10 school question!!!1 point for each answer!!!?

Question

Please answer the question in the order they appear!!

(1) Do colleges care about your elementary and middle school grades and Taks scores?

(2) What is a good GPA in a weighted and unweighted scales?

(3) Do colleges care about your Taks scores?

(4) What is a good SAT,SATll, and ACT scores?

(5) If you don't pass a taks test in any grade...does that mean you wont go to a good college?

(6) What are the most important Taks scores? What grade?

(7) What taks test to you take in grade 3-11? What taks test to you take for each year?

(8) What is a good study book for SAT and ACT test?

(9) Do you think Taks test are easy or hard? Do the teachers have the fault for not passing taks test?

(10) What was your taks test score and SAT's and still manage to get into a good college?

Bonus (5 points): Is there any website that I can go to see my previous taks score from elementry to high school?

Thank you---Points will be given by July 1 if not by July 2!!

Answer 1

(1) Nope, unless you tell them on your resume, they will only know your grades in high school, 9-12. I'm not exactly sure what a Taks score is.

(2) It depends on what classes you take. Generally a good GPA is above 3.0. A great GPA is above 3.5. Unless you take a ton of APs and your GPA is not weighted unweighted and weighted GPAs are very close to each other. Maybe a tenth of a point off at most.

(3) Once again I do not know what a Taks score is. Since I have never heard of it, my guess is no. They generally care about grades, toughness of schedule, extra curriculars, SAT, ACT, etc.

(4)  It all depends on you, and whether or not the SAT or ACT have written components. Generally a score in the 20s is good for the ACT and a score in the 600s or 700s is good for the SATII.  The SAT all depends on whether you take the written component and your strength as a student, so it's hard to determine what is good for you.

(5) Once again, I have never heard of a Taks.

(6) I don't know what a Taks is.

(7) I have no idea.

(8) The college board makes some good ones. Those are generally reputable and you can find them at any Barnes and Noble.

(9) I do not know.

(10) I haven't taken the real SAT, just PSATs as I am a sophomore and I have no idea what a Taks is (in case you hadn't figured that out yet). I did however take a practice ACT, scored a 29 and on the PSAT I got a 195.

Bonus (5 points): No idea.

Answer 2

First, I apologize if I have not answered each item but, colleges are more concerned with what a person does in high school and in college prep work than in the earlier grades.  I am certain that some very elite colleges may review such information, but, I doubt if it has much influence when applying to the top schools.  [Elite schools differ from the top schools.]

(1), (3)

Most universities do not bother with TAKS scores.  That is a Texas test.  Iowa, for example, bases entrants on the ITBS (the Iowa Test of Basic Skills) and such is not comparable to the TAKS.  It depends upon the school and where it is located.

(2)

A good high school GPA, on a 4.00 scale, should be at 3.89 or above.  Colleges want the weighted GPA to reflect your class rank, as well as the relative rigor of your high school course load.  But they will not use this weighted GPA in comparing you with other applicants.

"Most colleges will use the unweighted GPA as the best reflection of your high school performance. As they say, “an A is an A.” But a B in an Advanced Placement course does not mean that you somehow really got an A in that course…you still did B work, according to your teacher. So while the weighted GPA will reflect the relative rigor of your high school coursework, the unweighted GPA reflects your actual performance in those courses."  (http://greatcollegeadvice.com/?p=123)

(4)

Standardized test scores (for 2007 freshman) are as follows (from the University of Chicago):  The majority of the entering freshman class of 2007 had the following scores:

SAT verbal scores over 600

SAT math scores over 600

ACT scores over 24

(5)  No.

(6)  One should score very high but I do not believe that any one type of TAKS score is any more important than another.  The tests inform the state if any particular school is doing its job, i.e., at what level are the students reading, at what level are they doing math, and at what level are they writing and thinking.  It is a composite test.

(7)  Check out this website:  http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.asses...

(8)  There are many study guides.  Presently there exist many online sources, i.e., interactive websites (that charge a fee) to prepare for the tests.  Given that the tests are online, that would be the best approach.  The books may help revive forgotten techniques and information and also assist in reducing test anxiety.  (Take each test more than once.  Your academic life is not tied to taking a test a single time.  When asked where you wish to send the first scores, send them to the University of Mexico or some such place.  Get some test experience.  It will help.)

BOOKS:  (there are many others just as good):

The Official SAT Study Guide (Paperback)

The Real ACT Prep Guide: The Only Official Prep Guide From The Makers Of The ACT (Real Act Prep Guide Series)

(9)  Each person differs as regards the difficulty of the test. No, the teachers are not at fault.  Each student learns at a different rate.  While teachers attempt to assist each student it is sometimes difficult to know exactly how the student is learning or what talents or problems he/she is experiencing.  Especially in this climate of large classes no one teacher can meet the challenges presented by a wide variety of student needs.  It is impossible.  Until such time that the USA fully commits to education, such will be the case.

(10) I did not take TAKS I took the ITBS and I performed at or above the 95% level on all sections for all years.  I think I had a SAT score of 1200 and an ACT score of 21.

It is important that one study, obtain good grades and learn how to perform on standardized tests.  However, find something (academic) in which you are interested.  If you do well at it, you will likely be accepted at any school to which you apply.  Work with a good high school teacher during your high school period.  Someone who knows how to assist you in that in which you are interested, e.g., Physics, Chem, Math, Medicine, Social Science, Statistics, Engineering, etc.  And go from there.  You will be surprised at how easy it is.

Finally -- If you are under the age of majority your parents may request those earlier test scores from either the school or the state board of education.  [If they have not been destroyed.]

Answer 3

1.  Colleges look mostly at your junior and senior year grades, your TAKS scores (somewhat), your SAT and ACT scores.

2. A good GPA is one that puts you in the top 10% of your class.

3.  Colleges think the TAKS is not rigorous (difficult) enough.  So, if you did poorly, they are going to see that as a good indication that you cannot do well on even a basic test.  However, if you do well, it won't count for much.

4.  Go to the SAT and ACT website.  They have a breakdown of scores for you.

5.  No.

6.  Your exit level TAKS are your most important tests.

7.  3rd grade-reading and math (must pass both to advance); 4th grade-reading, writing, math; 5th grade-reading, math, science (must pass reading and math to advance); 6th grade-reading and math.  The others can be found on the Texas Education Agency Website.

8.  ???

9. TAKS tests are basic skills tests.  They can be tricky, but are easy in the fact that you can reason out the answers.  They are WAAAAAYYYYY easier than tests from other states.  

The blame for the inability to pass the TAKS test lies mostly with the teacher (I teach in Texas and am moved from class to class depending on which class is having problems with the TAKS.  I help students to pass tests even when they have not been able to do so before.)

However, if you are not raising a fuss about needing help, you're not doing your job.  You should raise your hand and ask many questions.  If someone objects, tell them you'll ask as many questions as it takes for you to understand.  (And if you're not paying attention in class, don't expect the teacher to want to stay and spend extra time with you when you won't help yourself.

10.  We didn't have TAKS when I went to school, but my SAT's were very high.

***There is no website to find past scores; your school will have all past scores and the details in your cumulative folder.  By law, they must let your parent (or you if your 18) look at the contents of the folder if you request to do so.  

Some schools also have a scanning program that contains all of your TAKS scores and benchmarks from the past.