Randomly selected students will be taking a national standardized test run by the National Center for Education Statistics, on Wednesday, February 17.

“The test is used to create ‘The Nation’s Report Card,’ which provides statistics for schools and policy makers,” Marcus Cooney, senior who was selected to take the test, said. “These statistics can be used to alert people to the need for improvements in certain areas of education, or can validate the results of using new teaching methods.”

Students will be taking the standardized test today from 9:30am to 11:30am, or third period until halfway through fifth. According to Cooney, the selection of schools and the students from each school taking the test is mostly random.

“The schools chosen for the national test are selected randomly within groups based on how urban they are, or what region they are in,” Cooney said. “From these schools, about thirty students are randomly selected for each subject that is being tested.”

After taking the test, the scores will not be given back to students to see how they scored.

“My personal scores will be confidential and are only going to be used for statistical purposes by the National Center of Education Statistics,” Cooney said. “Taking the test completely voluntary, but highly encouraged.