Dear Liberty families,

As spring approaches, so do New York state assessments. Under the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, students in grades 3 through 8 must be tested yearly in Math and ELA proficiency.

Science testing will also take place for those in eighth grade. These tests will be held in April and May.

Math and ELA assessments will be computer based. Science testing will be done in two parts: a performance based lab and a written component.

ELA assessments will be given April 19 and 20, with April 24-28 as make up dates.

Math assessments will be May 2 and 3 with make ups May 5-10.

Eighth grade science testing, including make ups, will be May 23-25 for the performance based section. The written section will be June 5. Make ups for the written section will be done June 6-9.

New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Testing helps determine levels of service for English Language Learners. The speaking portion of the assessment will run between April 17 and May 26. The Listening, Reading, Writing components will be held during the window of May 15-26.

Although these tests have no bearing on students’ final grades, they do offer some important information.

• Parents learn about their children’s academic achievement;
• Teachers understand how well students are learning what is being taught;
  School, district, and state education leaders determine what is and is not working well;
• Stakeholders identify achievement gaps that may be forming among different student populations; and
• Students who do not do well on a state assessment, or who are not on track to become proficient in ELA, math, science, and/or social studies can qualify for extra instructional support, guidance counseling, attendance improvement services, and help with study skills.

Regents testing

For high schoolers, Regents and finals testing is held in June.

The US History Regents will be held June 1 and only students taking the exam will need to attend school. The remaining Regents and final exams schedule will begin Wednesday, June 14. These tests will be considered in the students’ final grades. Students must achieve a 65 on the Regents to get credit for the course. Mastery on a Regents exam is reached at 85 or above.

Testing tips

There are several tips to help students do their best on the tests:

• Study the subject matter regularly. Don’t try to cram in all the studying the night before.
• Get a good night’s sleep before the testing.
• Eat a good breakfast the morning of testing.
• Don’t rush the test. There is plenty of time to finish. There are no bonus points for being done first.
• Don’t get stuck on one question. Skip it and come back to it. Review the answers if there is time.

For more information about testing, please contact your student’s building principal.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan,

Superintendent of Schools