Torch Volume 55, Issue I

TORCH

John F. Kennedy High School Volume 55, Issue I

February 2022

Table of Contents 1. Right Under Our Noses............................................ 03 2. We’re Overworking Students................................ 05 3. Living in Ignorance....................................................... 07 4. A Charged Removal of Teachers’ Appliances........ 09 5. Virtually Failing..................................................................... 12 6. Is Technology Helping Us?.................................................... 13 7. Can’t Stand For This..................................................................... 15 8. Are Standardized Tests a Success?........................................... 17 9. Torch Fall Staff........................................................................................19 10. Our Mission Statement......................................................................... 20

Letter From the Editors

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fter returning to Kennedy without a hybrid learning schedule, we found numerous changes imposed on staff and students alike. Without the ability to attend at home, everyone was subject to the new regulations.

And people were not shy about voicing their distaste. The daily pledge of allegiance was largely ignored, teachers were frustrated with the loss of their personal appliances and a critical race theory ban sparked a debate between lawmakers and school staff.

Perhaps most controversial of all, a mask mandate was taken down by the Iowa government in May, then reinstated by the Cedar Rapids Community School District in September.

Parents and students erupted in opposition and support of the mandate. In late January, the mandate was banned once again. As these changes came one after the other, debates about pre-existing rules also resurfaced among the Torch staff.

Throughout the magazine, we discuss the many mandates surrounding us at Kennedy— the good, the bad and the controversial.

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Right Under Our Noses [Authors’ Note: The following article was written prior to the Jan. 25 removal of Iowa schools’ ability to enforce mask mandates. Regardless, masks should still be worn indoors to protect oneself and others from COVID-19. Considering the Omicron variant’s high infection rate, school mask mandates could not have been struck down at a worse time.]

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ask mandate compliance at Kennedy is weathering away. Masks slip below noses, chins and are sometimes taken off completely. Students have grown tired of the school mask mandate, in place since Sept. 15, and choose to rebel against it.

An exemption form makes matters worse.

Although the form is intended to be used by those who have genuine difficulties wearing masks, any student, with a signature from a licensed health care provider, can fill out the form and turn it in to the main office, dodging the mandate. Proof of vaccination is not required to get an exemption.

This loophole hasn’t gone unnoticed. In just about every class, you can find a student without their mask. With COVID-19 infection rates at their highest ever worldwide, why are we dropping our standards?

A common misconception follows this line of thinking: Wearing a mask should be optional now. Vaccines are widely available for free, and once someone is vaccinated, they cannot catch COVID-19, so they cannot spread it either. Therefore, the mask is pointless, and they can go about their day as usual.

This theory presents an ideal world, where vaccines are perfect. Unfortunately, we do not

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live in that ideal world, so a school mask mandate has to make up for some shortcomings. COVID-19 vaccines are effective at reducing the chance of catching the disease. They are even more effective at reducing hospitalizations, but they do not block COVID-19 entirely. Once a vaccinated person is infected, even if they are asymptomatic, they can spread the disease too.

Even if vaccines were perfect, their mass availability hasn’t led to mass adoption. As of Jan. 4, only 59% of Iowans are fully vaccinated. By allowing people to choose whether or not they wear a mask, some unvaccinated people will choose to go mask-free.

Another misunderstanding is that masks should not be required because we are not responsible for protecting people from themselves.

In the United States, people are allowed to believe what they wish, to make poor choices, to risk their own lives without restriction, and opponents of the mask mandate argue this should extend to masks as well.

But that is not our situation. Masks are not self-protection devices. Masks protect everyone around you.

“We found objectively that masks are crit-

ically important. They’re very effective at protecting the people around you. If you’re wearing a mask, you’re protecting others,” said Dr. Matthew Callstrom, Mayo Clinic radiologist.

A study conducted by Mayo Clinic in 2020 found when both the source and target were masked, the number of COVID-19 particles in the air were reduced by 99.5%, significantly decreasing the chance of transmission.

Something as simple as wearing a mask can have monumental effects on the spread of COVID-19. Yet, it can be difficult to ensure all students are using a face covering, especially when students are packed shoulder to shoulder during passing time.

While enforcing masks during passing time has proven difficult, the classroom is where it truly needs to be enforced. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), your risk of being infected is increased when you are near someone with COVID-19 for over 15 minutes.

