SBAC Testing begins Monday

Statewide testing, known as the SBAC (Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments) begins on Monday and will run through the next 3 weeks, ending on May 8th.   Each grade level, from 3rd through 6th, have a separate testing schedule, so the days your child takes his/her test will vary.  Teachers will provide their individual testing schedules to families.

Students will take online tests in English/Language Arts and Mathematics.   Both subjects also have a Performance Task component as well.   There are no time limits on any of these tests but the total amount of testing for 3rd-6th graders is about 7 hours- hence the reason why we spread out the testing over 3 weeks.  Students have been practicing the test by logging into the online testing environment and taking sample questions.   

What can you do as a parent to prepare your child?

• Please make sure children arrive at school on time.  Some of the testing begins at the beginning part of the day so getting to school on time is always important- but especially during testing.

• Make sure that your child is getting a good night’s sleep and eating a healthy breakfast.  

• Encourage your child to do the best they can but not worry about results.  Use the growth mindset ideal of praising the effort and not the outcome.   Because the tests are computer adaptive, and test questions become more difficult as the student correctly answers questions, students WILL hit a wall eventually on the test.  

• Remind students the SBAC is a way for the school to learn how and what is the best ways to teach students.   A student’s individual results will not have an impact on grades or progression through the grades.  The results we get as a school will help further refine our instructional practices to some degree.  

Since this is the first year the SBAC is official, we will all be entering a learning curve.  Learning how to log-in, how much time each test actually takes, and coordinating schedules are just a few of the complexities we, as a staff, are working through.  We anticipate a few bumps in the road, as with any first year test, but will plug on!  In the end, all will be fine and we’ll come away from testing better for it.

Have a great weekend.

Wade Spenader- Principal