SHSAT: Specialized High School Admission Test

Eight hours a day, five days a week, four years that is how long I have been subject to the high school education system. A system meant to teach the fundamentals, the fundamentals of reading and math. Yet, there are many subjects that are forgotten such as humanities and histories. So, as I sit in this stiff and at times cold desk staring at my computer screen typing these words it is hard not to ponder the reasoning behind these decisions. Why executive board members have allowed public education to be ruled by numbers. The answer it appears is simple, funding. Standardized test scores are all too important to state and federal governments who allocate school funding. Which is why these subjects such as math or reading take priority from

My transition into high school was as easy as taking a breath. I had always found school quiet easy and I never had to put much effort into getting promising grades. Before high school I had my whole life figured out, or at least I thought I did. I had planned that I would attend a law school or major in English. After a while of being in high school I started to realize many things. My parents did not have the financial stability to send me to a law school, I was not as smart as all the other kids, little by little I began struggling with a negative mentality about myself and my future. I slowly let go of my dream of becoming a lawyer and decided to join the Health Careers Academy. Soon enough, I began to have a deep interest in the medical field but then again I continued to have the same question; how can I afford going to a medical school? I did not know much about college or what it took to get into college. I assumed I just had to have a pretty transcript and that was all it took. My self confidence began to lower as I saw how other students cruised through their high school years so effortlessly. I never wanted to ask for help because I did not want to seem “dumb”. I would bite my tongue and hold in all the unanswered questions I had. My junior year, I was having a very difficult time. I had a tight schedule which consisted of almost all AP or honors courses. I slowly began to give up because I did not believe that I could do it. I let my grades slip failing almost

I ended up failing but I wasn’t to upset since the whole school district ended up failing it was like going to school again. I went to summer school and passed the writing test. Sophomore and junior year were the hardest for me with the writing test. Sophomore year I did not pass my writing and reading, I ended up going to summer school again, and I still did not pass. After not passing the second time my junior year started. The school offered tutoring afterschool and I would have pullouts during my class. Pullouts is where you would be pulled out of a non-essential class for tutoring during school. After I spent all that time studying and practicing I still didn’t pass. I just didn’t understand what was wrong with me, I felt dumb and worthless. Each time I take a test I would pray to god, to help me through it a give me strength. But I felt as though he wasn’t listening to me, I was so ashamed of myself. I know I was at my worst when I was thinking about dropping out of high school. I felt like I failed everyone my mother, father and most of all myself. I had one last time to pass the test before my senior year. At this point, I was over the test I had no courage left in me to fail again But, I had no

Jonnie, a 10th grade African American male, was referred to me because he considering college as a next step in his education. He needs support in building his GPA and course mapping so that when he is ready to enter a comprehensive high school he is on track to complete graduation and college requirements. Working with Jonnie, the immediate goal is to have him pass the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE). Throughout his academic career, Jonnie has had an inordinate number of disciplinary infractions put against him. His high school transcripts reflect the behavior problems that have had an effect on his ability to perform well in school. Currently, Jonnie is in a small school setting in which his academic abilities are being shown and fostered. Jonnie does not seem to exhibit many deficits when it comes to social-emotional relationships, however, it is evident in his work, that there are some academic gaps that need to be supported and scaffolded for him. When it comes to material that tends to be difficult for Jonnie, he withdraws himself from the class. Further examination of Jonnie’s behavior is necessary to better support his academic abilities and achieving his goal of attending college a reality.

Sitting on the computer, signing up for the SAT, I envisioned myself taking the standardized test that so many dreaded. I saw myself kicking butt on the exam, exceeding my expectations, and earning myself admission into the college of my choice, which I had not yet decided on. When the day had come to take the test, junior year of high school, I was terrified, not because of the test, but because of the circumstances I now found myself in. School had always been tricky for me – waking up and getting ready in the morning, forcing myself onto the bus, the worst parts. My grades were amazing though, considering my fear of school. I earned mainly A’s in college prep and honors classes.

In the eighth grade I was diagnosed with a learning disability and was given a IEP. Even with the IEP I still struggled to maintain a passing grade through eighth grade and the first semester of ninth grade. During the ninth grade I was put into an academic support class and for the first half of the year I didn’t take advantage of it. I guess, at the time, I didn’t realize the importance of living up to my academic potential and always thought I was stupid and there was nothing I could do to change that. At the beginning of the second semester of my freshman year, my academic support teacher and I had a serious conversation about my future. I told her my plan to go to a four-year university and she didn’t take me seriously. She told me I was

High School wasn’t smooth sailing for me and my GPA wasn’t at its full potential. With senior prom and all my senior activities it felt as if time was slowly but surely running out. High school was some of my best years but I was dying to graduate and attend college and be on my own but in order to do so I had to score really high on the ACT or SAT. I was so nervous while taking the SAT and I didn’t do good as I wanted to, feeling defeated I studied really hard for the ACT. Even though I studied the butterflies when I entered the room where the test was being administered wouldn’t go away but I did feel more confident. I took the test and waited days for my results. I was so excited that I scored a 24. I learned that if you put your mind to something you will succeed every time. I took full responsibility for my future and I planned on having a bright one. I felt as a weight was lifted off of my shoulders. After receiving the good news I applied to a total of four universities and I was accepted by all of them. Even though I applied to different schools my dream college was to attend Louisiana State University. Unfortunately LSU’s nursing program is not like an average nursing program. Sadly their nursing program is not located on LSU’s campus

