New standardized pre-test prepares students for the CSAP.
Artwork by Anna Becker
Standardized tests are a given in high school. The CSAP, ACT, and SAT have been in the system for years. The CSAP comes first for under classmen to show their proficiency and capability when working with the basic math, science, and reading material. In hopes of improving CSAP scores throughout the school, Thomas Jefferson has decided to replace the current Benchmark exam with the new district-wide Acuity test.
Acuity is an academic monitoring system that gives teachers the tools they need to predict how students will do on CSAP and then embrace what material students need to spend more time on before the test. “It diagnoses how well students have been taught CSAP information,” said Assistant Principal Scott Lessard. Acuity only focuses on two subjects: Math and Reading.
This will be the first year TJ administers the test. “Teachers are being trained before the actual assessment,” said Lessard. Because Acuity is replacing the Benchmarks, teachers need to become familiar with the format of the new test.
Lessard believes that Acuity is a phenomenal tool for teachers. “Not only does it help them determine what material to focus on for the CSAP, but it will revolutionize the way teachers do their jobs,” said Lessard.
Another tool Acuity provides teachers with is the breakdown of why students chose certain answers, specifically when they choose the wrong ones. “The program breaks down what the students’ thought process was before selecting their answers for each question. This gives teachers insight into what they need to focus on in order to have more successful results on the CSAP,” said Lessard. “Everything is based on CSAP.”
There are two parts to the Acuity test: Predictive and Diagnostic assessments. “The students take the predictive portion this January, focus on the appropriate material for the month of February, then take the diagnostic test right before the CSAP to show the improvement students have made,” said Lessard. “The diagnostic assessment is not required this year, though.”
Since the teachers have gone through the appropriate training, optimism is in the air. “It will be a good tool to determine where our students are, quickly and efficiently,” said Math Teacher Aimee Witulski.
Acuity is a new program to the DPS district and Thomas Jefferson is simply participating in the trial period. “We’re all hoping to see improvement on the CSAP test as a result of this new academic monitoring system. If successful, this could truly revolutionize the way teachers present material in the classroom,” said Lessard.
