Standardized state testing to begin
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by MELODY YU
End of the year assessments in various subjects will begin next week.
Students in Advanced Placement courses are scheduled for exams according to the national calendar from May 2-6 and May 9-13.
Juniors will take the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) which will assess students’ skill on subjects such as general English, algebra and geometry, and is composed of three parts: a computerized test, an activity and a performance task. Though practice testing for the SBAC began in March, the official assessment will commence for all juniors May 18 and continue until May 27.
Students in Advanced Placement courses are scheduled for exams according to the national calendar from May 2-6 and May 9-13.
“Since we only started using computers for the SBAC two years ago, we wanted them to get more practice so that the students would get used to them and feel more confident,” said Edelmira Sandate, college counselor.
Students who take the SBAC will receive results listed as: met, conditional, or not met the tested standards. The results will be used by the CSU system to determine whether the student is qualified to bypass the college placement tests.
“The test is like a report card to the teacher and the school,” said Academic Specialist, Denise Quan. “The students’ results tell the administration what areas the students are excelling or struggling at, and what areas the teachers will have to provide more support in.”
In addition to these exams, all sophomores will take the science portion of the California Standards Test (CST) in their world history classes from May 16-20.
In order to do their best, students can plan ahead. “Try to get enough sleep and focus on the things your teachers taught you during the year,” said Quan. “This test is a reflection of what you know and it’s a reflection of our school. Just do your best.”
To accommodate the testing schedule, block scheduling will be implemented during the exam weeks. Dates for block schedule include May 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26 and June 1 and 2. No collaboration schedule will be observed during testing.