March 29, 2021
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Each year, public schools in Connecticut are required by the state and federal governments to administer a number of mandated assessments to measure student progress towards the standards articulated in the Connecticut Core Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. While there were state and federal discussions about not conducting federally mandated testing of students this year, no relief was granted. Districts are required to give the assessments this spring as a means of evaluating the full impact of the pandemic on student achievement and growth. However, the state has applied for a federal waiver to decouple the results of these assessments from school and district accountability measures.
The general testing window for these state assessments is below. Specific information regarding testing schedules including accommodations for students who are currently in voluntary remote learning will be shared by your child’s school principal in the coming weeks.
April (after Spring Recess)
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Assessment - BHS (gr. 11)
May
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Assessment - WIS (gr. 5 & 8)
Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) - WIS (gr. 5 - 8), elementary (gr. 3 & 4)
As a district, we are committed to developing a comprehensive student profile that reflects the whole child; therefore, we consider the results of these assessments to be only one part of your child’s current performance, and not the totality of their achievement.
Should you have any questions, please contact your child’s school. You may also consult the Connecticut State Department of Education’s website for more information regarding the state-mandated assessments here:
https://portal.ct.gov/SDE/Student-Assessment/Main-Assessment/Parent-Resources/Documents
Sincerely,
Rachel M. Sexton
Assistant Superintendent