By Nathan Park
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In an effort to improve Hawaii State Assessment (HSA) test scores, administration added a Saturday testing day to all sessions. The first Saturday session was on Oct. 22 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The optional testing day gives students a chance to take the exam without having to miss their classes. They had most of the day to focus on the test and to achieve the passing score of 300.
“The changes we’re implementing only help students,” commented Data Coordinator Komarey Moss, “You come with a fresh mind, a clear head and hopefully you had some breakfast and you are ready to focus on the test.”
In the past, students were pulled out of their classes to take the test, resulting in them falling behind in schoolwork. “Students are killing themselves over a week of missing classes and that’s not a good thing,” explained Vice Principal Andrea Moore. Moss agreed saying, “We all know that when we give tests it always takes away from instructional time, so in order to alleviate some of that burden on teachers and students we’ve opened up the Saturday testing session.”
In addition to setting up a Saturday session, administration is trying to improve the testing environment. “We are trying to avoid using the cafeteria this year because it is hot and crowded,” explained Moore, “So hopefully we would be able to do it in H building where it’s air-conditioned or the L building lab where at least there is a cross-breeze and it is relatively quiet.”
Students were recommended to try their best to attend the Saturday session. There were also Thursday and Friday sessions the following week during class time for those who could not attend the Saturday.
In addition to the schedule changes, new equipment had been purchased to help the testing run smoother. In the past, proctors have experienced many technical difficulties with the Internet and even the testing website itself. This year, testing equipment had been updated to prevent these problems from occurring again. “We have purchased more wireless modems throughout the campus so we shouldn’t run into those problems,” explained Curriculum Coordinator Robin Miller.
Extensive preparations had been made on the equipment to make sure the testing ran smoothly. Moore stated, “We are hoping this time that we got beefed up enough. Our computers are ready to go and our Internet is ready to handle it.”
The Saturday session has made it easier for students to balance their classes with the HSA. As Sophomore Laura Ambrosecchio stated, “I think it’s more convenient for my classes because I don’t have to miss work.”
Oct. 22 was the first day of testing but it won’t be the last. There will be two more testing sessions in addition to the one in October, one in February and another in April. Once a student reaches the passing score of 300, he or she will not have to take it again.