During a five-minute passing time, students are not in contact with others for long enough to pose a significant threat. When in a classroom for 90 minutes where complete social distancing is im-

possible, students are at a higher risk of transmission. This classroom is where the mandate could be most effective.

However, all the mandates in the world are pointless if they aren’t enforced. Mask enforcement at Kennedy is far from perfect. There’s no true deterrent to wearing a mask incorrectly. The most devastating action most staff members take against you is resignedly telling you to wear the mask correctly.

We can’t afford to lose our conviction now.

No matter how long the mandate lasts, unless we’ve reached herd immunity, we will have to live with masks. We don’t have to like them, but we have to put aside our feelings and focus on the facts: Masks are effective. They protect you and everyone around you, regardless of your vaccination status.

Time and time again, masks have been shown to be a powerful form of mitigation. As cases continue to rise and people continue to die, it is time to push our aversion down and mask up.

- Joel Dillman & Anabel Bradley

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We’re Overworking Students I

n order to graduate, CRCSD students need four Physical Education (PE) credits regardless of their extracurricular participation. Many students at Kennedy participate in school athletics, show choirs or marching band in addition to PE. Should those students be required to participate in PE? Students in extracurriculars such as show choir, athletic teams and marching band often do more physically exerting activities than in regular PE courses.

Freshman Amelia Gilbert spends at least 15 hours weekly practicing outside for marching band during their season. Most of their rehearsal time is spent outside in the sun.

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By allowing involved students to count their activities as PE credits, more of their time could be put toward academics.

Gilbert hoped to take Foundations of Art, but due to the yearly PE credit requirements, she could not.

In the future, these conflicts may no longer exist. A bill was proposed to the Iowa senate in February 2020. If passed, it would allow weekly show choir or marching band participation to count as a PE credit.

This bill will address the issue for show choir and band students. Despite this, athletic students are left out in the cold.

High school athletes put in many hours of

to count towards a PE credit will make graduating work during their individual seasons. There are from the CRCSD easier, more enjoyable for stuno good reasons for them to be left out of the PE dents and would allow for more academic growth. exemption.

Athletic teams such as the boys cross - Jersey Bilyeu country run 2-12 miles a day during their season.

Football players dedicate 5-8 hours per week practicing during their season. Yet, they still have to take a PE course during the school day.

Craig Mallicoat, wrestling coach at Kennedy, stated the wrestling teams practice for up to an hour and a half after school. During that time they are engaged in high levels of physical activity.

Physical activity is an essential part of teenagers’ lives. Allowing extracurriculars such as show choir, athletic teams and marching band

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Living in Ignorance

owa’s ban on critical race theory (CRT) has begun to affect students’ education. With uncomfortable topics being glossed over in schools across the state, history is destined to repeat itself.

We cannot afford to let our youth learn inaccurate truths about their collective pasts.

On June 8, 2021, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds imposed a ban on “divisive concepts” being taught in schools. CRT states that U.S. social institutions contain or have contained systemic racism. It is considered a divisive concept and was referenced, but not directly mentioned.

The section in the law banning CRT says divisive concepts include suggesting “the United States of America and the state of Iowa are fundamentally or systemically racist.”

One example of CRT is the concept of redlining. It is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “the illegal practice of refusing to offer credit or insurance in a particular com-

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munity on a discriminatory basis.” Redlining is something that occurs blatantly and often and is no longer allowed to be taught in Iowa schools.

A Des Moines Register poll showed that 56% of Iowans opposed the law, 34% were in favor and 10% were undecided. Over half of Democrats and Independent voters opposed the ban. This left Republicans as the only political party in majority support, at 57% approval.

History teachers across the state were outraged. The ban on CRT stopped the teaching of concepts surrounding racism. It ended necessary conversations between teachers and students about racial inequities.

“Good teachers have their students look at things from different points of view,” Michelle Frye, Kennedy African American Humanities teacher, said. “I believe it’s educational malpractice to not expose kids to different things. Getting kids to think and challenging their views is what we’re

supposed to do and I don’t understand why we shouldn’t be doing that.”

Iowa is taking a step backward. Its progression and freedoms of speech are regressing. Limiting what students are allowed to learn perpetuates ignorance. It’s preventing the progression of society and limiting our perception of reality to a sad, misguided fantasy.

