Student Assessments

February 2024

Dear Families,

Each spring, all students participate in standardized end of year state assessments that provide you and your child's teachers with information about how your child is progressing academically. This helps educators know how to best support your child to ensure your child is ready for the next grade level and, ultimately, success in life. The tests are one of several indicators in combination with report cards, teacher feedback and classroom work, that create a complete picture of a student's progress in school.

High School students in Delaware are required to complete the PSAT 10 in 10^th grade and SAT during the school day in 11th grade. Students in grades 3 to 8 take the Smarter Balanced Assessment in English language arts and mathematics. These online, adaptive tests are designed so that students can demonstrate what they know and can do, including those who are learning English or have special needs. Family reports are mailed home statewide over the summer.

There are also requirements for annual end of year science and social studies testing. In science, students in grades 5, 8 and 10 take the DeSSA Next Generation Science Assessment. This assessment asks students to demonstrate their progress toward mastery of the Next Generation Science Standards, or NGSS. DeSSA Social Studies is the state's student testing program for social studies for grades 4, 6, 8 & 11. This is aligned to Delaware's Social Studies Standards and the Delaware State Standards for Literacy in History/ Social Studies.

Each year, students in English learner programs take the ACCESS for ELLs language proficiency test. The test measures academic English language proficiency for students learning English in our school and throughout our state.

All assessments are computer-based and are taken in-person at school. As with all statewide assessments, teachers will use end of year assessment scores as one of many measures to determine your child's progress. The scores will be included with multiple measures to identify strengths and weaknesses in your child's learning pattern to identify ongoing strategies to best meet the needs of your child. For parent resources about these assessments, please visit https://education.delaware.gov/educators/academic-support/standards-and-instruction/digital-de/assessment/ or our district page milfordschooldistrict.org under "Assessment and Accountability".

On December 10, 2015, the Every Student Succeeds Act o/2015 (ESSA) was signed into law. Section 1112(e)(2) of ESSA states that parents and families of students in Title I schools have a right to know about state or district policies regarding student participation in any assessments mandated by ESSA, including any policy, procedure, or parental right to opt students out of such assessments. If you would like to receive information about this topic, please contact your child's principal.

Sincerely,

Dr. Bobbie Kilgore, NCBT

Supervisor of Instruction