Teachers and students pour over preparation for the California
Standards Tests in hopes of improving scores
Gilroy – Place a test in front of a first-grader and most likely the child will strive for perfection, no questions asked.
“For the most part these kids care a lot and they’ve all set goals and are disappointed when they don’t make their goals,” Eliot Elementary School Principal Diane Elia said.
But once those cute kids grow into teens do they figure that an exam that doesn’t directly effect their grades or post-high school plans, isn’t worth the time? Do they just fill in the bubbles as quickly as possible with the No. 2 pencil and get out?
California Standards Tests scores drop drastically when students merge into high school. Scores tend to peak in elementary school, drop a bit in middle school and then continue to plummet in high school. Gilroy High School students will begin taking the CSTs on April 24, while elementary and middle schools will start the first week of May.
But apparently the falling scores don’t have much to do with apathy. Some students who will soon be hovering over Scantrons said they take pride in their standardized test scores.
“Yes, I care,” said GHS junior Flor Gonzalez, 17. “We like to study. It’s good for me. We can learn.”
Gonzalez’s 19-year-old sister agrees. “It’s important to learn,” Marisela Gonzalez said.
When one Gilroy High student, waiting for a ride on a rainy Wednesday, said he’s tired of California schools being ranked so low in education, his friends nodded in agreement. And bringing up GHS’s Academic Performance Index score – a 683 last year when the statewide goal is 800 – opens wounds.
“It’s like one less thing to brag about,” Joseph Phillips, 17, said. “We just wouldn’t bring it up.”
Victor Jefferson, 16, said teachers ensure that he know where he stands on the test and help him set goals to improve. The sophomore said he wants to improve his CST score because the knowledge will help him on the path to college.
Jefferson and Phillips also said they both want to earn the special sticker on their diploma that is only rewarded to students who score a 370 or higher on at least seven CST exams within three years. A score of 350 is proficient.
District Information Technology Officer Rob van Herk said he’s not sure why causes the sudden decreases but he doesn’t think it has to do with indifference.
“I am 99 percent certain that they take it perfectly serious,” he said. “Does it drop off because they can’t concentrate? If you look at the scores you see the math scores go down from fourth to 11th grades.”
Van Herk said he’s not sure if that’s from “lack of focus” from a couple of students. Some state officials, including Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell, claim the high school plunge came after the state spent years contributing all resources and time to elementary school students.
Gilroy High Principal James Maxwell was happy to hear that his students are listening to teachers and the administrators who have been making the rounds reminding everyone of the importance of standardized tests.
“I’m pleased to hear that they’re taking it seriously,” he said. “It makes me feel good to hear them comment like that. Both the district and the team is getting them to know that it is important. We’re working very hard here to make sure they improve.”
The high school will also sponsor another Day on the Green if the students meet the 95 percent attendance requirement. Since incentives often drive individuals, Maxwell said he was surprised that nobody asked about the event wherein the day is shortened and activities take place on the football field.
“I think they’re much more self-motivated to look at their self-improvement,” he said.
Schools throughout the district are prepping for the CST, hoping to continue to improve. District officials have met with every principal to go over their plan.
Teachers and principals are pouring over the spring district wide assessments to gauge exactly where each student is and who needs that extra push. Almost every school is staging extended times after school for test reviewing.
About 26 Eliot Elementary students show up at 7:15am four days a week to practice for the high-stakes tests. The students, who have been attending the early morning sessions since January, are Spanish speakers trying to sharpen up their English language skills.
“The teachers here are working at 7:15 in the morning, they’re tutoring kids after school,” Principal Diane Elia said. “There’s a limit to what you can do in 24 hours. It should be known that it’s not from lack of trying whatever the results.”
Why You Should Care
– California Standards Tests is one component used to calculate the Academic Performance Index of schools and districts. Students are tested in a variety of disciplines. The API measures the academic performance and growth of schools on a variety of measures.
2004-2005 CST – Number proficient or advanced
– English Language Arts: 40 percent of second- to fifth-graders; 38 percent of ninth- through 11th-graders
– Math: 48 percent of second- to fifth-graders; 11 percent of ninth- through 11th-graders
