We’re familiar with the state tests we all have to take. Just this week we’ve been trying our best on the annual STAR and CST tests. As you take the tests, you might be thinking: “these tests don’t affect my grades or graduation, so what’s in it for me? There’s no incentive or reward for doing well.”  If you think that, you’d be wrong.

On Monday April 15, Colton high school held an award assembly for students who had improved their CST (California Standards Testing) scores. Students were recognized for improving scores and also for getting an advanced score on either English or Math; some students were recognized for more than one thing.

The way that the awards worked were that if you had performed at the “below basic” level on the previous CST and now you improved to a higher level,  then you would be given an award for achieving a better level. These students were called band jumpers and they were given an award and a bracelet that said “CST Band Jumper.”  It was very exciting to see so many students being recognized for their hard work and seeing so many friends and relatives cheering them on.

The other awards given were for those who got a score of “advanced” on their English. There was a significantly smaller amount of awards given to those who received an award for getting a score of advanced in math, as we all know is the most difficult subject to many students.

It was a very wonderful award ceremony because there were so many students of Colton high School getting recognized. I also thought that it was a wonderful way to show the appreciation that Colton High has for every student who tries hard. This way students feel encouraged to do better on their CSTs every year.  It was a wonderful experience and I look forward to seeing more students at the assembly next year!