Cache County School District feels pressure for upcoming SAGE test

Last year’s top scoring school district, Cache County, is feeling the pressure to score well in its upcoming Student Assessment of Growth and Excellence test, which is administered from April 13 to May 22.

“Cache County has done awesome in the testing,” said Robyn Hedgcock, an assessment associate for the district.

Last year was the first year the district began administering the SAGE test.

“The first year put pressure on us to test well this year too,” Hedgcock said.

According to Hedgecock switching to the new core curriculum standards in the 2012 school year jump-started the student’s scores.

“I suspect that is why our students have done so well,” Hedgcock said.

Brittany Foster, the assistant principal at Mountain Crest High School, said their goal is to remain at the top this year.

“We have high expectations for our students and high expectations for our teachers and we want to meet those expectations,” Foster said.

Mountain Crest High School created a formal professional learning community in the school. This community helps teachers work together in different departments and grade levels to create common assessments that show teachers how students are doing and how the teachers can help students improve.

“Not that we are focusing on testing but we’re focusing on student learning and what data is showing,” she said.

The school uses the data to determine whether or not student performance is improving.

Mountain Crest High School also created a selective period or study hall where students can visit with teachers for remediation, homework and to receive extra help and tutoring, Foster said.

Superintendent Steven Norton of Cache County School District attributed them districts success to its teachers and the instruction that is given in the classrooms on a daily basis.

“We believe that what you do on an everyday basis with quality instruction in the classroom will take care of getting the kids ready for testing,” Norton said.

“I feel like it was our duty and obligation to get our students prepared,” he said.