[BHS etree] ADMIN: Testing Why and When

[bhs at idiom.com]

Contact: Janet Huseby jhuseby at pacbell.net

Spring is testing season at Berkeley High.  The last of the Exit Exams are
under our belt.  We are now gearing up for the state-mandated No Child Left
Behind STAR test.  This test is to be followed by the Advanced Placement
(AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) exams.  Below I will first talk
about STAR and then the AP and IB.  

1.	STAR TEST 
The test will be given the week of April 20-23. All 9th, 10th, and 11th
grade students will report to their 2nd period classes.  The test will be in
the morning. There will be regular classes in the afternoon. Seniors have
the mornings off and will report to regular class after lunch.  The STAR
test is mandated under No Child Left Behind. The information garnered from
the test is used not only internally at Berkeley High to assess each
student's progress but to assess our curriculum and teaching.  In addition,
the numbers generated are used to create the API, which is a useful, and
much used method of comparing and rating California high schools. We have
not been able to generate an API for the last three years because we have
had fewer than 95 percent of our students take the exam.   

How you can help: 
a. April 13-15
(Monday - Thursday) Help sort exams.  Each individual 9th -11th grade
student has a file sorted by second period class. Into this file the
appropriate math, English, history and science test must be placed. We need
lots of help in order to accomplish this task. The sorting will take place
Monday 8:30 to 3 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 to noon in the
Old Gym's Old Dance Studio (Please go directly to the Girls' entrance off of
Milvia, go up stairs, and head for the old Dance Studio--cannot be missed as
it is the southernmost room in the building.) If you can help for one or two
hours or more at any point over these coming three days you will be warmly
welcomed and appreciated by organizer Carol Olson.  

b. April 20-23,
During the testing days, Vice Principal Vernon Walton needs three or four
parents in the early morning (from 8 to 9) to pass out the tests, deliver
extra test sheets, etc. If you can help, please let me know at
jhuseby at pacbell.net

c. Encourage your child to take the test and care about it. Your school's
reputation is at stake. 

2.The AP and IB exams.
The AP and IB exams are offered during the first three weeks of May.  We are
very proud of the number of students that sit for these college level exams
but it is a huge undertaking.  It cannot be accomplished without volunteer
(your) support.  If your child is taking one or the other (AP or IB) please
sign up to proctor a different exam--as long as your child is not in the
exam.  Proctors are needed either for a morning shift (7:30 to noon) or an
afternoon shift (noon to 4).

Below is the AP and IB schedule. Please look it over carefully to see when
your child will be taking an exam and when you can proctor, then please let
me know at jhuseby at pacbell what exam you can Proctor:

Monday, May 4: 
AP US Government (am); AP French Language (pm)

Tuesday, May 5: 
AP Computer Science (am)/AP Spanish Language (am); AP Statistics (pm); IB
set-up all day

Wednesday, May 6: 
AP Calculus AB/BC (am); IB Biology (pm); IB set-up all day

Thursday, May 7: 
AP English Literature and Composition (am), IB Biology (am); AP French
Literature (pm) 

Friday, May 8: 
AP US History (am); AP European History (pm), AP Studio Art (pm.)

Monday, May 11: 
AP Biology (am); AP Physics (pm)

Tuesday, May 12: 
AP Chemistry (am), AP Environmental Science (am); AP Psychology (pm)

Wednesday, May 13: 
AP English Language and Composition (am); AP Art History (pm)

Thursday, May 14: 
AP Macroeconomics (am), AP World History (am); AP Microeconomics (pm)

Friday, May 15: 
AP Human Geography (am), AP Spanish Literature (am); AP Latin (pm)

Monday, May 18: 
IB Spanish (am), IB Chemistry (pm) * This is a school Holiday.

Tuesday, May 19: 
IB Chemistry (am)

Thursday, May 21: 
IB French (am)