Every year, juniors across Nebraska take not only the state writing test, but also test in science, English, and math. Throughout the years, Alliance High School has had some trouble, and success, with the testing.

In 2014, the class of 2015 took their state writing tests. Unfortunately, something went wrong in the state grading system. This resulted in all of the scores being thrown out. According to 11^th grade English teacher, Ms. Smith, those scores were going to move AHS up in the ranks of scoring. All of the students connected with the prompt and wrote extremely well.

Since the unfortunate mess up in the grading system in 2014, the Alliance juniors have stepped up their game in the writing test. In 2015, 81 percent of the class of 2016 received a proficient or above on the writing test. Students have 90 minutes to complete a well-written and polished essay.

When it comes to the English and Language testing in March and April, the testing is a little bit different. The students will have the reading and language testing for a 60-minute period and a third English pilot test called TDA or Text Dependent Analysis, which is also 60 minutes. The tests used to be a 90-minute section but by adding the TDA component, the test time is cut down to 3 tests in 60 minutes. This years test involves the students reading two passages of information. They will be asked between 8-10 questions over the passages. Some of the questions are multiple choice, and the students will also be writing to a specific prompt about the passages. This will require the students to move to higher levels of learning to process their answer.

Roxie Smith, eleventh grade English teacher, when asked about the testing stated, “I am very excited about what I have seen in our practice writing work since November. Last year’s writing scores were amazing and I am hoping that this year’s scores come back in the same range. As far as the reading, language, and TDA tests, I can certainly hope we see nice increases in scores.”

When it comes to scoring a writing test, the essays go to a panel of live graders. The papers are graded at least two times, but the papers can be graded by either one or more graders as well. Depending on how well the testing goes, bases how much funding the school will receive. Low scores, which decrease funding, can affect the way things are taught in the classroom. Teachers are striving for their students to receive a higher score on testing, which would enable funding to go up. However, when it comes to test day, it all depends on how well the students wants to do.

Students can come in and try to rush through the tests with ‘I don’t care’ attitude or they can take their time and do their best. “It isn’t that the students can’t do well, its whether or not they choose to,” states Ms. Smith, “I work very hard on classroom environment and attitude. I try to model enthusiasm and yearning for learning, but I can only do so much. The students need to put their fair share of excitement in.” That’s the thing: teachers and administration push the students to do their best and to receive a great score, but the students attitudes have a lot to do with it. Great scores will hopefully great scores will come in again this year through all of the hard work put in by students and teachers, and the great attitudes the students will give on test day.