On May 5-7, students will be taking the Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA). KSA is a test where students take all the knowledge they have learned throughout the school year and put it into one single assessment. 

KSA has been the state test since 1990. This test is only given to grades third through eighth grade, and tenth grade and eleventh grade. These students are tested on reading, mathematics and science. 

Kentucky students take KSA to meet federal and state testing requirements. In previous years the test was called Kentucky Performance Rating for Educational (According to the Kentucky Department of Education) or more commonly known as K-Prep. K-Prep was made by Kentucky teachers and they go with Kentucky Academic Standards in each subject.

Students took it in the morning and after they are done they have all of their afternoon classes. While KSA was happening the freshman and senior students went with their schedule as normal. 

KSA is to see if students in those grades are proficient and making progress in those classes. The goal of KSA is also to make sure students are able to know the content for each grade.

“I think it is good for the school and students to make sure we are able to know the content,” Ethan Adhikary (11) said.

While some students like this test other students have other opinions on it. Some students think that they think it is a waste of time to do KSA and not to do other school work.

“I don’t like KSA, I think it is a waste of time and it is not fun to do,” Maren Orme (10) said.

Schools use KSA results to figure out where students might need extra help and to improve teaching. While it can feel like a lot, the main goal is to support students and make education stronger overall.

“I feel prepared because I have really good teachers and they have been teaching us all year to prepare for this test,” Parker Moses (11) said.

The results don’t just affect students; they help teachers and schools see what’s working and what needs improvement. Even though testing can feel stressful, it’s mainly used to make learning better and support students moving forward.

“I think the test is stressful but I know I will be okay because of all the work I put in,” Drew Phetzer (10) said.

Overall, KSA is good to see how well the students are doing with their grade level and to make sure they are performing. Also, this test is to see how well the teachers are doing with educating the students in their respective subjects.