World Championship Conflict!

[Elizabeth Waters]

We were just looking at the testing dates for the TAKS test this upcoming year. This is a statewide test administered in Texas that all students through grade 11 are required to take. Looking at the dates for the World Championship in St. Louis this year (April 27-30), TAKS testing will occur on April 27-29; I'm concerned that most Texas students will not be able to attend the World Championships as school districts will choose testing over letting the students attend an extracurricular event...

Take a look: http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/studen.../2010-2011.pdf

Anyone see anything different or has anyone heard anything on either end of this discussion??

[Joe Ross]

It was mentioned when the dates were released. There was one workaround in the following thread: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...aks#post956559

[N7UJJ]

The high stakes testing in AZ is called the AIMS. It is little publicized, but there is a second testing day about a week after the main date for those who where absent or otherwise unable to take the test on the scheduled day. Perhaps Texas also has a "make up" test day?

[princessnatalie]

I do remember that last year the same thing happened with our WA State High School Profiency Standards, that all sophomores are required to take. My team didnt go to Championships, but I know people who missed the testing dates and just took them in August. I would assume there is a make up date for most tests like these, as I know there is for APs as well (not that there is a conflict just an example).

[JaneYoung]

I've sent this link to a couple of teachers to see if they have any sound suggestions or advice. This isn't the first time that testing has been scheduled during the Championship event. 418 has worked with the conflict in the past but it requires commitment and an advanced planned effort on the part of the school administrators, our lead teacher, and the students.

Jane

[Bertman]

In the past we have found that there have been a few options. 1. Miss the TAKS and go to the championship. In the past there has always been a make up date available for those students that do not take the test for one reason or another. The school will usually discourage that because it delays them getting there final scores somewhat. 2. miss the championship and take the TAKS. Pretty self explanatory. 3. Take a certified TAKS administrator with you as a chaperon, and make arrangements in advance for a conference room in your hotel so that the students affected can take the test there, missing some of the championship and still being able to do both. You can make a much stronger argument if all the students are passing all there classes. This will involve a lot of footwork well in advance, but it should be doable.
My best argument in the past has been (especially in Texas), if this was the school football team contending for a championship there would be no doubt that they would be not only permitted, but required to attend.
This is, of course, opinion based on past situation but there should be enough lead time to try to work it through.

[Andrew Schuetze]

See the following posts from the thread listed above which brought this topic to light several months ago.
3 option post
3 year conflict post

Life is always a series of choices and best solutions with no one choice or solution being perfect for all.

APS

[Adrienne E.]

We have already sent in our official exemption request to the state office to be allowed to test off site. The restrictions are you must have a way to lock up the tests through out the trip, you must have a certified teacher to administer each test (for example on Thursday there is a 9th, 10th and 11th grade test, so if you have students from all those grades you would need 3 certified teachers with 3 different testing locations), and you have to have a way to ensure your students can not have any communication with students back home until your school has finished with the test. Filing the paperwork is pretty easy, it's the waiting that will be hard. In past years we have filled the paperwork in September and not gotten an answer until January. If anyone needs help with this process please feel free to PM me and I can try to walk you through it better.

[Elizabeth Waters]

Really appreciate all the input. We'll have to see if our team will be able to work it all out (getting 3 separate authorized testing teachers, etc.). Thanks for the redirect to the other forum, as well.

If anyone needs help with this process please feel free to PM me and I can try to walk you through it better.

^We may be taking you up on that offer.

Good luck to all the Texas teams with this issue!

[GaryVoshol]

Is it possible that teams could share exam proctors? For example, Katy would monitor the sophomores, 148 the juniors, and LASA the seniors. That would mean 1 teacher needed per team.

[Elizabeth Waters]

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

Is it possible that teams could share exam proctors? For example, Katy would monitor the sophomores, 148 the juniors, and LASA the seniors. That would mean 1 teacher needed per team.

Something like that would be wonderful, but there are a couple of things to consider:

1. The school districts, I'm sure, would have to approve something like that (which may take even longer processing than it already does, as mentioned in a previous post).

2. Our team isn't even POSITIVE we'll be attending the World Championships at this point. We've gone the past two years because we've qualified through vaious means, but attendance is usually not decided until that point (the point at which we qualify). If we were to not attend but still make this arrangement with the other teams, the teams that attend may be short a proctor.