“Iowa used to be so progressive in terms of education and idea generation,” Fyre said. “To censor me and the kids and what we can talk about is just ridiculous. People are skewing issues to divert our attention from our actual problems as an educational system.”

Teaching white privilege is also something this law prohibits. Teachers are no longer allowed to talk about privilege, or even say it exists. The law prohibits stating that people are inherently oppressive due to their race, whether consciously or unconsciously. By using this language, the law outlaws conversations surrounding privilege.

“Understanding our identity helps us understand perspective and point-of-view,” Melissa Marzen, social studies teacher at Linn-Mar High School, said. “This helps build empathy and understanding. It’s okay to know that your identity may have impacted your position in life. That’s

how we grow as individuals.”

Younger generations will continue to lose out on necessary knowledge and experiences.

Topics banned by the law will become another lost piece of history.

Teachers and students must stand up against unjust laws and make a change. We must make the people around us aware of what we are losing. We can’t discuss what we don’t know, and this law prevents us from starting the conversation.

As Winston Churchill said, “Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it.”

- Sonja Woerner

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A Charged Removal of Teachers’ Appliances E

veryday appliances in classrooms have come in handy for teachers and students for years.

Whether it’s perking a teacher up with a cup of warm coffee or giving students a place to refrigerate their lunches, teachers’ appliances were a simple solution to a simple problem.

CRCSD’s revised energy conservation policy is putting an end to this. As of Jan. 1, 2022, teachers are no longer allowed to keep microwaves, coffee makers or mini-fridges in their classrooms. The policy also specifies fish tanks, box fans, space heaters, toasters, hot plates, cup warmers, popcorn poppers and aroma devices as other banned appliances.

The news came as a shock to many teachers, who received the news on May 26, 2021 in an email about building updates. Access to personal appliances was something most teachers took for granted. Tearing that expectation away only denies them another source of respite from the stresses of the workday.

One avid user of classroom appliances was math teacher Kathryn Hrubes, who kept a microwave and mini-fridge in her classroom. She used both during her lunch break.

“Right now, I bring frozen dinners for lunch. I’ll probably just bring sandwiches from now on,” Hrubes said. “I like to heat up my coffee—it’s kind of a nice perk to have a microwave in here. And so, I don’t know what I’ll do there, because no thermos could keep coffee warm all day.”

The solution proposed by the school district lies in new common spaces spread throughout schools. These spaces are outfitted with full-size fridges, microwaves and coffee makers for any teacher to use. Common areas are now the

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only places staff can access these appliances.

Each school’s administration was respon-

sible for finding new spaces for teachers on a district-provided budget. Kennedy has two new spaces so far: one in the lower IMC and one in the main office, plus the original lounge on the first floor.

The three spaces available are all located on the first floor close to the center of the building, leaving teachers on the south end and second floor of the school without nearby appliances.

Kennedy administration has struggled to find suit-

able spots for more common areas.

“Our big problem with this building, as you may notice, is that we don’t have a whole lot of just empty space. There’s not a lot of empty classrooms in this building because we’re pretty full,” said Principal Jason Kline.

Though no place has been chosen, Kennedy administration has focused on searching for a south end common area location. Without one close by, south end teachers may have to store their lunches far from their classrooms, shaving precious time off already-short lunch breaks.

surpassed $4,250, excluding shipping.

Both Hrubes and Collin Hollander, social studies teacher at Kennedy, questioned the energy advantage of removing classroom coffee makers and microwaves.

“I understand the fridges because those are constantly using power,” Hollander said. “Keurigs I don’t understand because … it only pulls power when it’s turned on, so when it’s not on, it’s not using any electricity.”

Does consolidating microwaves in a building actually save energy? No. The same amount of energy is used overall. Energy is only saved when teachers stop using microwaves altogether.

A mini-fridge can use anywhere from 50 to 100 watts (W) per hour. The average cost of energy in residential Iowan areas is 14.59 cents/kWh, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The cost of running one mini-fridge for a year in Cedar Rapids lies between $63.90 and $127.81 (using 438 and 876 kW of power respectively). An average 75 W mini-fridge draws 657 kW in a year, totaling $95.86. Consolidating fridge usage is understandable, if inconvenient for teachers.

