Volunteers needed to review test questions
The Hawaii Department of Education is seeking educators, parents, business and community leaders to review test questions aligned to the Hawaii Common Core standards and help recommend achievement levels for grade-level proficiency.
Beginning spring 2015, public school students in third through eighth and 11th grades will take new Smarter Balanced assessments in English language arts and math. Smarter Balanced assessments will replace the Hawaii State Assessment in reading and math and measure how well students are learning the Hawaii Common Core — a set of consistent learning expectations for what students should know and be able to do at each grade to graduate ready for college and careers.
The Smarter Balanced Online Panel for Achievement Level Setting provides an opportunity for educators and the public to give feedback and help ensure assessment results are based on challenging, yet fair expectations for students.
Registered participants will provide input between Oct. 6 and 17 for up to three hours during a two-day window through a secure website. For more information and to register, visit smarterbalanced.org/onlinepanel. The deadline to apply is Sept. 19.
Participants will be expected to recommend an achievement level score that determines how much students should know and be able to do to be considered proficient at the grade-level standards. Participants may use any computing device that connects to the Internet, including tablets. Cellphones are not recommended because of screen size limitations.
Pasamonte awarded her degree from CSU
Colorado State University-Pueblo recently confirmed degrees for 522 students, earned during the fall 2013, spring 2014 and summer 2014 semester. Chelsey A. Pasamonte of Kailua-Kona was among degree recipients.
Coney earns spot on Linfield dean’s list
McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Nicholas Coney of Volcano is on Linfield College’s spring semester dean’s list.
In order to be named to the dean’s list, students must complete 12 graded credits and be in the top 10 percent of their class. The college is located in McMinnville, Ore.
Patig, Sarwar study language overseas
Hawaii Preparatory Academy junior Alice Patig and senior Noor Sarwar have been awarded National Security Language Initiative for Youth scholarships for 2014-15. Patig is studying Chinese in China through Aug. 23 and Sarwar is studying Arabic in Morocco through Aug. 6. Both girls are staying with host families in their respective countries.
The program is funded by the U.S. Department of State and provides merit-based scholarships for eligible high school students to learn less commonly taught languages in summer and academic- year overseas immersion programs. The State Department offers about 625 students per year the chance to study Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Persian, Russian or Turkish overseas through the program.
Ackert will work on Large Hadron Collider
Andrew K. Ackert, a 2008 graduate of Kealakehe High School, is currently completing his second year as a doctoral candidate in high energy physics at Florida State University. He departs Aug. 5 for Cern, Switzerland, where he will be aiding in the research being done with the Large Hadron Collider.
The Large Hadron Collider is the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator.