~ June Issue ~
 

Cafeteria Food

                At the words, “STAR testing,” a loud groan can usually be heard throughout the school. Comments such as, “I hate STAR testing. Why do we do it? It doesn’t even count towards our grade,” are often heard prior to the tests. Many people wonder what the point of STAR testing is. It seems like a long boring process that does nothing. Sophomore Kasey Mullen stated, “It seemed like it didn’t last that long, but when it came to the day [of testing] it lasted forever.” It was true, the testing only went for three days, but when it came to the slow minutes passing by during the testing periods, it seemed to last for so much longer. However, it was not just the student’s imaginations because this year the testing was condensed into a much shorter time frame. Previous years the testing lasted about a week and students were released earlier in the day. The change this year had occurred due to the fact that the testing had been too tedious and drawn out. The sooner it was over with, the better. In addition, sophomore Katherine Long said, “STAR testing would have been easier if we only had to take the tests at ten and then go home.” Several students would have preferred to arrive later to take the tests, and not have any classes afterwards. The tests changed to only three days so it did not seem as important to have class afterwards. The freshmen were the only lucky ones able to arrive at 10:45. Several people had something to say about that since the sophomores and juniors got to come in at 8:45 on their late day. So why is STAR testing important? It’s not here to give headaches, or torture, but to help place students in appropriate classes. The grades can help benefit because it shows the strengths and weaknesses of all the students. By just filling in the bubbles people are not doing any favors for themselves. The testing could affect later decisions. For example, if one does very well on the Math or English section they may not have to take the California State University placement exam for those sections. For those who may not know, the placement exam is something everyone has to take if they plan on entering college. Having it out of the way is one less thing to worry about. The results of the tests also help determine what needs to be changed in the curriculum. For example, Ms. Cobb revealed that in the English department they discovered the students were having problems with literary response and analysis. The subject was therefore emphasized and gave the students experience with those types of questions. “I’d love to hear input from students on how we can support them to do their best on star testing,” Ms. Cobb adds. Not all students dread the tests. Sophomore Haley Cox says, “I love STAR testing because it doesn’t count towards our grades, teachers go easy on us, and you barely have classes those days.” The better the view someone has on the tests, the less horrible they will seem.