On the other hand, microwaves and coffee makers draw much less energy. An average 1200 W microwave, used for five minutes every day, costs a grand total of $10.43 per year for 71.54 kW of power. An 800 W coffee maker, also run five minutes per day for a year, costs just $4.83 for 33.09 kW. Some districts, like Iowa’s Keokuk Community School District, allow teachers to pay a fee to use appliances in their classrooms, according to Mississippi Valley Publishing. Keokuk teachers must pay $10 per month to use a mini-fridge, $12 Without quick access to basic appliances, teachers for a space heater and $3 for a coffee pot or microcould be forced to abandon using them entirely. wave. Teachers in the CRCSD have no such option.

Common space savings have one big aster“I think that it is a small thing that is a nice isk attached to them: setup costs. The two refriperk for teachers and to take it away seems to me grators purchased for the main office and IMC are like there’s not an appreciation for teachers and three-door stainless steel Samsung fridges which their schedules,” Hrubes said. “We can’t make cost $1,799.99 each. The microwaves cost $179.99 phone calls during the day like other professions. each, and the coffee makers were $149.99. Over… We have to be in the room with the students, all, the cost of Kennedy’s new shared appliances and it’s difficult to even go to the bathroom

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during a class period. So, this one little thing we could put in our room to make our day a little brighter is now being taken away.”

Most of Hrubes’ frustration stemmed from the lack of replacements. There isn’t an ideal alternative for something like a nearby microwave, even if one is provided in the school building.

Passing time simply isn’t long enough for teachers to use the shared microwaves to heat up coffee between classes. Another amenity standard for most professionals is now off-limits for teachers.

“People out in the ‘real world’ will think that it’s just teachers complaining about something that’s insignificant, and from the outside looking in, it is,” Hrubes said. “It seems like that, but … it’s a small thing that makes a big difference in a teacher’s day.”

Thus, the root of the issue at hand is exposed. Teachers are already expected to put up with so many regulations, curriculums and rules that the latest impositions are only another overreach to add to the pile. Their autonomy is chipped away bit by bit as each new policy is hammered in place, and no one seems to care.

This should go without saying, but teachers are professionals who deserve respect. Mandates which block their ability to enjoy the day should be condemned by all.

Despite Hrubes’ and Hollander’s dislikes of the policy, they agreed to take their appliances

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home as required.

“It is what it is. If that’s what they want, that’s what I have to do,” said Hollander.

Teachers face enough resistance from their students during the day. Do they need to be micromanaged by the school board too? After a school year where teachers were forced into new technology, schedules, teaching requirements and a never-ending supply of issues due to COVID-19, the district took away their fridges and warm coffee.

Not to mention, the Cedar Rapids and Linn-Mar school districts are already suffering substitute teacher shortages, according to KCRG. Sometimes, other full-time teachers are required to fill the gaps remaining after substitutes run out. Decisions like this revised energy conservation policy serve only to drive away the people we need to teach future generations.

Teachers deserve to have nice things, even if they cost more energy and money. We can afford coffee makers; we can’t afford to lose the professionals who use them.

[Author’s Note: I reached out to CRCSD for an interview, but they did not respond by the publication date.]

-Joel Dillman

Virtually Failing T

he Cedar Rapids Virtual Academy (CRVA) is a fully online, self-paced learning alternative offered to students of all grade levels. I was enrolled in CRVA my entire freshman year (the 2020-2021 school year), and found the experience to be repetitive, tedious and easy to manipulate for a good grade.

453 high school students, as well as 371 elementary and middle school students, are currently enrolled in CRVA in the 2021-2022 school year.

My personal experience with CRVA my freshman year was a negative one. I took all my CRVA classes on a site called Edgenuity. Typical Edgenuity lessons consisted of five different activities: a short warm-up, a long instruction activity, a summary, an assignment and a quiz. The quiz is only ever 10 questions, with a one hour time limit.

This formula repeats for every single lesson of the class, which, as you could imagine, gets monotonous and boring. Because quizzes have 10 questions, getting just one wrong eliminates any chance at getting a high grade.The only graded assignments longer than 10 questions are the unit tests, consisting of 25 questions, and the semester final with 50 questions. The severely-limited grade opportunities make it difficult to end the year with an A, when one mistake can shoot you down into the 80% range.

