March 11, 2016 Dear Parents/Guardians, We are letting you know that we will be administering Maine Educational Assessments once again this month. The tests from last year are no longer and we are going back to this assessment which we have participated in for over 10 years. This is an annual event that focuses on reading, writing and mathematics for students in grades 3-8 and 11 and in science in grades 5, 8 and 11. We use this assessment to insure that learning is occurring and the information we collect informs us, the staff, on whether we are providing the appropriate level of instruction so that each student is prepared and ready for graduation. If you look at our vision statement, "Accountability is part of Islesboro learning culture. ", this does prompt me ask the question around how are we working together to holding ourselves accountable to every child's learning and what are the multiple pieces of evidence do we have to support that claim. Every public school system needs to participate and to assess their implementation of the curriculum and this allows us to see how we are doing compared to all other public schools in Maine. My own take and another part of my philosophy of teaching and learning is that we know that your child is more than a score. There’s more to a well rounded education than being able to take a test and do well so know we are making sure our students know that fact. By the end of the year, parents will receive information around how your child did in each area but know that their value as person has nothing to do with the number on the score sheet. We encourage students to try their hardest and do their best, while recognizing that any assessment is an in-the- moment snapshot and not the final word on a child’s understanding or skill. Certainly a good night’s sleep and healthful breakfast will go a long way toward minimizing anxiety and we appreciate your support in this regard. The testing window for students in Islesboro is March 14 th through April 12th. We have scheduled the first round of testing on Tuesday, March 22 st . We have structured our testing dates on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays mostly in the mornings. We are avoiding Mondays and Fridays. If you would like to discuss this assessment in more detail, in regards to your child, please email me at hknight@islesboro.k12.me.us at your earliest convenience. Sincerely, Heather A. Knight Principal |
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