12. george bush is a fascist dumb____

[hlthe2b]

22. heh heh

so would the word that begins with F and ends with CK be used as a 1)noun (naming word) or 2) verb (action word)? LOL

[T Monk]

26. object (of scorn)

[devilgrrl]

13. 5th Grade Reading for Information:

Fire Fighters

Fire fighters are always ready for an emergency. When a house is on fire, fire fighters quickly rush to the scene and rescue any people who may be trapped inside. The fire fighters then put the fire out. Fire fighters also help people who have been in car accidents. Fire fighters use special equipment to free people who are trapped in smashed cars.

Fire fighters may also rescue people who have fallen down holes or wells. Fire fighters conduct fire drills to teach people what to do in case there is a fire.

Not all fires occur in houses and buildings. After weeks of hot, dry weather, fires can suddenly break out in very dry forested areas. These fires can spread rapidly and build into raging, roaring infernos.

Fighting a forest fire is quite different from fighting a fire in the city, and the fire fighters have different training.


grrrr, it won't copy and paste....

http://www.benefield.org/Students/07_CRCT%20PREP/5th%20Grade/_667_05_RD_RI_T1.pdf

[leftyclimber]

33. Wait, whoa.

Six-year-olds are supposed to be developmentally ready to understand sentence structure?

This is supposed to be the fifth-grade reading comprehension level and they're also supposed to be able to interpret a quote from Lincoln in nineteenth-century English?

Not to mention that this writing sample is unmitigated shit.

Not to mention that--

Erp.

Ack.

Blork.

:nuke:

(that was my head)

I have to try to do something with these poor little things when they get to college after they've been tormented all through school with this shit.

Why are they doing this to our youth? Whywhywhywhywhywhywhy? :banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:

[lostnfound]

37. Read John Taylor Gatto "Underground History of American Education" and you may find the answer

Dumb them down, torment them, make them feel like idiots and make them assume that their classmates are either "the competition" or "inferior", endlessly rank them..
and you will have a large pool of desparate, dependent, conforming consumers and laborers (particularly clerks).
It's the plan.

[LeftyMom]

47. Yeah, the sentance structure question is just plain bad.

LeftyKid just turned seven, and he's really bright for his age. He knows and can properly identify parts of speech (thank you Schoolhouse Rock.) Without prior practice he wouldn't be able to easily to the two step process of filling in the blank so that the sentence makes sense, and then determining the part of speech of the filled-in word. That wouldn't reflect his understanding of parts of speech, because it's a badly designed and needlessly complex way of asking the question.

It would make more sense to say something like

"The dog climbed on the red firetruck.

Is the underlined word a:

a. noun
b. proper noun
c. verb
d. adverb"

that would still be overkill for six year olds, but at least it's a well-designed question that some of them could reasonably be expected to answer.

[Kerrytravelers]

15. Now picture teaching to a classroom of 3rd graders, most of whom are in foster care and living in a

group home. I've also had students who live in a car, or in a single hotel room with their sevel family members. They are a bit more concerns about when their next meal will be coming. But, I guess they need to just pull themselves up by their bootstraps. :eyes:

As a teacher, I've jumped more NCLB hoops that have basically proved nothing, except that I had to pay for all these "hoops" with my own cash (paying for tests, credentials, etc.)

I get so angry, my blood just boils. :mad:

[YvonneCa]

42. Hang in there...

...Kerrytravelers. Hold onto the job until this thing passes. I taught in a Title I school for many years with a similar student population (5th and 6th grade). I retire in two weeks after being forced to by NCLB.

[bob4460]

18. My kids started school in 1997

all 1 year after the other (I have 3 13,14,15),I KNEW after the first year of NCLB was a failure . ALL the teachers were complaining that they could not teach yet had to train for testing all the time.The curriculum has went way way down,and I do not think that their education was as good as mine ,I had to teach them about civics and the REAL reasons behind some of the wars we have fought. The books now are real bad and they will not assign 1 to each kid or let them bring them home, hence very little homework.I am sad that my kids will get 10 years at least of this NCLB B.S.,I hope that college will be better ,IF i can afford it for the 3 of them.

[devilgrrl]

19. 5th Grade Economics1

1. The westward migration (movement) of settlers during the 1800s greatly affected the lives of Native Americans.
Which statement describes one way in which Native Americans were affected?
A. Native Americans began to hunt buffalo rather than grow crops.
B. Native Americans grew wealthy from trade with white settlers.
C. Native Americans were forced off their land.
D. Native Americans moved away from reservations.

2. Which of the following situations will MOST LIKELY make the price of an item go down?
A. The price of the natural resources needed to make the item increases.
B. The supply of the item is greater than the demand for it.
C. The price of the labor needed to make the item increases.
D. The demand for the item is greater than the supply of the item.

