More AP tests administered, Smarter Balance completed

With Smarter Balanced tests over for juniors, College Board Advanced Placement (AP) examinations will be taking place from May 4-13 in the Small Gym, dance studio, library and the library’s research center.

This year, 591 SHS students are participating in AP testing. A total of 1,482 tests will be administered with 21 unique exams. In 2014, 565 students took 1,285 AP tests. This year, 154 students are taking the AP Statistics test, the largest number of students taking one test.

In contrast, AP Studio Art and AP Spanish Literature each are being taken by only two students.

With the change to split physics exams, the school is also administering four additional tests this year: Physics 1 and 2, Studio Art and US Government. The AP World History test will not be  administered this year because only one student took the examination in 2014.

While some students take one or two AP tests, others are taking more than five. One such student is senior Randy Tsai. Tsai is taking six AP classes this year: Government, AP Spanish Language, AP Environmental Science, AP Physics and AP English Language and Composition. He says he is taking the seven accompanying AP tests because not doing so would be a “waste of the effort [he] put in this year.” (He is taking seven tests this year because of the two AP Physics tests.)

“I've been studying them over the past few months. I dedicate a day of the week to each subject,” Tsai said. “That keeps me on top of things so that I do not have to cram everything in the weekend before.”

In addition to upcoming AP tests, juniors took the Smarter Balanced Test this week. The test included  an English Language arts section and a Mathematics section. Last year’s juniors took a trial test, while this year’s juniors took the actual full-length test.

According to the California Department of Education, the test “utilizes computer-adaptive tests and performance tasks that allow students to show what they know and are able to do.” Juniors took both portions of the test on HP Chromebooks or Dell desktops.

Unlike the previous STAR test, students were required to write an essay on top of answering multiple choice questions for passages or audio presentations. These parts of the test align with the new Common Core standards that have been implemented in schools nationwide.

Junior Josh Dey said he did not find the new-style test draining, unlike most standardized tests he has taken this year. Nevertheless, Dey disliked the Common Core ideas embedded into the test.

“I didn't like the fact that for math we had to explain our answers in words — it’s not something I'm used to doing and was probably the most challenging part of it,” Dey said.