This year, I am taking just two classes on Edgenuity: Spanish 2 and Geometry. I attend every other class in person. Transitioning from a self-paced remote environment, where I could

wake up whenever I wanted, to in-person on a strict schedule was difficult. Because I never studied or had due dates on assignments besides the end of the semester, returning back to in-person school was harder than ever. Getting in the rhythm of completing homework and studying every night was something I needed to do . We are not encouraged to study in general while enrolled in CRVA. Naturally, I had a hard time adjusting to high school.

Coming into the end of the first semester of my sophomore year I have fully adjusted to in-person high school partially with help from my good friends lending some studying tips. My grades were not sufficient to my standards at the beginning of the year, but have since recovered during my adjustment. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend anyone enroll in a CRVA course just based on my experience.

Going from low standards with online learning to high expectations back in person is a difficult adjustment. Those interested in CRVA should be ready to commit to online schooling for all four years.

-Isaac White

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Is Technology Helping Us? I

n 2018, providing every student in the CRCSD with a Chromebook seemed like a fantasy. Laptop carts were a coveted item in classrooms and computer labs required teachers to sign up weeks in advance.

Now, at Kennedy, Chromebooks are standard issue and are used in almost every class.

Learning has transitioned from traditional paper-based assignments to a technology-based method. Assignments are now accessed through Google Classroom instead of handed out at the beginning of class.

Technology has led to phones in teens’ hands and SMART Boards in classrooms. Adrian Evans, social studies teacher, believes technology can be a great asset in the classroom.

“I think as we see technology getting into people’s daily lives, it would reflect badly on the teachers and education if we did not take advantage of the technologies that are available to help teach kids,” said Evans.

Heather McCauley-Benzow, math teacher at Kennedy, uses technology to help students and herself.

“If you have organization issues, it’s all [on the computer] so you don’t have to worry about losing paper,” Benzow said. “I don’t have to worry about keeping track of papers and there’s no arguments if [the student] submitted it or not.”

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Chromebooks have made it easier for students to verify if they handed in assignments, organize their homework and see their grades.

Technology allows us to access more information than ever before, get our work done faster and save paper. In an interview with Jason Kline, Kennedy principal, he stated that having personal chromebooks for every student is also cost effective.

CRCSD’s mission is “Every learner. Future ready.” Evans puts this into action in his teaching style by creating assignments that include technology while making it fun for students to learn.

“We have to get [students] ready for whatever comes next. Whether they choose to go into the workforce, trades or college, technology will be looking them in the face,” Evans said.

For a teenager, technology is not just about education. We are letting it run our lives.

We get up and check social media platforms. Jump in the car and call our friends. Class starts, and the teacher’s lesson becomes uninteresting so we pick up our phones. Get to lunch and check if anyone has answered our Snapchat.

We get home, ignore our homework, family and everything outside the bedroom door as we look to our phones for the answer.

The average screen time for teenagers in America is 9 hours a day, according to the West

Virginia Education Association.

Teenagers are addicted to screens. Addiction changes brain chemistry and has many adverse effects. Symptoms can include: loss of interest in other activities, preoccupation of their thoughts and lead to deception about screen time, according to Today’s Parent.

Students are sitting in class trying to pay attention while their brains crave screen time.

This completely warps students’ internal reward system, causing them to not be interested in school, which affects their learning capabilities.

“The consequence of this technology is the universal shift of making real [connections] with real people to making artificial … connections with artificial beings,” David Stolley, middle school teacher, said. “I find it harder to connect with all students. I see students so tuned into their digital world that they don’t even know the names of people in the same class four months into the school year.”

Should education feed the addiction by using Chromebooks during the school day?

There is a time and place in education for technology.

However, we need to consider the daily use that teenagers are already facing and find a way to use it sparingly.

At Kennedy, phone usage is not heavily monitored. Storm Ziegler and Ann Brunson, vocal music teachers at Kennedy, have found a way to combat too much technology usage in their classroom by using a system. Ziegler believes their classroom is not the place to socialize on cell phones and it is not beneficial for students to use their phones during class time. According to their system, attendance

is taken based on if the students’ phones are in their designated spot on the wall at the start of class.

“I think that a lot of students actually appreciate the policy. They have been frustrated when they are focused and others are not. If the kids are being honest they would say it’s probably a good thing,” Ziegler said.

When used wisely, technology can greatly benefit students and teachers alike.

“It’s up to us to meet [students] where they are,” said Evans.

