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April 30, 2009
By Lane Prescott
The number 765 and the slogan “Up Yours” became synonymous with STAR testing and the administration’s attempt to boost the school’s test scores last year. This year, both standardized tests and the administration are back, but the slogan is different. Now we are driven to achieve by Nike, and the phrase “801. Just Do It”.
The number 776, which the school achieved last year, is a fusion of the STAR and the California High School Exit Exam results. Known as an API score, they can range from 200 to 1000 points. The State of California has recently set the API score standard to 800.
“We want to do even better than that though, so we are setting the bar higher. So our goal for this year is 801, a difficult, but definitely possible, jump of 25 points from last year,” ASB President Brian McMahon said.
STAR test scores will now determine a student’s eligibility for Honors classes as well. Students are required to achieve a score of Advanced in the subject in which they want to take an Honors class. For example, in order to be eligible for English 11 Honors, they would need to score an Advanced on the English portion of their STAR test as a sophomore.
The 801 campaign is part of a larger competition which Principals Linda Fernandez of Washington High School and Pete Murchison of Irvington High School organized. A “gentlemen’s agreement” between the two schools, Murchison approached Fernandez with the idea. Mission and Irvington held a similar competition two years ago. Both school’s API scores increased, with a 5 point rise for Mission and a 12 point increase for Irvington.
This mixture of school-wide and individual motivations to achieve higher STAR scores has both long and short term rewards. If WHS achieves its new goal of 801, ASB will host an extended lunch similar to the one held last September. Higher standardized test scores also increase real estate values in the school’s attendance area.
May 1st, 2009 at 3:32 pm
There aren’t any indents. :/
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October 13th, 2011 at 10:21 pm
People need to take this seriously unless they want the government jumping down WHS’s throat in a few years!!
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