What is your motivation for wanting to serve on the school board?
The gratitude I feel for the education I received as a child and young adult as well as the ability to serve the community that has welcomed the success of my business, Delta Defense, is what motivates me to serve on the school board. Continue reading
Filed under Community, School News and Features
By Jessica Steger, Editor in Chief
Exam exemptions will not be back this school year.
With the removal of Galileo testing, an opportunity arose to restore an old West Bend High Schools policy regarding semester exams. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
STAR replaces Galileo as the district-wide standardized test
By Jessica Steger, Editor in Chief
The new STAR testing has mostly received stellar reviews at the West Bend High Schools.
For the 2017-18 school year, the West Bend School District implemented a new standardized testing system, STAR 360 Assessments. Although this system is used globally, it is a product of Renaissance Learning, which was started by a parent here in Wisconsin. STAR tests students’ core reading and math skills. Ninth and tenth grade students at WBHS took the math test Sept. 21 and the reading test Sept. 26, and will take them again in January and April. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
How do you think Galileo testing should be used in the West Bend School District?
Galileo testing should be eliminated immediately! Our students are being tested too much and this expensive platform provides no value for students, teachers or parents. Teachers should not be held accountable to tests that do not align with what is being taught in the curriculum, and neither should our students. These tests do not help the teachers individualize learning plans or improve outcomes. The time used for testing would be much better spent on teaching. The money saved by not having to pay for these tests could be allocated to positions where a need has clearly been demonstrated, such as social workers, librarians and classroom aides. Continue reading
Filed under Community, School News and Features
Should schools be more skeptical about integrating technology into the classroom?
By Kara Conley, Current Staff
In 2017, when people think of school they no longer think of books, but computers.
Technology in the classroom is changing the way teachers must educate their students and the way students learn. Some students have evolved in their academics due to the increased technological use, but not everyone feels it is for the best. Many teachers and students at the West Bend High Schools acknowledge the value of technology, but are also aware of its downsides.
Filed under School News and Features
Changes are in store for January exams
By Hannah Bensen, Editor in Chief
For students enrolled in year-long courses, Galileo tests will not be used as part of their exam scores in January. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
By Hannah Bensen, Current Staff
Next week brings a time of great stress for students: exam week. And this year, exams are going to look very different. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
Galileo replaces Gains and EOCA assessments
By Lauren Sorensen, Editor in Chief
This year students found themselves on a computer as they began the process of assessing their skills at the beginning of a new school year.
The new testing format is called Galileo, and it is done on a computer. At the high schools, Galileo replaced last year’s Gains and End-of-Course Assessment (EOCA) tests to measure pre, mid, and post skill level. Galileo is also being used at the elementary and middle schools. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
The West Bend Current 