During the week of September 15, all MacArthur eighth graders took the Spanish Placement Test in their social studies classes.  Eighth-graders take this test to determine the level of Spanish they are eligible for at the start of high school. The test was in a Canvas course and included a writing prompt. Based on their scores, the students will be placed into a different level of Spanish if they decide to choose Spanish as their language elective in high school. 

Data Tech Ms, Ana Garcia said, “I really like it because it allows all of our Spanish speakers to demonstrate their capabilities of speaking Spanish, and it also keeps the Spanish language alive in a way.”

The test was 24 questions long, and students were prompted to write a 3-paragraph essay. As the test has been administered in previous years, it was given in the students’ social studies class. To do well, eighth-graders had to have an understanding of the language by being able to write and read in Spanish.

Eighth-grader Jazmin P. said,  “I was confident that I was going to get a good score.”

In high school, there are a lot of electives, and one of them is Spanish. There are other electives like woodworking, drama, band, cheer, and a lot more. To complete the A-G requirements as part of the University of California expectations, students need to take two years of a language other than English. Because there are many Spanish-speaking households in Santa Ana, all eighth-graders are screened with the placement test. Students who place high on the test will have an option of advancement or alternate course options.

Eighth-grader Joanna R said, “My experience of taking this test was kind of nervous, and I felt it was hard, but it was also very easy to do.”

The biggest difference in the 2025 test was that the test was given earlier. Usually, the test would be taken in January or February. Students were not given an explanation on the earlier testing window.