Dear Osprey Students and Families,

At Animas High School, we assess learning in lots of ways, using innovative strategies like Exhibitions, Student-Led Conferences and Presentations of Learning in addition to more traditional methods such as papers, quizzes and exams. Standardized tests are a piece of the assessment puzzle too, as they provide data that helps us examine student growth and how we’re doing as a school. Our administration, staff and School Excellence Committee analyze test scores annually, looking for trends and refining our practices to support student success. 

We are proud that for every year in our entire history as a school, the Colorado Department of Education has named AHS a Performance School, their highest performance rating, based on achievement and growth on state assessments along with postsecondary measures such as graduation rates, drop-out rates, college entrance exams and college matriculation rates. 

The SAT and ACT can play an important role in determining college options for our students, and we take seriously our role preparing them for these tests. Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the submission of standardized test scores as an admission requirement became optional at most colleges around the country. In the subsequent years since, most colleges have remained test-optional, however some colleges, namely highly selective ones, have done so only provisionally through the class admitted for Fall 2023 admissions cycle. This means that they are gathering data on how test-optional admissions are impacting their institution long term. Some colleges may change their position on requiring test scores for admissions in the coming year or two, therefore it is still important to endeavor to prepare at a high level for the SAT, especially if your student is interested in pursuing selective admissions. 

We have students practice for the SAT by taking grade-appropriate PSAT tests in 9th, 10th and 11th grades, following up after they’ve taken the tests to help them see where they were most successful and where they can focus to do better the next time around. This helps them build skills to do their best when they take the SAT in the spring of junior year. 

2022/23 Standardized Tests per Grade Level

This year, our 9th graders will take the PSAT8/9 on April 12, which will take about 2.5 hours for students to complete.

Our 10th graders will take the PSAT10 on April 12, which will take approximately 2.75 hours.  

Our 11th graders will take the PSAT/NMSQT on Wednesday, October 12 and the SAT on April 12. The PSAT will take approximately 2.75 hours, and the SAT will be about 3 hours long. For juniors, PSAT/NMSQT scores are used to determine qualification for the National Merit Scholarship. 

Juniors will also take the CMAS Science test on Thursday, April 13; the CMAS exam is about 2.5 hours long.

We do not plan to administer any standardized tests for our 12th graders.

In addition, we will administer the ACCESS language proficiency assessment to our English Language Learners mid-January to mid-February.

The CMAS will be administered online rather than with pencil and paper; we have determined, in consultation with staff and parents, that this is the most efficient and effective method and the AHS Board of Directors has approved this decision. ACCESS is only available as an online assessment. The PSAT8/9, PSAT10, PSAT/NMSQT and SAT will be administered using pencil and paper. There is no cost to families for any of these tests. All tests listed above will be administered during regular school hours on campus.

Some students are approved for and provided accommodations on College Board tests. Students may not use any accommodations on these tests without College Board’s formal approval. This application process is completed for students with documented disabilities by Heather Prekup, SSD Accommodations Coordinator. Student’s that have accommodations, particularly extended time, will have longer test sessions than those without accommodations, ranging from 4 to 6 hours to take the entire test.  

Accessing and Understanding Individual Test Scores

The fastest way to access PSAT and SAT scores is by creating student accounts on the College Board website and then checking there about three weeks after taking an exam. Students will always receive scores before the school does for all college entrance exams.

To learn more about how to interpret scores:

• Visit the College Board website for PSAT and SAT
• Attend grade-level Postsecondary Nights with our College and Career Counselor Erin Cummins-Roper

Preparing for the Tests

We believe that being engaged in their learning is a key contributing factor to student success on standardized tests. Our teachers are intentional in the way they teach content and skills that the PSAT, SAT and ACT measure. That said, there are many resources available for students to do independent preparation beyond what we offer during the school day at AHS, some for free and some with a cost attached.  

• John Grotenhuis is teaching an SAT Preparation elective course 7th period. 2nd semester. Students may sign up by contacting Maureen at [email protected] or visiting with her in person.
• Kahn Academy has partnered with College Board to offer online test prep that is free and personalized. Being familiar with the format of the test and doing practice tests ahead of time can also help students improve their scores. Arriving on the day of testing well rested and fed helps too, of course. 

For more resources, visit the “testing” tab on AHS College Counselor Erin Cummns-Roper’s digital portfolio here or stop by her office to discuss a personal test preparation plan.

Opting Out

We recognize that some families have strong feelings about standardized testing and choose to opt out of them. It’s important to understand the impact of opting out of standardized tests. 

Many colleges rely on the SAT and/or ACT scores in determining college admission, though some do not. For students, taking the tests that lead up to the SAT can help improve their performance and scores, as they become more familiar with the format and practice the skill of test taking. You can view a list of over 1000 colleges that are test-optional in their admissions process here. 

Also, when we are evaluated, as a school, by our authorizer--the Colorado Charter School Institute (CSI)--and the by the Colorado Department of Education, student test scores are a key data point. Having all students participate in standardized testing gives us the most accurate picture of our data.

That said, we also want to be clear that no students or family will face negative consequences from the school for opting out of state assessments. We recognize and respect that this is a decision you will each make individually, and only ask that you make an informed choice.  

If you do choose to opt out, please submit a letter expressing your decision to the Main Office, signed by a parent/guardian. Parent refusal notices will be gathered and maintained by Dave Farkas, Dean of Students and AHS Testing Coordinator.

We will keep you posted if we make any changes or additions to the testing schedule outlined here.  As always, please don’t hesitate to share your questions, thoughts and concerns with us.