CST Testing
Brejelle Taylor
April 13, 2010
Filed under Top Stories
The sun is out, the flowers are blossoming and the birds are chirping, which can only mean one thing – spring is finally here after a long winter. Not only does springtime bring new fashions and allergies for many, but it summons a week of the California Standards Test (CST) for underclassmen. Although it’s a week of minimum days and no homework, it’s a dreaded time of year for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. A large majority of underclassmen think of the test as a pointless waste of time and don’t try their best, finding themselves sleeping and making patterns out of their answer sheets. I’m not going to lie; I remember cringing when the CST test dates were announced each year, and spent a lot of test time staring at a blank answer sheet, wishing that I was a senior and free from CSTs. As a current senior, I know for a fact that filling in rows upon rows of bubbles can be tedious, tiresome, and for a lack of a better word – boring, but the CSTs are anything but a waste of time.
A lot of students don’t even fully comprehend what they are or their importance. When I asked freshman Brittney Harvey, she replied “No, not really. I just think of it as just another test we have to take and not think about why it’s important. Its good to know why though, but I just don’t want to psyche myself out.” Once a year, 9th through 11th graders are tested on the California Standards to measure how well they’re comprehending and applying skills they’re supposed to be learning in school. The tests don’t affect student’s grades or are reflected on transcripts, and the overall goal of these tests is for all students to score at or above proficient level demonstrating their understanding of the aforementioned standards. When asked for her opinions on the tests, teacher Laura Bott stated “I think a lot of people don’t like it, but it’s a very good opportunity for students to be able to show what they know. It is an opportunity for teachers to know that they have taught what they needed to teach. I think it’s a good structured, balanced system.” The more students who do well, the better their school appears and provides for more funding. At Monterey Trail High School, the overall scores of students have improved over the past couple of years going from 26% in 2007 of proficient or better students to 37% in 2009 on the World history exam and from 12% to 23% in Algebra II.
Now how can students continue this ascending trend of higher test scores? Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors can simply just try their best on the CST’s. Even though three days of nonstop testing sounds nauseating, by just putting forth a little effort students can make their school a place they’re actually proud to attend. Ms. Bott simply advised students to “…make sure that it [the CSTs] is really taken seriously and have the confidence and go with it. Eat a good breakfast, stay in a positive state of mind, have strategies, like using process of elimination and feel confident.”
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