Important Information Regarding Upcoming ELA Testing
January 6, 2009
Dear Parents/Guardians:
We will be administering the ELA State Exam to students in grades 6 on January 21st, 22nd, and 23rd and to grades 7 and 8 on January 21st and 22nd. Make-ups will be given the week of January 26th. The New York State tests are designed to measure how well students have mastered necessary skills and to monitor the effectiveness of instructional programs.
The purpose of the tests is to:
• measure a student’s knowledge and overall achievement
• measure a student’s mastery of specific skills
• provide information to schools that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of instructional programs
• monitor the performance of schools and school districts for the purpose of accountability to the public
To help prepare your student for the test, I have listed the following tips for test taking that you can discuss with your child:
• Ensure your child gets a good night’s sleep.
• Ensure your child eats a good breakfast.
• Encourage your child to listen carefully to the directions for each test and then follow them exactly.
• Encourage your child to look at all the answer choices before selecting one.
• If your child is not sure about the answer to a question, they should first eliminate any choices they know are wrong and then choose an answer from among those that remain.
• Encourage your child to pace themselves through the test and to note the time the test began.
• Encourage your child to do their very best on the test so that their scores accurately reflect their true ability.
Sincerely,
Steven J. Malkischer
Principal