Willow Glen Resident

Education

Prizes serve as incentive for students to take state standard tests

By Mayra Flores De Marcotte

It's testing season in the San Jose Unified School district, but some students at Willow Glen High School are looking ahead to the upcoming California Standard Tests.

The California Standard Tests are one of four components that make up the California Standardized Testing and Reporting or STARS tests. The three other tests are the California Alternate Performance Assessment, the California Achievement Tests, (for grades 3 and 7 only), and the Spanish Assessment of Basic Education.

The testing at Willow Glen High School runs April 26 through April 28.

"For these tests, we need to test a minimum of 95 percent of all ninth- through 11th-graders," Tina VanLaarhoven, assistant principal of guidance at Willow Glen High School, said.

In order to make sure enough students show up on the test dates, the school has come up with a creative solution.

The school awards prizes to test-takers that include gift certificates to Jamba Juice, Starbucks, iTunes, Pizza My Heart, and movie theaters.

After students take all their tests, they get a ticket, then there's a drawing for the prizes. Since there are three days of testing, students get three chances to win.

"This way, students come willingly," VanLaarhoven said, "and we don't have to do many make-ups. Otherwise, we have to take students out of their classes to make up the tests."

The test scores are used to give the school extra funding from the state, Van Laarhoven said. Using the same raffle system last year, the students did very well in attending the tests on their given dates.

"The kids know that the school is graded on this, and it becomes important for the kids," VanLaarhoven said. "If they get a 'proficient' or higher in six tests from their ninth- through 11th-grade years in each subject area and two others, they can get a Golden State diploma."

The Golden State diploma is equivalent to an honors diploma and shows the student has achieved proficiency in all areas, VanLaarhoven said.

All prizes are donated by businesses and parents, and what is given out depends on how much the school can "scrape together," VanLaarhoven said. For previous testing weeks, there were MP3 players donated for grand prizes, she said.

"There were two or three iPod Shuffles won, and that was nice," VanLaarhoven said. "Some of these kids never had an MP3 player and were thrilled."

Donations of incentives in $5 increments are still being accepted for the testing. Donations can be delivered to the Willow Glen High School office at 2001 Cottle Road. For more information, call 408.535.6330.