As we approach the end of the school year, student testing acknowledgement has improved greatly; With the school year being halfway completed, standardized tests are upcoming in March and May. The following tests during this period include the EOC (End of Course exam), College Board (AP classes), SAT/ACT, and FAST testing; most of these are marked as graduation requirements. Students’ stress levels are gradually increasing to fulfill these said requirements but there are many tools we can use now- for important updates, testing calendars are posted through My Learning.
Students should pay attention in class if they want to excel in high school and prepare for success in college or even in the workforce after graduation. Everyone will take the same exam, yet each person’s future will be different based on their test results. There are techniques to get ready and raise test scores, even though it is frightening. In a recent interview with testing coordinator Mr. Walensky, it was advised that students begin to practice and develop efficient “note-taking” skills. Learning this skill is essential for students due to the benefits that will aid them in the real world; It helps them grasp the material as it helps [1]“distinguish where your ideas come from and how and what you think about those ideas.” In addition, with the upcoming testing dates, [Mr. Walensky] “Most of the testing for the Juniors starts on March 5th and then for the Seniors, Sophomores, and first-year students along with the remaining Juniors who pay will be on March 6th.”
Even though most students succeed academically, a small percentage of the student body may still find it difficult to pass their classes, or the standardized tests required to graduate. It is crucial for individuals who fail to remember that they will still be offered another chance at a test. [Walensky] For instance, using the FAST ELA (10th-grade requirement) as an example, “If a student does not pass the 10th grade ELA exam, they will have other opportunities starting from the very next school year up until graduation day. If they still do not pass that exam but meet all the other requirements they will get a certificate of completion, which is not a high school diploma, and they are eligible to take the next tests.” To practice, any other exams, the recommended way that Mr. Walensky stated was to “take advantage of any bootcamp opportunities that the district has on Saturdays that students can attend to get some more insights and tips. Along with the Seniors, they are offering a specific SAT-style boot camp that specializes in learning more about what the SAT will include on the tests and helps you practice, learn, and prepare.”
With just a few months until the end of the school year, the second semester of the 2023–2024 school year is quickly approaching. After taking multiple tests, there has been a noticeable improvement lately, particularly in the junior grade. “I’ve been seeing the Junior class in particular when we’ve been doing the retakes, quite a few were successful that wasn’t at first, but with the SAT, there hasn’t been much changed for the seniors, but we won’t know until we take the one in March to see where we’re at, based on last year, I anticipate juniors and seniors that are missing the requirement of Math and Reading to complete it with the SAT.” [Walensky] Every parent and administrator hopes for student growth and their drive to keep trying. Everyone should be doing this throughout their high school years.
While everyone hopes for a perfect ending, this is not always the case; school is an excellent example of how people need assistance and guidance along their journey. The primary reason we have been sent to school from kindergarten is so that we can prepare for what the future brings to us, we should all possess a certain level of common and fundamental knowledge. Standardized testing was implemented to ensure a stable, successful graduation. As the school year progressed, the district and the school also improved their test preparations, which correlated with the improvement in test scores. Pasco County Schools established standards for students to abide by until they graduate, guaranteeing them an advantage throughout our years.
[1] https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/note-taking-skills#:~:text=Good%20note%2Dtaking%20allows%20a,you%20think%20about%20those%20ideas.
For more information:
Contact: [email protected] (Testing Coordinator)
Testing calendar:
LINK BELOW
https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/[email protected]/ad6a5b94ff844887bef363a0fac12afa12638930688347999456/calendar.html