We have to be cautious of the effects that technology can have, especially in the social development of teenagers.

“Students, people, need more actual human connection,” Stolley said.

- Lizzy Hawkes

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Can’t Stand For This

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ver since kindergarten, at around 7:55 in the morning, the click of the announcement speakers would indicate the beginning of the day.

Like clockwork, we would stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Now, the same daily pledge has been mandated in high school.

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

As children, we don’t fully comprehend the notion of pledging our allegiance to this country.

We are just taught to stand up and say it. Eventually, we get curious and question why we do it and the most popular answer we are given is “to pay our respects.”

But is this really enough of a reason to promise our loyalty to this country?

The creation of a country is usually rough, but it was even worse for the United States. The establishment of the U.S. involved the displacement and assimilation of the indigenous population who occupied the land for over 10,000 years prior.

No country is perfect in its development either. Every country is going to have its rough patches and dark times. Before the United States was founded, the slavery of African Americans began in this country in 1619 and thrived for more than 200 years, up until it was abolished in 1865.

Even though slavery was gone, African American people were still segregated and treated inhumanely. There were separate drinking fountains and bathrooms, restaurants labeled for “whites only” and bus seating by race. That wasn’t even half of it.

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Today, 156 years after the Civil War concluded and 56 years after desegregation, African Americans are often treated worse than the white population. Black people are at a higher risk of facing police brutality. According to justsecurity. org, “Black Americans make up about 13 percent of the U.S. population, but they account for more than 1 in 4 people killed by police.”

The Black Lives Matter movement was reignited in May 2020 due to a police brutality case caught on video: the murder of George Floyd. This outraged millions of Americans of all skin colors.

But some peaceful protests were met with police forces who fired rubber bullets and tear gas. These forces are funded and continue without punishment by the country to which we’re supposed to pledge our loyalty every day.

Racism in this country shines through the “color-blind” wall put up by most people. Racism against African Americans isn’t the only problem—it occurs with every race other than white.

Hispanic and Latino people are told to “go back to where they came from” and Asians are mocked for their facial structure.

I don’t stand and pledge my allegiance to this country where these acts are tolerated and even encouraged by some. I protest for those who have died because they weren’t white. Those who were seen as “dangers,” “job stealers” or less than human.

Similar discrimination issues are faced by women in America. Since the creation of the U.S., women have been associated with being less intelligent, less capable and weaker than men.

Although there has been some obvious improvement from the 1850s, including a women’s right to

vote and job availability, there is still a wage gap.

Full-time women earn only 82% as much money as men in the same job positions, according to the Pew Research Center.

Women also lack the ability to make personal decisions about their bodies without the influence or control of men. Rape, incestual rape, being unfit for pregnancy or lacking financial stability is, according to a law created primarily by men, not a suitable reason to get an abortion in many states.

I don’t pledge my allegiance to a country which disrespects and punishes those who bring life into this world.

Not only is there gender inequality, but there is a general lack of gender acknowledgment related to entrenched religious biases against sexuality.

1.4 million adults identify as transgender and 1.2 million adults identify as non-binary openly in the United States. These numbers don’t include minors or closeted people, who would boost these numbers even higher.

Misunderstood gender labels contribute to a lack of representation for those who are transgender or non-binary. Gender is identified by societal norms, behaviors and characteristics. Sex is the biological component of a person, determined

by their chromosomes. Gender is not biological sex; it is a social construct.

Being a part of the LGBTQ community is slowly becoming more and more acceptable in today’s society, but homophobia is still a common issue, deeply rooted in Abrahamic religions.

A study from the National Center for Biotechnology Information found non-affirming religious settings resulted in lesbian, gay and bisexual people dealing with hostile social environments.

I won’t stand and pledge my allegiance to a country where hate is allowed to overwhelm love and freedom of expression is not protected.

Equality shouldn’t be a choice. My loyalty cannot go to a country whose citizens turn a blind eye to intolerance.

Troops in the military didn’t die just for the straight white men of the world. They died for everyone in their country to have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

I can’t stand and recite words ignored by those who claim to honor this country. The pledge promises “liberty and justice for all.” I won’t stand until every person in the United States can live without restrictions imposed by authority and society on their lives.

-Alyx Goldensoph

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Are Standardized Tests a Success?

