To ensure students are placed in the most appropriate courses, placement tests are administered by the middle school math and science departments, at Harvard-Westlake. All incoming students of Harvard-Westlake took a math placement test on April 26. Current students taking Algebra II are required to take placement tests to make sure their skills align with Harvard-Westlake’s expectations, especially as 7th and 9th grade incoming students come from 246 schools with varying academic programs.
“The math placement test is a quick snapshot of where you are in your math skills so we can find the course that’s most appropriate for your academic journey,” Math Department Chair Suzanne Halloran said. “If at any point you feel that your placement isn’t quite right, we’re happy to work with you to make any necessary adjustments.”
In addition to the math test, eighth grade students also took a biology placement test to help the science department place students in courses where they’ll be most successful. The test allows teachers to see if students are suitable for Honors Biology, as it assesses their foundational knowledge and readiness for more rigorous material.
“I feel like the bio placement tests are helpful to the students because it helped us be aware of what class they should take by how they felt about the test,” Claire Ha ’29 said. “For example, if it was hard for them, they should consider taking regular biology, but if it felt easy, they should take honors for a challenge.”
