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In a year full of unpredictable change, one thing has remained the same: end-of-year testing. Moving from the SAGE test, the state is now ad- ministering the Utah Aspire Plus to assess the sophomore and freshman classes. This test uses a combination of preparatory ACT questions along with the Utah Core test items to predict ACT score ranges as well as gauge subject proficiency. End-of-year testing has never counted against the students but was used to evaluate how the school was functioning. Schools used to receive a grade and were held accountable for their scores. Due to COVID, however, the state is not using the ACT Aspire Plus test results for accountability.
“The state is not using it for accountability purposes,’’ said Principal Christy Straatman, “which means in the past we have had a school report card that takes into consideration the ACT, our graduation rates, and Utah Aspire Plus all those things combined give us a grade. The state is just going to look at it as a baseline of how the kids are doing this year. If we are lower than times past, maybe it will show us areas we need to work on to close gaps.”
Although the state uses these numbers as a basis for how students are performing, many teachers see the testing as pointless, especially during such an unprecedented time.
“It’s a waste of time,” Carney said. “I understand the state needs numbers to report to the federal government so everybody can be on the same page, but everyone on the Wasatch Front was in and out and going remote.”
Carney feels that there are better ways to assess student’s knowledge; that it is clear to teachers where their student’s stand.
“I don’t need a piece of paper with a number on it to know that this student has lost more than the quarter we were off,” Carney said. “We know our students and by the time they go to test we know pretty much if they are going to be a one, two, three or four.”
Administration decided that it was important to get student perspectives of how covid has impacted them and their learning, so there will be a questionnaire sent out along with core tests.
“After they take the science test there is a little survey with questions about covid and how it has affected their edu-
cation. They wanted the students’ side of it,” Stansfi eld said.
The scores gathered from testing not only show how the school is doing as a whole, but it also shows individual areas teachers can improve on.
“The teachers can go in and break the scores down into standards,” Stansfield said. “You can see certain areas where they are lower. Then next year they need to beef up their standards.”
While some people may view the standard breakdowns as beneficial, others think that it could be improved.
“I need a score that says I’m this percent proficient,” said science teacher Kolby Henrie. “No teacher is going to pick apart every question from every test to see how they taught they don’t have time. They also claim half of the questions are specific to a certain subject but then my chemistry students, biology students, and earth science students all take the same test so how are they making it anything like a specific subject.”
A more beneficial way for test results to be used by teachers is having the test done more than once a year.
“I think that there should be tests at the beginning and at the end of the year,’’ Carney said. “I would rather see a pre and post with what they gain. Testing from year to year doesn’t show valid efficacy because we don’t keep it long enough to compare it.”
One positive side to this form of testing is how it prepares students to take the ACT.
“I see usefulness in the ACT Aspire for students because it gives you a simulated score for all of your subjects and tells you how you are going to do on the ACT,” Henrie said, “but if I’m looking at data of how good I am doing as a teacher, ACT Aspire doesn’t tell me anything.”
Despite being a useful resource, students have negative feelings towards the end of year tests, and feel that they haven’t been fully prepared.
“I feel like I haven’t learned anything,” said freshman Sarah Church. “In previous years it feels like they were
trying to prepare us more than this year.”
While the students may experience uneasiness about these tests and teachers don’t see the point, administrators are confident in what has been accomplished.
“I am optimistic because we have been resilient,” Straatman said. “I think our students have been resilient and we
have pushed through covid. Learning has still happened in the classroom.”
