Principal, Neely Woodley
Assistant Principal, Desaree Jackson
Assistant Principal, Kelly Smitherman
(205)685-8100
Dear Parents and/or Guardians:
The Thompson Middle School administration and counseling department would like to inform you about our upcoming end of the year test entitled ACT ASPIRE. This is an assessment which tests our students on the College and Career Readiness Standards, including content knowledge and skills. We have been working diligently to incorporate College and Career Readiness Standards into your child’s learning and are excited about the opportunity to take the ACT ASPIRE. We will be giving this test on April 12-14. The testing dates and subjects will include the following:
· Tuesday, April 12 7th and 8th Grade Reading
· Wednesday, April 13 7th and 8th Grade Math
· Thursday, April 14 7th and 8th Grade Science
Please schedule all necessary appointments before or after your child’s testing dates. If your child has an I.E.P., ESL accommodations, or a 504 plan, your child will receive testing accommodations that coincide with their plans.
During testing, cell phones and all other electronic equipment/devices would be best left at home. If a cell phone or electronic device is brought to school, your child must turn off their device and store it in their locker. Alabama State Department of Education has a strict policy against electronic devices and cell phones with regard to testing. This policy reads as follows:
The possession of a digital device (including but not limited to cell iphones, MP3 players, cameras, or other telecommunication devices are capable of capturing or relaying information) is strictly prohibited during the administration of a secure test. If a student is observed in possession of a digital device during the administration of a secure test then the device will be confiscated. If a student is observed using a digital device during the administration of a secure test, testing for the student will cease, the device will be confiscated and is subject to search. The student will be dismissed from testing, and the student’s test will be invalidated.
Please have your child to school by 7:50 a.m. each day. Students should bring #2 pencils to testing; mechanical pencils are not allowed. Calculators may be used only on the ACT Aspire math portion on Wednesday, April 13. Students may use any four-function or scientific calculator. For a complete list of calculators which are prohibited, visit our website at http://tms.alabasterschools.org/. Please allow your child to get plenty of rest the night before testing and eat a good breakfast each morning. This examination assists our school staff with understanding your child’s academic needs, so we want all of our students to do their very best when taking the ACT ASPIRE.
Sincerely,
Neely Woodley
Neely Woodley
Principal, Thompson Middle School
Prohibited Calculators
· Calculators with built-in computer algebra systems
Prohibited calculators in this category include:
· Texas Instruments:
· All model numbers that begin with TI-89 or TI-92
· TI-Nspire CAS—Note: The TI-Nspire (non-CAS) is permitted.
· Hewlett-Packard:
· HP Prime and HP 48 GII
· All model numbers that begin with HP 40G, HP 49G, or HP 50G
· Casio:
· fx-CP400 (ClassPad 400)
· ClassPad 300 and 330
· All model numbers that begin with CFX-9970G and Algebra fx 2.0
· Handheld, tablet, or laptop computers, including PDAs.
· Electronic writing pads or pen-input devices—Note: The Sharp EL 9600 is permitted.
· Calculators built into cell phones or any other electronic communication devices.
· Calculators with a typewriter keypad (letter keys in QWERTY format)—Note: Letter keys not in QWERTY format are permitted.