On Tuesday, April 17, my alarm snaps me out of my much needed sleep. I pick up my phone, eyes squinting to see that the time reads 7 a.m. Time to get ready for school.
Tuesday mornings for me are relaxing and laid back, one of the only mornings of the week when I have time to actually eat breakfast due to the tutorial period. But Tuesday, April 17th was not one of those days, and I’m sure a lot of juniors and seniors know why. The CAASPP, which stands for the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, disrupted our Tuesday and Wednesday mornings for two weeks, and I honestly did not know how to deal with it.
I remember saying that first Tuesday morning, “having tutorial would have helped me so much today.” The school generously provides us with an optional hour every Tuesday morning to chat with our teachers if we need extra help. I understand that this is a privilege that not all schools have, and that we are very lucky to have it, but to suddenly go without it for two weeks threw off my entire routine. It is a well-known fact that junior year, academically, is probably going to be the most difficult, and therefore it should only make sense that juniors receive all of the support they can get throughout this arduous year. I understand that it is difficult to balance the school day and the mandatory state testing, but if the school could find a way to make the day just a little easier for the juniors by giving them some sort of tutorial to catch up on sleep or our never ending work, it would be a very helpful gesture.
After the testing, we had brunch, and then immediately proceeded with our normal Tuesday or Wednesday. Going on with my day afterwards just did not seem right. I was mentally drained, tired, and stressed. In a student survey sent out, six out of 11 people said that continuing on with their day after testing was mentally straining because of a lack of sleep, energy, and brain power. A student even said that following the testing, they had tests in other classes which added to their listlessness. These testing days are not typical school days, and therefore they should not be treated like one. Simply having some comfort time between the test and the rest of the day could make a big difference not only in the students’ energy level, but also in the effort used to take the CAASPP tests. If the school looks out for the students, the students will look out for the school.
As the weeks of testing went on, I overheard my classmates talking about the mixed messages they received on how hard they should try on the tests. One of the main complaints was feeling too much pressure and another feeling not enough pressure. A student survey showed that two out of 11 people felt a lot of pressure, while the rest did not. Some teachers stressed the importance of making the school look academically strong with the testing, while others reassured their students that the test would not count for anything. I also heard students stating that they were doubtful 95 percent of the grade, the amount required to have our scores count, showed up to take the test, and therefore trying was inane. Meeting requirements is never easy, but I propose the school find a way to make the two weeks of testing just a little more tolerable.
