Carson High students begin taking exams

A good night's sleep, a good breakfast and no cramming was the advice given to about 1,700 of Carson High School students in recent weeks.

Between now and Thursday, Carson High School's sophomores will be taking the TerraNova exam, juniors will be taking a first shot at the high school proficiency exam and seniors will be getting another shot at which ever portion of the proficiency exam they failed as juniors.

In the meantime, freshmen will be given today and Thursday off.

"Since school started this year, we've been announcing Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays reminders to students that this (exam) is coming up," Carson High School Principal Glen Adair said. "These are high stake tests, particularly the proficiency test. Our advice is to get some sleep and come prepared with your synapse firing."

The TerraNova is a standard exam, administered to students nationwide.

The exam is not linked to curriculum developed by the states but is a comparison of how the sophomores nationwide are performing.

The high school proficiency exam is based specifically on curriculum taught in Nevada's schools.

Students taking exams will be released from school at 10:20 a.m. today and 11:20 a.m. Thursday.

It was necessary to give freshmen time off because practically every classroom is being used for exams, Carson High School counselor Tim McCarthy said.

The other reason is to give those students taking exams some peace and quiet.

"We want the best testing environment possible for the students," McCarthy said.

Today, sophomores will be taking the math and science portions of TerraNova.

Seniors will be taking the writing portion of the high school proficiency exam and juniors will be taking the science portion. This is the first time that science has been included in the exam.

On Thursday, sophomores will sit the final portion of the TerraNova exam, including social studies, vocabulary and math.

Juniors and seniors will take the reading portion of the proficiency exam.

In both cases, the exams start at 8 a.m. and school finishes at 11:20 a.m.

School reverts to regular hours on Friday.