Talon
The Sandra Day O’Connor High School
25250 N. 35th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85083
Volume 14. Issue 1. October 2016
All About Elections Page 4
thetalonohs.com
Homecoming Recap Pages 10 & 11
Football Page 14
AP grading system:
Is not what it seems
Clowns victimize the nation as sightings in Phoenix increase By AUDREY SERRANO
Features Editor
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY EMILIE REiD By HAYDEN CUNNINGHAM Business Manager and Webmaster
Any AP student knows that the exam they take at the end of the year is the most stressful test of the class. However, the way these tests are graded is unknown to most people. The tests are scored on a scale of 1 to 5, with a certain percentage marking each score. But how do they find the actual
percentage for each grade? After all the AP tests are read and graded, they are placed in one long list. The Chief Reader, along with statisticians, find a “break” in the list where each score would be. They look at the number of students who got a majority of answers correct, then give them the five. The College Board, who writes and grades the tests, have the intentions on making a bell curve of
the grades every year. This means that the number of students who get a 1 and 5 are the smallest amount, with 2s and 3s being slightly larger, and the majority of students receiving a 3. The bell curve changes every year. If too many students got a 4, then the bell curve is shifted to the right, having those students receive a 3. This means that a student who receives a 5 one year could receive a 4 on the same test
if too many other students did better than them. This type of grading ensures that not many students receive a 5, and the majority of students receive a 3. Darrel James, former Assistant Chief Reader at College Board explains why they do this. “If a bunch of students do well, it’s considered easy to Colleges.” said
gives a feeling of security to the kids, students and staff,” said Bradley Garraway, head of security. Of course, these upgrades would not be possible without the constantly advancing technology that is available today. Keeping up with modern times has pushed schools to upgrade their technology. Mr. Mclain, assistant principal, and other members of the staff are always looking for ways to improve the school’s security through the use of technology. “We have recently upgraded some of our camera system in the past couple of years, and we are trying to keep up to date with technology, because as it improves we can use it to
our benefit,” Mclain said. High schools and elementary schools across the country have also invested in new technology, such as high definition cameras. These cameras allow em-
ployees to see and hear what goes on in parts of the school where a teacher or staff member can’t always be around. However, this doesn’t mean that students or staff
It started in August in South Carolina but then it spread to all 50 states. The clown plague soon took over social media as phones across the nation blew up with creepy videos and stories about the sightings and threats.
Read more about the creepy clowns on the talonohs.com!
Jump to page 2
District installs new features to keep students safe By EMILY REID Arts and Entertainment Editor
DVUSD has created a whole new sense of security with upgrades to the front offices of each high school in the district. Each school now has a barrier that any visitor must be authorized to enter by an employee. The new security features in the front entrance keep the staff focused on the safety of the students, while the new surveillance system keeps the security team very aware of their surroundings inside and outside of the gates. “These upgrades were made to create a safe and secure environment in a closed campus that is conducive to safety and really
should be withholding of any information about situations that occur just because the security cameras might catch it.
PHOTO BY EMILIE RIED New changes force visitors to travel through office to get into campus.