What’s All This Assessment About?
We hear it all the time, from our kids, their schools, the news… “Our kids are over-tested!”
As a school district that cares deeply about its students and their mental and physical well-being, we completely understand how some students can become stressed out with all of the testing that occurs in school. From spelling tests, to biology tests, to state mandated tests, it seems as though students are being tested in some way every day.
It’s so important to understand the important role that testing, also known as assessment, plays in helping your children’s teachers best meet their academic needs each and every day.
Testing that occurs during the school year can take a variety of forms:
This testing is just a natural part of the educational process and helps everyone involved in a child’s education determine how to best meet his needs. We pride ourselves on using the information we gain from assessments to really explore the ways to help your children.
On the flip side, we have state mandated testing, one part of which is now known as the Smarter Balanced Assessment, or SBA. This assessment is given yearly and helps our state and our district determine how well we are preparing our children for future career and college success as compared to other schools and districts around the state and country. This is often the most stressful testing our students encounter, as the sessions can be quite lengthy. Please know that our teachers understand these stresses and work very hard to prepare students for them, both academically and mentally. Our schools take special care to ensure that this time is a time of calm and a time to celebrate the successful learning our students have done throughout the year.
Please contact your child’s school should you have any questions about the assessments your child takes. Our caring staff will ensure that you have a clear understanding and that you know the best interests of your children are always at the forefront.