Testing Explained

Testing has been a part of school for ages. This page is designed to assist students and parents with understanding the purpose of each test administered at Shishmaref School, along with a basic guide to score interpretation, and links to further investigate test score usage.

Tests for...

High School Graduation

Work Keys - A test written by ACT. There is no minimum score set by the State of Alaska for achievement (and graduation)... just do your best, get a score, and you're good on this one.

Our students take three parts of the Work Keys: Reading for Information (RFI), Locating Information (LI), and Applied Mathematics (AM). Reported scores will range from <3 to 6 for RFI and <3 - 7 for LI and AM. The higher the score, the more questions you answered correctly.

Work Keys scores can be used in career investigation, job application, and the CTE category of Alaska Performance Scholarship (APS) application.

AVTEC Admission

TABE - Test of Adult Basic Education. The Alaska Vocational and Technical College (AVTEC) uses the TABE test for admission to specific programs. A qualifying score for one program may not be a qualifying score to another program.

College Admission

ACT - Although UAF and UAA do not require the ACT or SAT for admission, many colleges will require the ACT, or a similar test, the SAT.

Alaska Performance Scholarship

ASP - The Alaska Performance Scholarship is awarded to students who meet criteria in three areas: course completion, test scores, and grade point average (GPA). The scholarship can be up to $4,755 / year. Tests used for this scholarship application are the ACT or Work Keys.