April 2016

Dear Parent/Guardian:

Beginning in the spring of 2016, the South Carolina Department of Education will require an assessment called SC READY to be administered to students in grades 3 through 8. SC READY includes tests in reading, mathematics and writing.

The reading assessment items include selected response and evidence-based selected response items. Evidence-based selected response items will ask students to support their response with evidence from the text, including selecting multiple evidence statements or placing steps in the correct sequence. For mathematics, test items include selected response and gridded response. Gridded response questions require the student to write and bubble a numerical answer rather than select an answer from several choices. For the writing portion, students will read a passage and provide an extended response, citing evidence from the passage to support their writing.

These assessments will provide important information that will show how students are progressing at their current grade level and how they are progressing toward future college and career readiness. These scores will help your student’s teacher understand where your student is succeeding and where your student needs improvement. The SC READY test results will also be used for school, school district, state and federal accountability purposes.

You can find more detailed information about SC READY at http://ed.sc.gov/tests/middle/sc-ready/. A link to the parent brochure is at the bottom of that page.

In addition to SC READY, students in grades 4 through 8 will still take the South Carolina Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (SCPASS) in science and social studies.

SCPASS, which contains multiple-choice items only, measures the progress of fourth- through eighth-grade students toward the state’s academic standards in science and social studies. Each student can receive a score of “Exemplary,” “Met” or “Not Met” in each area tested.

Exemplary — The student demonstrated exemplary performance in meeting the grade level standard.

Met — The student met the grade level standard.

Not Met — The student did not meet the grade level standard.

For your information, the schedules for paper-and-pencil versions of the test appear on the next page. Please put these testing days on your family’s calendar. It is very important for all students to be at school and on time because all test sessions are mandatory. Students who are absent or tardy on test days will have to make up the tests.

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Grades 3-8

SC READY / Test Dates
Writing / Tuesday, April 26
Reading / Wednesday, April 27
Mathematics / Thursday, April 28
Make-up Testing / Through May 10

Grades 4 -8

SCPASS / Test Dates
Science / Wednesday, May 11
Social Studies / Thursday, May 12
Make-up Testing / Through May 19

Help us make your child feel confident and comfortable as your child takes SC READY and SCPASS tests. Be sure your child goes to bed early, gets a good night’s sleep, eats a good breakfast, and arrives at school on time. Teachers will instruct students on what to do with electronic devices during testing.

Sincerely,

Margaret Schilit, Assistant Principal