Dear New Lebanon Families:
This spring, our schools will administer the NYS Grades 3-8 assessments in English Language Arts (April 11-12) and Math (May 1-2).
The most important thing we want parents to know is that the state assessments provide us with important data that we use to improve education for all students. We view these tests as a measure of our performance, not your child’s. For example, if we find that a grade is struggling with a math concept, we may enhance instruction in that area with new resources or with different instructional approaches.
Our teachers, staff and administrators do everything we can to make students feel confident taking exams. As with any test, we ask our students to simply do their best. In response to parent and educator concerns, New York State has made a number of changes to testing since 2015. These include:
Fewer test questions: Exams will be shorter with fewer questions in ELA and Math.
- Untimed tests: Students will have as much time as they need to finish exams at their own pace. However, most students take 60-90 minutes.
- More teacher involvement: The state has increased the number of teachers who create and review exams.
- Results not tied to evaluations: Exam results will not be used to evaluate teachers or principals.
- Fewer days of testing: The state has removed 2 testing days.
If you have any questions at all, please contact me or your child’s principal. We want to ensure that you have all the answers you need on this important issue. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Leslie Whitcomb
Superintendent