Many 10th and 11th graders saw the Smarter Balance test as a chance to sleep in.

The Smarter Balance test given on April 28 and 29 resulted in lower than 50 percent attendance among 10th and 11th graders.

Administrative Vice Principal Ralph Crame said, “I was disappointed in the lack of attendance as there was less than 50 percent of students that arrived for the test. This negatively affected the 10th graders because 11th graders gave off the impression the test was not important which will now result in 10th graders taking a retake of the test at 8 a.m. on May 1.”

The school seems to be most concerned by the 64 10th graders who were not in attendance for their Smarter Balance test.

The test was only a training tests that was designed to provide students and teachers with opportunities to familiarize themselves with the software and navigational tools that they will use on the upcoming Smarter Balanced Field Test.

Junior Frieda Freeman said, “The test was terrible and I feel like I did not need to take it at all. The computers didn’t work. No one explained the directions and it was a waste of my time. I could have done work for other classes besides taking a test that did not count for anything.”

Twenty one states, including California, are actively participating in the 2014 spring Smarter Balance field test. In some states, only a representative or small group of students participate in the test, unlike Carlmont where all 10th and 11th graders were required to take the test.

Because questions may be revised or dropped after the field test, students will not be receiving scores from the test.

Junior Megan Guillermo said, “I went the first day and I thought my attendance wasn’t needed because we spent the first hour trying to get the system to work and I ended up only taking one test that day. I didn’t go the second day because I thought it was a waste of my time and I’m glad I made that decision because there was a significant amount of people that didn’t go so my scores wouldn’t have mattered anyways.”

Many students were influenced by other classmates to not attend the test as it became a widespread rumor that no one was required to take it.

Sophomore Sienna Rigatuso said, “Yes I attended, but I didn’t think it was necessary because the test took me 30 minutes and I was there for three hours so I would have rather made it up another day.”

Twenty plus students were asked to comment on the Smarter Balance test and no student in that bunch felt the test was necessary.

Junior Zac Miller said, “I didn’t go because I heard it was an optional test and didn’t count for anything and I’m glad I made that decision because if I had gone it would have been a waste of time.”

Whether or not students felt attending the test was necessary, the lack of attendance will greatly impact the school in more ways than one.