3. The things needed to produce goods and services are called the factors of production. The factors of production include capital (machines), labor, and
A. government decisions.
B. workers' skills.
C. land resources.
D. buyers' needs.

4. During the 1800s, the Industrial Revolution changed America. A major change that happened because of the Industrial Revolution was an increase in goods that were
A. made in factories instead of in small shops and homes.
B. sold in small stores and shops.
C. made in small shops and homes instead of in factories.
D. sold in large stores and businesses.

5. A factory makes 100 cars a day. They sell quickly, and dealers have lists of people wanting to buy the car. The factory owner decides to hire more workers and make 150 cars a day. This is an example of
A. buying and bartering.
B. specialization.
C. supply and demand.
D. mechanization.

[JDPriestly]

29. Good heavens. These are issues appropriate for discussion questions,

not multiple choice. Apparently NCLB is brainwashing children, not teaching them to think. This is downright shameful. The questions and answers are simplistic. The issues they concern are complex. What a waste!!!!!!

[devilgrrl]

20. 5th Grade History 1

1. The following events took place in the twentieth century.
1. Cold War
2. World War II
3. Breakup of the Soviet Union

What is the correct order of these events?
A. 1, 2, 3
B. 3, 2, 1
C. 2, 1, 3
D. 2, 3, 1


2. The United States space exploration that began in the 1960s caused which of these industries to grow rapidly?
A. automobile
B. petroleum
C. computer
D. chemical


3. Harlem is a part of New York City. During the 1920s, it was the site of what was called the Harlem Renaissance. Which phrase best describes the Harlem Renaissance?
A. a revival in African American arts
B. a renewed interest in European art
C. a movement from rural to urban areas
D. a style of architecture found in New York


4. On December 7, 1941, Japanese forces attacked the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor. What was the effect of this attack?
A. It caused riots and unrest in Japan.
B. The surprise attack sank half the British navy.
C. It prompted the United States to enter the war.
D. The damage crippled the United States economy.

5. How was the economy of the South different from that of the North before the Civil War?
A. The South did not import or export many products.
B. Most Southern industries grew at a faster rate.
C. The South had developed a better system of railroads.
D. Much of the Southern agriculture depended on slave labor.

[libnnc]

25. I worked as a graduate assistant last year

at university -- we assisted in a free online history course for high school students (college course and they got dual credit...didn't work for obvious reasons) AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW THAT STUFF...

5TH GRADE????

I'm speechless....

[Regret My New Name]

53. I think that shows the poor state of our high schools more than anything...

I think content in the questions is about right. Back when I was in 5th grade I knew that stuff. Of course I always had an interest in politics, history, economics and whatnot though.


Now, whether or not the testing is the best way to learn is different story. I tend to think there are probably far better methods of teaching... But I'll save that debate for those who have personal experiences or knowledge of teaching.

[angstlessk]

21. Hell, I was reading 'See Jane run. Run Jane, run. See Spot run.

Colors was a word I knew, but I would be damned if I could recognize it written. I then passed the College exam to take Creative Writing my first year. I don't think I could do that exam till maybe the 3rd grade. AND they expect the mentally disabled to pass this SAME test??

[AnneD]

23. Here's one that will blow your mind....

our school is diverse (GOP Translation:lots of 1)kids that are black skinned 2)kids that are brown skinned and speak another language and their moms work as maids and dads as what ever they can 3)poor, all colours 4)foreign born and here legally with their graduate student parents 5)white kids whose parents are Docs, Lawyers, Professors, Businessmen.)

They changed the rules about how a school passes TAKS. It use to be that a certain percent passed and you were acceptable. We had a high number pass and pass with high scores.

They then changed it so that every possible 'sub group' had to pass to be acceptable and every group had to score highly to be recognized. Another words, if we didn't try hard to be a very diverse school-it would be easier for us to be recognized. We have probably the most sub groups in all the district.

It has been an up hill battle to keep our diversity that we love and still do the TAKS thing.

Well, we just got our TAKS preliminary score back.


WE MISSED RECOGNIZED BY ONE STUDENT IN ONE OF OUR MANY GROUPS.....ONE STUDENT!!!!!!

And with this pay for performance shit-that means we get bump kiss when it comes to any decent bonus. Talk about demoralizing. It will be a short time before some students are 'excluded' or denied enrollment.

ONE STUDENT....ONE STUDENT.

[libnnc]

24. We were still learning how to write our names

and (barely) reading See Spot Run in first grade (1976)...

THEY'RE EXPECTED TO KNOW WHAT A FUCKING NOUN IS?

:wtf:

[Midlodemocrat]

28. The first graders I volunteer with could pass that test with flying colors.

Seriously. Our curriculum must be more advanced than most.

