STAR Throws a Curve Ball

Today was our first day of STAR testing at . I was already in a bad mood after hearing that we were once again attending classes after our tests, instead of getting out early, as I had become accustomed to. 

English Part I was a breeze, as for Physics Parts I & II, the same could not be said. All in all, the four hours of testing were tolerable—until we were told that sophomores were to take a "life science" test during what would be our fourth period class. 

Unexpected, to say the least.

The juniors in my class explained that it was basically another biology test. That news brought relief to some in my class who are currently in a biology class. As for those of us who had biology last year, it was unwelcome news.

We had already taken the STAR Biology test last year and it was, in my opinion, a subject that I could mostly forget. I had no plan of remembering how to use Punnett squares, or naming stages of cell division. Taking the test would be like retaking my AP European history test after passing with a high score. 

I opened my test booklet and found the memories that had been put on my mind's back burner flooding through my neurons again. Even after finishing with a sense of accomplishment, I was still disappointed that I was taking an unexpected test that was nearly identical to one that I took last year.

The least that the state could have done would have been to call it a "biology retention test." The test itself was probably one of the most useless tests I have ever taken. The state should not have thrown this curve ball.