This week is the week of Advanced Placement (AP) Tests and Finals week for the high school. The girls each have AP classes and if you happen to be in an upper level class with seniors, you had to take your finals early because their last day was last Friday.
We received an email today that one of our high school students had been selected to be part of a PISA pilot program. (I have no idea what PISA stands for and as of this typing, haven’t had a chance to look it up yet). The email went on to say that our high school was part of the pilot program that includes only 100 schools from USA, UK & “one other English speaking country”. Each school will have students taking the test. It says that the PISA based test is an assessment developed by “Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD)” (yes, it’s spelled that way… well, in the email we received anyway) to help provide school level results that can be benchmarked in other countries around the world. You now know as much as I do.
First… I had no idea to which kid they were referring; although I highly suspected Ashley. Second, this is finals/AP testing week so I wasn’t sure how that would go over…
[NOTE: Yes, Ashley has been selected and even though it is finals/AP test week, they have worked around that schedule and she is willing to take the test on Wednesday, May 16th.]
[2nd NOTE: Ashley said only about 30-35 kids from our school took the test… I suspect because it was optional and to have such a comprehensive 4 hour test in the middle of AP & Finals week is a bit much to ask of students!]
[3rd NOTE: ok, looked up PISA: http://www.oecd.org/about/0,3347,en_2649_35845621_1_1_1_1_1,00.html