When I tell people what I want to do when I grow up or where I want to live, I hope that it allows them an opportunity to get to know me on a deeper level. And finally, dreams give me a sense of hope for my future. When I dream of going to college or getting my dream job, I have hope that things will be okay and that everything will work out. Unfortunately, dreams don’t always turn out too well. As we can in Of Mice And Men, dreams reveal who we are and give us hope

Regardless of the outcome of every dilemma or crisis, it is imperative that we learn how to adapt and move on and continue to be happy. If we choose to let our problems and upsets eat us alive, we will be living very unhealthy and depressing. I’ve had one dream and one dream only while in high school, to become a drum major for the marching band. It was my first year marching, I am a sophomore, auditions for section leader were soon and I was prepared to execute all the practice that I had put into my audition, an upperclassmen and friend of mine said “You’ll be so lucky if you make it because you are young” and I replied “You are right, Imagine if I score high enough to become eligible for drum major auditions”. We both erupted in laughter because we knew that would not happen. Finally, auditions day came and I nailed it. I gave it my all. Results were posted that weekend. To everyone’s surprise I was one of very few sophomores to become a section leader and one of two to be eligible for the drum major spot. However, my auditions were weak and it slipped out of my hands, this was very difficult for me. Then came my junior year auditions and I went in extremely confident that it was going to be me. I had a flawless audition but the odds were not in my favor. I was broken, depressed that whole summer going into my senior year. My friends and coworkers at Peter Piper Pizza cheered me

James S. Murphy wrote about how the SAT is a high Stakes evaluation of enormous magnitude in which colleges use to analyze the readiness and skills of high school students. Some students are not financial stable to pay tutors or discover other resources that enable them to get adequate scores on the various exams. These rigorous exams act as a subject course other than showing students abilities through their academic achievements in high school, something where colleges rather judge students on their SAT to determine if their good enough to attend college. The College Board are now proposing a program named Khan Academy; which better equip students to be prepared and comfortable taking exams under pressure, which allow the programs offer varies

There was time were I couldn’t succeed with my grades my grades were horrible. My concern was if I fail my all my classes what am I going to do. One day i was thinking if i fail all my classes I am not going to succeed with the future career I want. The next day I was overthinking about it I was thinking about my grades and my future career. I started noticing that i must work hard to succeed what I want to be in my future. I wasn’t getting my school work done I realized I had to make a change. I started doing my school work so my grades could be average. I started doing that for like a month my grades were improving. I had to work really hard to success for these grades. I also noticed that not doing my school work wasn’t helping me succeed. I tried my very best to overcome this obstacle to obtain success. I also made my parents very happy and I'm happy about

The average high school student takes at least one standardized test each school year. Standardized tests are all scored the same way and test takers are given the same questions. The scores students receive play a big part in whether or not they will be accepted to the colleges they apply to. Standardized test scores are one of the most important things colleges look for when reviewing applications. Standardized tests could be successful, in theory. However, they have shown to be less accurate than hoped, to cause copious amounts of stress, and to have little to no correspondence with productive adult lives. Because of their ineffectiveness, colleges should place less importance in them when admitting new students.

Standardized testing scores help us grow as students. That’s why they shouldn’t be taken away because they provide teachers information on what we need to work on and push us to work harder to get a better grade. Standardized tests also help us with college.

I want to achieve by participating in the New York Cares SAT Prep program because I need this program to help me with the English skill very much. I immigrated to the US from China 3 years ago. It was a difficult way to me to accept and learn a new language. It took me 2 years to pass ESL from when I only knew very little English words. However comparing to other students who born or live here for long times, my English skill is still very low. I still have to many shortages of English skill to improve in order to catch up the level of being a real English speaker. I real want to go to a good college in order to have a better learning enviroment and education. I believe that that will be the first step of being successful. And I also believe

Every spring for the past 4 years since 2012, every student attending 3rd grade through 8th grade and including high school students across The State of Texas, sit down and take the Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness or The STAAR Test. The STAAR test is what student’s in Texas are taught about from the very beginning of the school year and what teachers are required to teach. The STARR test includes 3rd grade through 8th- graders, taking reading and math, 4th and 7th graders taking writing, 5th through 8th graders taking the science portions, and with 8th-graders taking the social studies section. In high school, students are required to take the following portions of the STAAR test which includes English 1, English 2 which contains two tests of Writing and Reading, Algebra 1, Biology, and U.S. History. The STAAR tests for students in Texas determines each individual student’s assessment of where they are educated, towards the following subjects and what grade level they should be proceeded at. With state testing like the STAAR tests, there are more and more negatives and problems in the news, with the way our students are being taught in Texas, this state test not only follows them through their next grade levels but their academic careers, even following them into college and eventually their careers, with that and the amount of pressure being put on them from one test, the bar is being raised too high for our children in Texas, this not only affects our children