April brings start of testing season

Anika Yatawara, Contributing Writer|April 22, 2019

As with every April, standardized testing has arrived at  Diamond Bar High School with juniors and seniors taking the state standardized tests plus the state’s first administration of the California Science Test test.

The California Assessment of Student Performances and Progress contained two sections: the computer adaptive test and the performance task, both of which are based off the Common Core State Standards for English Language Acquisition and mathematics, according to the California Department of Education.

The CAT contains a variety questions including constructed and selected responses, graphing and more. Meanwhile, the performance task selections, which varied for each student, measured a student’s ability to comprehend and incorporate both knowledge and skills from standard math and English concepts. The overall objective of this test is to measure the knowledge of students and to assist in addressing any educational issues in English and math departments across the state.  

The California Science Test, or CAST, included single-answer questions as well as performance tasks. High school students must take the CAST to meet the science assessment requirement.

Testing was held in the gym and library with English/ language arts testing on April 2 and 3, math testing April 9 and 10 and the science on April 5. Students were categorically seated according to Statewide Student Identifier (SSID) numbers on tables lined up in the testing locations.

“Everything felt really prepared. All the teachers knew what to do [and] instructions were very clear,” junior Charlotte Tu said.

Though the stated objective of these tests was to gather information on students’ academic knowledge and strengths, students’ scores on these tests may impact how colleges view DBHS applicants.  

“I don’t think that [the test] will impact me too much,” Tu said. “The only way I can think that it would impact me is to boost our school’s standing in the schools across America, making me look better for graduating from such a prestigious school.”