![MORE THAN A GAME. With two diving catches in the outfield, the Lions showed up defensively, aiding in their victory over the Pacers. One catch was made by Atwood, and the other by McGraw. Throughout the game, the Lions knew that it wasn’t just about their victory today. “I think [playing for cancer] makes it bigger than just a game,” McGraw said. “Knowing that you have a bigger impact in this world than just who you are as one person.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/I70A1454-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Students in the National Art Honor Society work on the Mount Hood mural on the window of SouthLake Church. The students brought a variety of paints and mixed their own custom colors. “Instead of brushstrokes, we’re doing more dabbing, because it gives [a] better impression of tree foliage, rather than looking like actual brush strokes, because if we’re painting trees, we need it to look like trees,” Crawford said.](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_2397-1200x900.jpg)
WLHS adapts to national Smarter Balance testing
Students began the Smarter Balance testing program in 2015 under the new national Common Core standards. The test has gained momentum because of its controversy surrounding unnecessary testing for juniors.
Over April 13-24, juniors took the national Smarter Balance test for English Language Arts and mathematics. Because of the new testing format, like the addition of typed out answers and interactive tasks, administrators have worked to support students as well as the teachers.
“It’s a shift in the way we’re used to testing,” Annikke Olson, vice principal and one of the test administrators said, “but we’ve made adjustments midstream to try and accommodate things.”
Though juniors prepared with a practice ELA test in early April in their English classes, students worried because administrators and teachers had little information to give them about the testing platform and its implications.
Because many students and families believe the testing is too difficult for students or unnecessary for juniors, people are given the option to opt out. One of the problems with this is students belief that opting out of the test is as easy as signing a paper.
“The process starts with having a conversation with one of the administrators and us communicating with parents,” Olson said. “There is an importance of talking with someone and making sure they understand what (opting out) really mean(s), what the impact of test is, the purpose etc.”
While WLHS only has three students not taking the test, Lake Oswego High School had 160 plus students opt-out due to bombardment of testing placed upon juniors.
In their March issue, Lake Views, LOHS’s student newspaper, researched the Smarter Balance test and the Common Core standards to show juniors they could opt-out of the test.
“The test doesn’t accurately measure the ability of teachers and students,” Farah Alkayed, junior and photo editor of Lake Views said. “It’s just another congratulatory standardized test that we don’t really need to be taking.”
While some people believe testing is a waste of school time and resources, the testing period for the Smarter Balance program is not going away.
“Hopefully they won’t be changing testing often, but you have to start sometime, so this just happens to be the year,” Olson said.
Your donation will support the student journalists of West Linn High School. Your contribution will allow us to continue to produce quality content by purchasing equipment, software, and continuing to host our website on School Newspapers Online (SNO). Additionally, donations will go towards paying for the physical editions of our Amplifier. Donations of $20 dollars (as of Oct. 15, 2025) or more will receive a subscription to our Amplifier, which will be mailed to the donator's address (donations made with the intention of purchasing a subscription CANNOT be anonymous).
While most high school students spend their free time hanging out with friends, Julia Mogen, senior, is out at concerts or the movie theater looking for...
When she's not capturing touchdowns on the football field, or catching fly balls on the diamond, Brittany Park, senior can be found solving the latest...
![MORE THAN A GAME. With two diving catches in the outfield, the Lions showed up defensively, aiding in their victory over the Pacers. One catch was made by Atwood, and the other by McGraw. Throughout the game, the Lions knew that it wasn’t just about their victory today. “I think [playing for cancer] makes it bigger than just a game,” McGraw said. “Knowing that you have a bigger impact in this world than just who you are as one person.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/I70A1454-1-600x400.jpg)
