Bristol, Connecticut, U.S.A. — A new test given to Bristol’s high school sophomores in May aims to show what students have absorbed during their school careers.
The Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) — which measues achievement in English, math and science — “will be used by the students to market themselves against other candidates for a particular job, and the employer will be able to screen applicants by contrasting students’ academic records,” said Thomas Foote, assistant principal at Bristol Central High School.
Boyd Biondino, assistant principal at Bristol Eastern High School, said, “The test offers students the opportunity to demonstrate, practice and apply what has been learned.”
Foote said, “This test is not a measure of minimum expectation, but rather a high performance test for a student at the 10th grade level.”
The result of each student’s test will help counselors select the proper courses for the following school year.
Though some students reacted negatively to the test, many teachers recognize its importance because the Connecticut Business and Industry Association has been encouraging this test for a long time.
Martin McMahon, an English teacher at Eastern, said, “The English section has two parts, one is a grammar-related review, the other is a literary test to see whether or not a student can appreciate literature on more than one level. The students are asked to write an essay substantiating a point of view with factual evidence.”
Rose Mamie Kowalchuk is a Reporter for Youth Journalism International.
