On September 23, 26, 27, and 28, Edison High School (EHS) freshmen and seniors took a 2-hour long Start Strong test. These tests were intended to be an indicator of learning gaps due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Despite promises of ease and “immediate results to educators” according to NJ’s Assessments Resource Center, both teachers and students are skeptical about its value.

 “We were told going into the test that it was not going to count for anything so we found no point in doing it, most of us just half-answered and submitted within 30 minutes,” Avinash Aravind ‘23 said.

Keona Rose ‘24 said that testing placed “unnecessary stress for students, as we already have tests in our other classes.” 

Not just a nuisance, testing also affected  teachers’ schedules and plans. 

“[Testing] slowed down curriculum and put us behind schedule on what we had to learn,” said French teacher Ms. Deana Loria. “Because of this, we were unable to get to certain lessons I had planned.” 

Similarly hampered, students found issues with productivity in class. 

“The strange class lengths made learning weird,” Avinash added. “Some classes dragged on for so long you lost attention and other classes were so short you could barely settle into the class routine before they ended.” 

Oluwanifemi Omoniyi ‘24  had other complaints about the schedule, saying that “the schedule was the most ‘goofy’ thing known to man,” and that “every day felt like a guessing game.”

It is unknown whether the Start Strong assessment will join the existing set of standardized tests as of now, but considering that this is the second year it has been administered, students can expect to be tested again next year.