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Hazelwood Students Take NAEP Assessment for Nation’s Report Card
Test scores from a sampling of students from one high school, three elementary schools and three middle schools will represent how well Hazelwood School District students are faring for the National Assessment of Educational Progress report.
NAEP wrapped up testing of students with a group of about 90 students from Hazelwood West Middle School. Other district schools tested include Hazelwood Central High School, Kirby and Hazelwood middle schools and Jana, Larimore and Russell elementary schools.
Principal Steve Sandbothe of Hazelwood West Middle School, said the schools and the students were randomly selected to participate in the assessment.
“We told them they are representing us, because we get a state grade and they are anonymous as far as the individual school grades and it goes to the national pool,” said Sandbothe.
The 90-minute exam tested 10 percent of the school student population. With some eighth-graders taking three standardized-type tests this year—career assessment, NAEP and the upcoming state MAP test in the spring—Sandbothe said most students are taking the tests in stride.
“We told them to do the best and make us proud of them,” Sandbothe added.
Kathy Herget, NAEP assessment coordinator, said high school seniors, eighth-graders and fourth-graders were tested.
“We are testing eighth-graders in reading, writing and math. We tested Hazelwood Central in reading and writing—they are 12th graders, and we tested several elementary schools. We are doing fourth grade in reading and math,” said Kathy Herget, NAEP assessment coordinator.
“This is the only test that is given identically in all 50 states as well as the department of defenses schools to try to see what kids in fourth-eighth- and twelfth-grade are learning.”
NAEP said most public and private schools have at least one school being tested, but schools will not get to see individual school results. Schools can make comparisons to other states and to private schools.
“This is what Congress and the president look at,” Herget said. “When you hear in the fall when they come out with a report, this is where they get their data.”
Hazelwood students are part of approximately 940,000 students in 16,000 schools who will participate in the confidential reading and writing assessments or a NAEP pilot test this year.
(story courtesy of Hazelwood District Communications Dept.)
