Norwalk High School is conducting ISASP testing for ninth through 11th grades on April 4-6.

Testing will be all day Wednesday, and students will be released around 1 p.m. Testing on Thursday will be at 8:25 a.m. and will go until 9:45 a.m., with students following a two-hour delay schedule.

Seniors will not be taking the tests, and sophomores will be the only grades taking the science portion of the test on Thursday. Ninth through 11th graders will be required to test for reading, math, and English on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sophomores will be taking the science test on Thursday. 

The ISASP is the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress, which is part of the way Norwalk evaluates how students do individually, and how the school does as a whole. 

The ISASP is a way for Norwalk to help determine who is Gifted and Talented, advanced students, and students in need of extra help. The state uses the ISASP scores to evaluate whether the school needs extra assistance and funding to evaluate Norwalk compared to other schools in the state. 

“Even with just ISASP, we are setting students up for success after high school,” said Sarah Adams, high school guidance counselor.

Some students do not think the tests are important, such as senior Jacob Davis, who said that he “hates the ISASP testing. I don’t see the point of them… I don’t feel they help me, I don’t know how they would. ” 

On the other hand, some students such as Riley Samuelson do think the tests are needed. When asked about the tests, Riley said “The test is important and I want to do the best I can.”