TESTING TIME ONCE AGAIN…………….

            If you have a child in grades 3-8 or high school, you know that each spring brings with it “Testing Time”.  Well, that time is here once again for our students to take the required state assessments for various grade levels in reading, math, writing, science, and social studies. 

            While state assessments have always been a part of the picture, they have taken on significant importance with the passage of the No Child Left Behind federal legislation and Adequate Yearly Progress.  Schools across the state are judged solely on progress on the state assessments.  In a smaller school, if one or two students in any sub-category do poorly, the school does not make AYP for that year.  ALL students are required to take the state assessments as no exceptions are granted.

            The current state assessment program began about 14 years ago with the lofty goal of improving instruction for Kansas kids.  The tests were designed to measure how students thought and problem-solved.  Over time, these tests have evolved, mainly due to the passage of the “No Child Left Behind” federal law.  The federal government passed laws that require each state to develop tests and, by the year 2014, be sure that every child is scoring at a proficient level or above on these tests.

              Students will be tested in reading and math at every grade level 3-8, and once during the high school years in reading and math (probably the 10th and 11th grades). The science assessment will be given to students in grades 4, 7, 10, and 11^th.  This year there will be no social studies state test as it was put on hold due to budgetary reasons at the state department and there will be no writing assessment as it was given last year and is only an every-other-year test.

            While our staff is doing everything in their power to gear themselves and our students up for taking state assessments, there are simple things you can do at home to prepare your child for these important tests:

            1.  Ensure your child gets a good night’s sleep.

            2.  Have your child eat a good breakfast the mornings of the tests.

            3.  Encourage your child to take the tests seriously and do their best.

              The testing dates for all the state assessments are from now until the end of the school year.  Because all students take the assessments on the computer, times will need to be coordinated so computers are free for usage.  Individual schools in the district will be posting the specific tests and the dates they will be administered.  You can contact your child’s school for specific dates/times.

            Good luck to all our students as they beginning “testing time”!