[School Letterhead]

[Insert Date]

Dear Parent or Guardian:

We are pleased to announce that our school has been chosen to participate in the 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what students know and can do in various subjects. It is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics, within the U.S. Department of Education. NAEP is different from our state assessment because it provides a common measure of student achievement across the country. The results are released as The Nation's Report Card, which provides information about student achievement to educators, parents, policymakers, and the public.

At our school, NAEP will be given on [insert assessment date] and will take about two hours. A random sample of our grade [insert 4 or 8] students [insert (1) will be or (2) has been] selected for the assessment, and your child [insert (1) may or (2) will] take an assessment in one of the following subjects: mathematics, reading, writing, civics, geography, or U.S. history. In addition to questions in the assessed subject, students are asked questions about their daily routine and educational experiences. For example, students are asked if there is a computer at home and about the amount of reading they do. Students are not asked about personal beliefs or attitudes and may skip any question or part of the assessment that they do not wish to answer.

All assessment responses are confidential, and no results will be reported for or about individual students or schools. This means that the names of students who participate in NAEP are not recorded on the materials that leave the school, and your child’s grades or progress in school will not be affected in any way by his or her participation. Students with Individual Educational Plans (IEPs), Section 504 Plans, or English Language Learner Plans will be given accommodations.

We encourage and appreciate the participation of all selected students as they represent students across Florida and the nation and help to provide data that can be used by educators and policymakers to make decisions about education.

There is no need to study in preparation for NAEP, but please encourage your child to do his or her best. Resources that provide more information about NAEP are listed below.

·  A brochure that explains what participation in NAEP means for you and your child is available at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/parents/2012469.pdf.

·  General information can be found at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard.

·  Sample questions can be found at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/booklets.asp.

·  Previous results can be found at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata.

If you do not want your child to participate in the assessment, please notify [insert name and title of individual to be contacted], in writing, by [insert deadline for notification].

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact [insert name, title, telephone number and/or email address of individual to be contacted].

Sincerely,

[insert signature of school principal]

[insert name of school principal]

Principal