However, this program will cost the faculty members and the department heads much more time, and I hope that the Administration will support departments with the funding they need. The faculty members were involved in the creation and implementation of the academic portion of the Long Range Plan of five or six years ago, and each department made its own proficiency tests. These tests are intended to reinforce the school's academic priorities and objectives. This was an administration initiative that was part of the recent Long Range Plan, but it is one I totally support. We are already seeing results.
Students are much more focused on mastering the skills that are included on the tests.
This test will consist of one essay question created by the teachers of fifth form English. Students will be given two hours to produce an hour-length response to the essay questions, so that time pressure will not play a significant role in the final product.