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tandardized tests are ingrained in Iowa school systems. From the Iowa Statewide Assessments of Student Progress (ISASP) which are taken throughout a student’s school career to the ACT most colleges require for admission, these test scores are used to measure the achievements of schools, students and staff across the nation.

CRCSD administers two district-wide standardized tests: ISASP and the Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP). ISASP scores are used to see where students stand academically from year to year, while MAP testing tracks growth throughout the school year. These tests provide teachers and administration with information on how they can best help students.

“It gives us a talking point with students to try to encourage them to challenge themselves some more. To identify kids who maybe didn’t perform as well, help students

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who may be challenged in one aspect of learning but not others ...” Jason Kline, Kennedy principal, said. “There is a lot of data that those tests provide that can help us help students perform better.”

Students take MAP tests three times a year. They are created to include the curriculum of the language arts, math and science classes the students are currently enrolled in. The similar content of the tests to what is being taught in class, allows teachers to track their students progress and decide what content and skills need to be focused on.

“The idea with the MAP [test] is that because it is so tightly linked to the standards you are teaching in class, it should hopefully be able to help teachers make more instructional decisions,” Jessica Johnson, Kennedy asssistant principal, said.

ISASPs, on the other hand, are not guaranteed to include the content students are currently learning. A student could have biology-related questions when they have yet to take a biology class.

Every year, students take a

reading and math test, but they only take the science portion of ISASPs in grades 5, 8 and 10. The infrequency of a science test and lack of similarity to the content taught caused Kristin Hellweg, Kennedy science teacher, to struggle to use the test scores to improve their teaching.

“The ISASP format for science makes it difficult for us to use in a meaningful way,” Hellwig said.

Scores are used to rank schools and determine if a student is allowed in the Program for Academic and Creative Talent (PACT) or take the advanced route for science and math classes.

“I don’t like the school being rated on test scores,” Kline said. “I think it’s wildly unfair in a variety of ways … it’s unfair to kids to say these tests are that important.”

The administration of ISASPs is a state requirement. The CRCSD made the decision to implement MAP testing and plans to continue its use for the foreseeable future. However, some schools are moving aways from standardized tests.

Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa decided to become a test-optional school in 2015.

Cornell President Jonathan Brand believed the diversity of Cornell would increase by not requiring an ACT or SAT score to be admitted.

“We want strong students from a broad range of backgrounds—regardless of their standardized scores—to know that we’re interested in them and that they may be a good fit here,” said

Brand in an announcement in 2015.

The decision to become test-optional was based on multiple analyses conducted by Cornell College professors. Other information was shown to be more useful to predict how successful a student would be, such as a student’s high school GPA. “The bottom line is that while both SAT and ACT are of some use as predictors of success at Cornell, there is a lot of variability among students and these test scores are only a small piece of the puzzle,” said Ann Canon, statistics professor at Cornell College, in a report in 2015.

Standardized testing does not always give administrators accurate information about a student’s academic abilities.

“I think there are a lot of students who do really well on standardized tests, but that might not correlate with how they learn in schools and vice versa,” Johnson said.

-Anabel Bradley

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Editors-in-Chief Anabel Bradley Joel Dillman

Designer

Ayrianna Sherwood

Staff

Abby Bunker Alyx Goldensoph Ava Schadt Bella Sawyer Emma Alcorn Isaac White James Belding Jasmine Hite Jersey Bilyeu Lizzy Hawkes Merideth Langton Noah Hargrafen Nolyn Melsha Neenah Al-Yassiri Sam Miranda Sonja Woerner Molly Martin

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Our Mission Statement The student staff and adviser are committed to producing top-quality student publications, applying high standards of writing, editing and production. These media seek to fairly serve the Kennedy High School faculty, students and staff showing no favoritism to any particular interest, individual or group. Final decisions about content are the responsibility of the individual editors and the Editorial Board.

Non-Discrimination Policy It is the Torch’s policy not to illegally discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, disability, religion, creed, age (employment only), marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or socioeconomic status (students/program only) in its educational programs and its employment practices.

Ownership The Torch publication, website, official social media and broadcasts serve as a public forum produced by the students in Journalism-Newspaper. Student editors make content decisions consistent with the Torch Editorial Policy, Iowa Law and ethics of journalism.

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5240 Edgewood Rd NE #600, Cedar Rapids, IA 52411

@KennedyTorch

jfk.torch

kennedytorch.org