Arrowhead Sophomores to Take Forward Exam

Sophomores at Arrowhead High School are required to take the Wisconsin Forward exam on Monday, April 18 and Tuesday, April 19. Each student has been assigned one of the listed dates to take the assessment.

The Forward exam is a 100 minute, state-mandated exam that has been introduced just this year by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Students will be excused from classes during their scheduled test times.

Cell phones are strictly prohibited during testing.

Sue Casetta, Arrowhead’s Director of Learning, says, “To ensure all students have an optimal test environment, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction prohibits the use of electronic devices in the testing rooms. Students are required to leave cell phones in their lockers or at home for the day.  If a student has a cell phone or other electronic device, it will be taken to the office and returned to him or her at the end of the day.  We ask for student cooperation with this requirement.”

This statement was made in an email sent out to all Arrowhead sophomores.

Jaxson Carr is a sophomore at Arrowhead High School, and will be taking the Wisconsin Forward exam on Monday, April 18.

“I don’t really understand why we have to take another social studies related test,” Carr says, referring to the mandatory civics exam that all freshmen, juniors, and sophomores were required to complete in February.

The Wisconsin Forward exam is not like the civics exam in the sense that there is no required score. According to Casetta, the results are communicated back to students and their parents to “provide information about student performance which allows students to reflect on their achievement and parents to understand what their child knows and is able to do in social studies.”

Carr says, “I just hope that the teachers accommodate lesson plans for what we will be missing. I’m definitely not going to want to have a ton of work to make up right after a two hour test.”

Laptops will not be available for checkout at South Campus on the days that the test is taking place.

“Furthermore, to reduce noise and distraction around the testing rooms, the library will be closed on April 18 and 19.  If you regularly checks out a laptop from the library circulation desk, laptops will not be available those days because they will be used for testing.  Students will need to plan accordingly.”