Prestigious Academic Award
The 2009 Standard of Excellence poster has now been placed on a wall in almost every math teachers room. Every math teacher received one of these posters to commemorate his or her teaching efforts
January 29, 2010 • Bonnie McRae, Staff Reporter
Filed under News
Hays High has achieved the standard of excellence criteria numerous times. While it may seem like a simple task, every year the expectations are raised a bit higher.
The standard of excellence is an achievement based on how well the majority of a school does during a series of tests generally taken during sophomore and junior years. The sophomore class typically tests in reading, math, and physical science while the junior tests in the second half of the physical science.
It may seem quite ordinary to some, but it is a highly prestigious award. Hays High was the only high school in the WAC conference to receive it last year, which goes to show just how hard it really is to achieve.
Most people don’t give it a thought as they go about their business during the school year but when test week comes up, some people are in a frenzy to absorb as much information during academy as they can.
Academy and a specific teaching cycle are ways we achieve the standard of excellence but as the bar is being raised every year, do we need to raise the teaching pace we use as well?
“I think we’re being prepared enough,” sophomore Nick Nolte said. “But maybe if we had better materials to work with and a lesson instead of a quiz we would be even more prepared.”
Sophomore Kiley Dinkel had a different take on the matter.
“I personally think it’s all a waste of time,” Dinkel said. “Most people don’t even pay attention during academy. I do most of my online shopping during then, actually.”
Although some feel as though their time could be better spent, they’re still confident that they’ll do well on the tests.
“Well, I’m not really sure what they’re about,” junior Kelsey Billinger said. “But I’m sure I’ll do pretty well on them.”
“I’m confident I’ll manage to do well,” Dinkel said.
All our hard work doesn’t go unnoticed, either.
“We usually receive certificates that state our achievement,” vice Principal Martin Straub said. “Or we throw an ice cream party in the cafeteria at the beginning of the year for the juniors who did well the pervious year. I think they appreciate their hard work being recognized.”
Standard of excellence is achieved by a specified percentage of the school’s test scores. The tests consist of five levels, Academic Warning, Approaches Standard, Meets Standard, Exceeds Standard, and Exemplary.
To be able to meet the requirements to receive the Standard of Excellence, no more than 10% of the students who take the quiz are able to achieve the level of Academic Warning while 80% or higher must receive the Meets Standards level.
Some of the certificates are on display in Straub’s office and on the wall of academic fame.
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