My opinions story

2016 was the first year that the class of 2019 students at Bowie high school had to take the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) on computers rather than paper.

This decision led to a lot of controversy that could have been avoided if we just stuck with the paper tests.

Though taking tests on computers goes faster, it can cause more mistakes to be made by the students since they can’t actually view things the same. Sometimes it is helpful for a student to annotate to help them figure out the right answer, but on a computer that is not an option.

This year any mathematic STAARs will be more difficult since students can’t show their work next to a problem. It will also be harder to analyze graphs or any other pictures because all you have is a computer screen, you can’t look closer or draw things that help you solve. Even though we have the option of using scratch paper, it’s not the same as actually getting to write on the test.

Students are already stressed enough about how hard the test will be, but now they have to worry about the complications of taking a test on the computer. This is something that can be helped and avoided.

It was also not fair to students that some had to go review their test again. For the students having to review it was not fair that they had to miss another day of classes for a mistake that they had no part in. On the other hand it was not fair to the students that didn’t have to because they didn’t get the chance to fix their test after they’d already seen it. 

Students could have discussed answers with friends and go back the next day to revise their mistakes so they could get a better grade, but not every student got this opportunity.

Using computers is not always trust worthy. They can glitch and cause more problems. There is still a chance that some students lost answers or some answers got switched around. You can’t always be 100% sure with technology.

This test is taken to evaluate students’ knowledge, to see if teachers did their job through out the school year. Our scores are compared to other schools and help the state rank each school. How can the state really know this if the test was taken at unequal circumstances.

Students should have gotten the chance to input their opinion on whether or not the STAAR should have been taken on computers. This may have been easier for all the proctors and test graders, but in the end the students are the ones that are really affected by this test. They should have a say about the test that determines if they graduate from high school. 

Hopefully next year the school board will look into these problems and make a decision that will help the students and not themselves. 

Taking the STAAR on computers was not the best idea and it led to too many problems.