by Savannah Hoye

ATLANTIC, IA- Each public school district must give standardized tests. President George W. Bush signed the “No Child Left Behind” law on Jan. 8, 2002. The law states that every student in the United States is required meet a level of proficiency. Many people are wondering if this is a realistic goal. When asked that question, Atlantic Schools superintendent Michael Amstein said, “We’ll try and give it our best shot.”

Seniors are not required to take the test. Out of the three remaining high-school grades , only one grade must take the test to meet the federal requirement. Juniors were selected for Atlantic High School because they have the most experience with the four core subjects that are tested: social studies, math, reading and science.

According to Amstein, the goal for this year is to get Atlantic off the DINA (District In Need of Assistance) list and also to get our middle school off of the SINA (School In Need of Assistance) list. Teachers have a good idea of what will be on the ITEDS. Their objective is to review prior to taking the actual test. If students are struggling with a subject, the teachers are expected to not only make sure the students are well equipped for the test, but also to continue working to improve students’ understanding throughout the year.