Benchmarks are underway for the second semester, and students are finding themselves buckling down to get them completed.
Benchmarks act as knowledge checks in core classes to see what students know and what they have learned. Benchmarks are not graded (except for the last one of the school year).
“They are important because they show progress,” Conner Nelson, seventh-grader, said.
Throughout the year, students have 12 benchmarks, all of which are split up among three different times of year. These help teachers and students see where they are. It also helps students prepare for April’s state testing because it refreshes their memory on a subject.
Students take benchmarks in English, math, social studies and science.
Nelson said he feels benchmarks are worthwhile.
However, eighth-grader River Parmentor felt differently.
“I hate benchmarks, but they help teachers see what they need to help students with,” he said. “Still, honestly, I hate every part of the benchmarks, and if teachers don’t look at them, I find them completely useless.”
The information teachers get from the benchmarks help them when it comes to intervention. For instance, if students need reteaching on a certain skill, teachers can use the WIN period for reteaching.
