With 17 fewer classrooms than other high schools in the district, school wide testing is difficult. The STAAR test will be held in the gym when possible.

Administering the test in the gym provided enough room for the number of students testing and easily allowed teachers to go back to their classes with another teacher replacing them.

“We wanted to plan for the future,” freshmen Assistant Principal Adrienne Garcia said. “What is it going to look like next year, two years from now? Let’s go ahead and set that example now and have kids get used to it.”

Testing in an open gym with the freshmen or sophomore students presented challenges.

“We are a new school so this whole setup is new to Glenn and new to a lot of the Glenn students,” Garcia said. “Just because we got to make sure we communicate with the right people at in the right time.”

Students followed the directions and made the process run smoothly.

“I was pretty pleased . There were some minor things that we can always improve and get better,” Garcia said. “For freshmen they came in they were focused, they followed the instructions, we didn’t have any cellphones go off we didn’t have any watches go off, we didn’t have any cheating. They did an awesome job.”

Teachers also like testing in the gym more than the traditional classroom.

“I like it in the gym a lot better because I felt a little bit more supported by everyone,” AVID teacher Jennifer Sabrsula said. “When you’re in a classroom all by yourself as a teacher things come up, everything has to be just right and all the instructions have to be read. If you’re in a bigger environment you have way more support for someone to run in and assist you.”

Many students prefer testing in the gym over traditional classrooms as well.

“You have more room,” freshman Kaily Cook said. “Maybe they [administrators] could be more prepared in advance, like already have the folders taped before we test or have supplies on your desk.”

Some students still prefer testing in a classroom.

“I like testing in a classroom more because it’s a more quiet environment,” sophomore Devinn Stermer said. “It was distracting with the entire sophomore.”

AP testing will be held in the gym as well.

“Testing is a big deal,” Garcia said. “It’s one measure, one piece of data that will tell us how students are progressing. We are trying to make the best of it.”