This year, the school transitioned from paper PSSA testing to online testing, which has brought many new challenges and benefits. 

With PSSAs being online, students can do more while testing. There are numerous tools to help students. There are tools like highlight, drop-down, multiselect, and entering text. It also has more advanced features like formula sheets, protractors, thermometers, equation builder,  and calculators. Because of the new software and tools, students did a trial run called a “Firefly”. This took place on March 26 and 27. Students practiced both the Math and English PSSA. Due to the practice testing, students ran on a delayed schedule with each period only 30 minutes long. Groups were also created to sort students into specific classrooms, while others are refreshing their PSSA knowledge for Math and ELA. 

Although we started online testing this year, online is not mandatory this year. The school decided to move testing to the computers to get a head start and prepare for next year. However, the process of moving everything online is not quite as easy. Mrs. Suelisk had to individually put students into the system and sort them into testing groups. She also had to cut all of the testing tickets with the student’s user and password on them. There were not many technology issues during the eheol process, thankfully. However, some students did have trouble logging in. 

Students also had to adjust to no longer taking tests on paper. “Paper PSSAs have aura. It is also much easier to take the tests on paper. Plus, the online test only took me 20 minutes. ”Chase Andrews said, expressing his feelings about the change. Multiple students voiced their opinions with varying thoughts. While some students didn’t like the online PSSAs because they finished too quickly, and were left with nothing to do. Other thought that it was easier and liked being able to click on the answers rather than having to erase their answers. 

“I was unsure how they were gonna go. I didn’t love staring at a screen the whole time.” Farah Donaldson stated. 

Although many students had mixed emotions about online testing, it was an overall success.