Madison Schools Chief Discusses Student Standardized Testing

*An important notice from Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice concerning upcoming standardized testing for students.

Dear Parents/Guardians of students in grades 3-8,

Districts across the state are required to administer an assessment for English/Language Arts and Mathematics from the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) in grades 3-8. In addition, the science CMT test will be administered in Grades 5 and 8.

When testing students, our priority continues to honor the needs of our students. We minimize test prep that takes away precious time from real teaching and learning. Over the next few weeks, the district will carefully introduce the digital tools and the vocabulary necessary for our students to perform at their best and to be at ease in the testing environment. Additionally, since the test requires typed responses, the free online tools, such as (http://www.typingclub.com), could be used for additional typing practice if desired. This is by no means required by the district.

Some of the tests will require the use of headphones for oral directions and multimedia presentations. Although there will be access to headphones in the computer lab, parents may prefer to send students with earbuds or headphones during the testing window.

Features of the SBAC

The tests are administered online and are computer adaptive, meaning that the test questions change at a certain point based on student responses. There is a range of question types. Questions will be presented in a variety of formats using vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to students. Some questions require the use of online digital tools. These tools are unlike any digital tools our students are familiar with, such as WORD, or Excel. Additionally, the SBAC will require typed responses only.

Testing Window

Testing windows are flexible within a designated period. Grades 3-8 will need 6 sessions of testing. Each session will take approximately 60 minutes a session for a total of 6-6.5 hours of testing for the SBAC administration. However, since the SBAC test is untimed, students might use more time, or less time, to complete the tests. The science administration will add an additional 75-80 minutes in grades 5 and 8. Please see the testing schedule on the website for details regarding the testing windows for the district (http://www.madison.k12.ct.us/page.cfm?p=17734 ).

We continue to be dedicated to providing a supportive and reassuring atmosphere for our students in our obligation to the administration of state tests. The online format, the new digital tools, and the unfamiliar vocabulary alone will suppress student performance. However, in order to ensure a humane testing experience, the district will dedicate a reasonable amount of time to prepare students.

If you have any questions or concerns, I ask that you contact me directly at (203) 245-6300 or via email scaricet@madison.k12.ct.us.

Thank you,

Tom Scarice