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Local News |
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| Students take first round of HSAs |
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| By Penny Riordan, Times Staff Writer |
Friday, October 09, 2009 |
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Students wrapped up the first round of testing this year when they finished four days of High School Assessment tests Thursday.
The fall administration of the exam is for students who have failed the tests before. For many seniors who have failed the tests, this week’s administration marks one of the four chances they will have to take the test this school year so they can graduate.
Passing the four subject tests in the HSAs — English, algebra, biology and government — became a graduation requirement for the class of 2009. The class of 2010 will be the second class that will have the requirement.
So far, 96.1 percent of seniors have passed the exams, according to data from the state Department of Education. At this time last year, the percentage was essentially the same at 96.6 percent.
What is different going into this year’s tests is that school staff has been through this before, according to Greg Bricca, the director of research and accountability for the school system.
This time last year, data from the state was not as readily available, so it was harder to track exactly how many seniors still needed to pass the tests until later in the year, Bricca said.
“We’re talking about very few kids in the big picture that we need to track very closely,” he said. “We certainly have some of the burden lifted, because last year there was so much unknown.”
In order to help students meet the requirement, all high schools put programs in place to give students extra help in the subjects they needed to pass.
Many schools do HSA remediation classes and also offer before- and after-school tutoring.
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At North Carroll High School, fewer students are re-taking tests because the school is smaller due to Manchester Valley High School opening, Academic Facilitator Kim Stem said.
But it is hard for some students to persevere through their senior year, especially if they have failed already, Stem said.
“Senioritis wasn’t invented last week,” she said. “It was a great feeling getting them all through last year, but now it is apprehension time again.”
There are many students who will just always struggle with tests, said Bonnie McElroy, the academic facilitator at South Carroll High School.
“When they get passing scores, their faces just light up,” she said.
Reach staff writer Penny Riordan at 410-857-7898 or penny.riordan@carrollcountytimes.com.
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