Dear Parents,
Please take note of the date and time listed in the newsletter for your child’s virtual Back to School Night. These half-hour Zoom sessions will be filled with information from the teachers on how you can best support your child during distance learning. I will also be offering a brief presentation on the St. Rose curricular plan to make up for the learning that was lost due to limited instructional time last spring.
During the next two weeks the 3rd through 8th grade teachers will be administering the Renaissance STAR Assessments in reading and math. The purpose of student testing has greatly evolved in recent years. Educators today use testing primarily to inform instruction. Yes, some test results are reflected in a child’s report card, but this is definitely not the case for STAR or the other formative assessments used by St. Rose teachers. STAR Assessments are administered four times a year so that teachers can track student growth and plan accordingly.
The STAR Assessments are adaptive tests that students take on the computer. By design, there will be some questions your child is not able to answer, and this is nothing to worry about. Although we have greatly appreciated your support with distance learning, in order to provide us with accurate, usable data it is important that you not help your child with this assessment. Our 3rd through 8th graders have lots of experience with STAR testing and are pretty proficient with using the application. Teachers will proctor the test on Zoom and will be able to assist students who need help getting started.
Most of our 1st and 2nd grade students have taken the STAR assessments in the past. However they don’t have enough experience to log into their Renaissance account on their own, so we are asking that an adult administer the STAR Assessment at home. Although we need each child’s test to be completed by September 10th, you can choose a time and date that is convenient for you. Gleaning accurate data from these tests will help Mrs. Mueller and Mrs. Swenson Aguirre to back fill any deficiencies caused by the lack of instructional time last spring. They will be sending you detailed instructions and will be available to assist you, if necessary. Again, when it comes to your child actually answering the test questions, no help is the best help you can give.
I look forward to seeing you on Zoom during the various Back to School Night sessions. I have missed you.
Sincerely,
Kathy Ryan
Principal
