Testing Programs

LOCAL TESTING PROGRAMS
Criterion-Referenced Evaluation
System (CRES)
FCPS uses the local CRES testing program to determine
how well students have mastered our essential curriculum
through daily instruction. The assessments generally con-sist
of a variety of formats, and include both selected
response (multiple choice) and constructed response
(essay and short answer) items. CRES results are used to
ascertain students' and schools' progress toward meeting
accepted standards for student performance and to estab-lish
the steps necessary to improve instruction and per-formance.
Student report cards provide parents with
information about their children's progress on CRES.

Final Examinations
High school students take final examinations in
English, mathematics, social studies, science, art, ninth
grade physical education/health, and Level I and II
foreign language courses. The letter grades assigned to the
examinations count 20% of students’ final course grades.
School-sponsored events are prohibited on the
afternoons and evenings preceding end-of-semester examinations.

STATE TESTING PROGRAMS
Maryland School Assessments (MSA)
The Maryland School Assessment (MSA) is Maryland’s
testing program designed to meet requirements of the fed-eral
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The MSA includes
multiple-choice and constructed-response items. Students
receive individual test results. In late February 2004, stu-dents
will take the MSA in reading and math at grades 3
through 8 and in reading at grade 10.

Maryland Functional Testing
The Maryland Functional Testing Program was
designed to assess students’ mastery of functional skills in
reading, mathematics, and writing as described in the
Declared Competencies Index published by the state.
Students must pass the tests in order to graduate from any
Maryland public high school. Students begin taking the
reading tests in the 6th grade and the mathematics and
writing in the 7th grade, and continue taking them
through grade 12 until they pass. The reading and math-ematics
tests are offered in the fall and spring and the
writing test in the winter.

High School Assessments (HSA)
The High School Assessments (HSA) are state-level,
end-of-course exams aimed at raising academic standards
and preparing graduates to compete in the workplace and
post-secondary education. Middle and high school stu-dents
enrolled in Algebra/Data Analysis, Geometry,
English 9, Biology and Government 9 take the exams at
the completion of each course. Taking the HSA is a gradu-ation
requirement, and FCPS will record scores on tran-scripts.
At the present time, passing the HSA is not a grad-uation
requirement. .

COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS
FCPS offers several opportunities for high school
students to take the optional SAT I and II and ACT
examinations. Successful performance on one of these
two national exams is a widely accepted college entrance
requirement. Schools also offer SAT preparatory courses
and the PSAT, a preliminary exam. Registration and other
college entrance information is available in high school
guidance offices. Registration deadlines are typically a
month before the test date.