Administrators and faculty from schools across the county have
had their chance to educate students and encourage them to do their
best as this year’s round of standardized tests begin in local
schools.
Now it’s up to the students.
Hollister – Administrators and faculty from schools across the county have had their chance to educate students and encourage them to do their best as this year’s round of standardized tests begin in local schools.
Now it’s up to the students.
Each year second through 11th graders spend hours participating in California’s Standardized Testing and Reporting program, which is designed to measure students’ knowledge in a broad spectrum of subjects, ranging from math to history. Scores for the test comprise the Academic Performance Index, which is used by the federal government in determining Adequate Yearly Progress as part of the No Child Left Behind act and the state to judge a school’s proficiency.
Students will spend several hours, depending on their grade level, answering questions about math, science, history, social science and English language that test the knowledge they should have by the time they complete each grade.
If a school fails to meet its state-calculated growth target, it risks interventions such as state-mandated tutoring programs, the state taking over the school’s finances and the cutting of extracurricular programs. After several years of missing their AYP, the sanctions can become as serious as firing of the school staff and closing the school to reopen it as charter school.
San Benito High School, where testing was held this week, is one of several county schools facing government sanctions if test scores do not improve.
At SBHS administrators and faculty spent the weeks before testing began trying to get students to understand that they have something to lose – sports programs, clubs and electives – if test scores don’t improve.
“It’s like peer pressure,” junior Brenda Barajas said.
Some students think the burden of the added pressure to perform well on the tests makes it all the more difficult to do so.
“They’re (the tests) hard,” said sophomore Marlene Serbin. And it is worse because, “They are telling us that the government is going to take over the school, I can’t even think about the test.”
Serbin, president of the school’s Movemiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan chapter, is worried that clubs will be cut if the state starts dictating how SBHS uses its money.
Others think that they were not adequately prepared for the test.
“I think they’re unfair because we didn’t learn any of the material. It’s a lot harder now that the government might take over the school,” said junior Jackie Davis, adding that the tests cover material that they have not learned in class yet.
But just as many students feel that the tests, while a little boring, aren’t too hard.
“It was easy,” said sophomore Jairo Solorio. “In some parts it went a little slow. But it was pretty basic, like a class test. I try to do good.”
But no matter what they think about the actual test, many students fear losing the extracurricular activities that make school more bearable.
Sophomore Dimitri Huzar wants test scores to improve because he plans on trying out for the football team next year.
“So I put effort into taking the tests,” he said.
And Davis is concerned that if there are no high school sporting events to go to there will be nothing to do on weekends.
“It’s like the only thing to do in Hollister, to go to football games, even basketball,” she said.
The crusade to raise test scores is also alive in the county’s elementary and middle schools.
R.O. Hardin School, another school facing sanctions, held a rally Thursday morning to get students excited about the tests which begin on Monday.
“We talk to kids about trying their best, to get to bed early before the test, have a healthy breakfast and consider each test question,” said Principal Linda Smith.
During the rally students sang the school song and pledged that they would give their full effort to the test.
Also, the school has begun assessing students’ reading skill several times each year so teachers know which students need extra help.
Luke Roney covers education and agriculture for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at [email protected]
