PSSA’s are never a student favorite time of the year, tests last at least two hours and are full of challenging questions. These tests are used by the state to assess the school and to tell if a student is above advanced, proficient, basic or below basic in a certain subject. Not only do the PSSA scores reflect on your school, they show up on your report card and can be a potential credit.
Grades three through eight and grade eleven are given the PSSA tests in math, reading and writing. If any junior performs at basic or below basic levels they are given the opportunity to retake these tests. The retests were given during the week of October 25. Retaking the tests give the students a chance to improve the grade on their report card and their GPA.
Students who are eligible to retake these tests were notified, but retests are 100 percent optional. This year 120 students had the chance to retake them. “We won’t know how many students are going to take the test until the test days,” said Mrs. Kuhn, a guidance counselor at Greater Latrobe Senior High said. “The numbers of students this year are about average.”
Even though the results of the PSSA’s do not affect whether a student can or cannot graduate, it could give extra credit. “Credits are given, .33 for math, .33 of writing and .34 for reading, adding up to one whole credit,” says Kuhn. “Most students don’t need it but some might.” When students retake the test they are also given the chance to improve the grade for the PSSA tests on their report card.
Performing Poorly on the PSSA tests can be a result of many reasons. Some were absent, didn’t have the right classes, weren’t feeling well that day or just simply didn’t try. Students chose not to retake the test because the grade didn’t affect them and they don’t need the credit to graduate. Reasons may go deeper than that but those are just some of them.
If a student performed poorly on the first PSSA’s they have the opportunity to retake them. Retaking the tests can both improve your GPA and add extra credit for graduation. PSSA tests help students achieve what they need to do to graduate.