And, BabyMidlo could handily pass those fifth grade questions.

[devilgrrl]

36. They may be able to pass but are they learning anything?

Judging from some of the ridiculous questions, I highly doubt it.

[Midlodemocrat]

39. Actually, you would be wrong.

They read fluently and learn quite a lot based on the curriculum. :shrug:

[pnwmom]

41. I think you're kidding yourself. The format of the questions is itself

confusing.

It is possible that a first grader who is a good reader and thinker may be able to tell you that a "bowl" is a name of a thing or a naming word. That doesn't mean that that child would have an easy time coping with that test taking format.

And the question about the poem is nonsense. A poem isn't a fact piece. It can't be reduced to a single meaning, as the question attempts to do.

[Midlodemocrat]

46. Nope, I'm not.

Been in eduation for 30 years. Five kids, including two homeless teens I took in in the 80s.

I think that the beginnings of standardized testing were absurb because of the entire 'teach to the test' deal, but in the last 6-7 years, I've seen only teachers who want their children to truly understand and learn. Not spit things back by rote.

[Regret My New Name]

56. A test is a test...

and nothing more. I think the real important issue is how it's being taught. Obviously if the students are simply being taught to pass the test, then they most likely wouldn't learn anything useful. However, that technically wouldn't be a fault with the tests themselves but rather with the teaching methods. Now, I'm pretty ignorant with how this all works. However, I've always thought the problem was with how they calculate the results and what they do with the results. How it puts the teachers in a situation in which they cannot really teach. Which if true, I think is a major problem and would end up doing more harm than good.

Anyways, I'm not a teacher so I'm just going on my own common sense and what I've heard. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

[blondeatlast]

59. My son just passed 5th grade and did the AZ version, AIMS.

Vouchers are very popular here so the state superintendent tries to pubish the schools with AIMS scores.

It's sad but true--to survive, the schools teach to the test.

I'm really torn about supporting an otherwise excellent public school and helping my son learn to think and problem solve. I'm really quite at a loss.

[pnwmom]

40. Well, I wouldn't. That last question has three correct answers, IMHO,

but they only want one.

I read and write poetry, and it would sicken me to have a poem of mine misused that way.

[proud2BlibKansan]

58. No way

Those questions are not even close to being developmentally appropriate for 7 year olds.

[yewberry]

32. First grade? Not a chance.

First-graders aren't taught grammar, and there's no phonics component here.

1) First graders don't know what a sentence is, forget about a noun, verb, or adjective.

2) Caps aren't taught in first grade. Okay, maybe the sentence starters, but not proper nouns.

3) Hungry? Not a first grade word. Punctuation is also not taught at that level.

4) Same problem. Kids don't know caps.

Reading

Too many words that six-year-olds don't know how to read: lights, cherries, oceans, skies


I've proctored lots of NCLB-mandated tests to first-graders, and they looked nothing like this (K-6 school, Title I). Ours were all 'fill-in-the-circle' vocab and comprehension tests, and nowhere near this difficult.

[pnwmom]

43. Every single state has their own NCLB best.

Some are harder and some are easier, with the only commonality being that we're aiming for an 100% pass rate on all of them.

It's a crazy system.

[electron_blue]

57. My daughter has had assignments like this this year - she's in first grade.

She has done pretty well with it, but she's years ahead in reading.

There are no standardized testing of any first graders in our state, however.

[pnwmom]

44. Thank you, devilgrrl. This is both enlightening and profoundly discouraging.

And it's why my youngest ended up in private school.

[AnotherMother4Peace]

45. Students in mild-moderate sp.ed. classes have to take these tests, & their scores

are factored into the total. They are given more time, individual areas, etc. as modifications: all this does is draw out the cruelty of having to take these "tests". Many of these kids already have esteem problems, without having to take a test that is inappropriate for their cognitive abilities.

[YvonneCa]

48. English Learners too...

...and they are not ready for the vocabulary, even if they did understand the concept.

[roody]

51. The word "achievement" now means test scores,

nothing more, nothing less. I am in a low achieving school. The government is pouring money in to raise our "acheivement. " The money pays for consultants, substitutes so we can get together and plan how to teach the test, and other things dedicated to keeping teachers away from students. We now have a full time coach, an excellent teacher who no longer teaches children.

[Regret My New Name]

52. Green is for Go...

except for on opposite day.

[proud2BlibKansan]

54. My personal favorite from the ITBS when I taught 1st grade 20 years ago:

Is it true you should never eat plants?

Every single kid in my class every year marked "YES". I even tried to teach them right before the test every year that vegetables were plants and much of our food comes from plants. But they always missed this question. Drove me up the wall.