R E G I O N A L SC H O O L D IST R I C T 13 OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT 135A PICKETT LANE, P.O. BOX 190 DURHAM, CT 06422-0190 TELEPHONE (860)349-7200 FAX (860)349-7203 www.rsd13ct.org K A T H R Y N Y. V E R O N ESI, E d. D. Superintendent of Schools RO NA L D M E L NI K Business Manager A M Y W. E M O R Y Pupil Personnel Director L I N D A C. B E R R Y, E d. D. Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment April 9, 2015 Dear Parents and Guardians of Students at Memorial and Strong Middle Schools, All Regional School District 13 students in grades 3-‐8 and 11 will participate in the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBAC) this spring. ŽŶŶĞĐƚŝĐƵƚŽƌĞ^ƚĂŶĚĂƌĚƐ͕ŽŶŶĞĐƚŝĐƵƚ͛ƐŶĞǁƌŽĂĚŵĂƉ͕ƐĞƚůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐ expectations for what students should know and be able to do at each grade level, so that by the time they graduate from high school, students are prepared to succeed in college and in their careers. The new assessments are designed to help parents and teachers measure student performance. The new standards are certainly a shift for everyone; however, by making this transition, we are better preparing our students to meet the future demands of the 21st century workforce. Our teachers and administrators are committed to working together to support students in meeting these new expectations. As with the previously administered CMT and CAPT, students will be assessed in English Language Arts and Mathematics. For students in grades five through eight, the SBAC testing window is April 27, 2015 ʹ May 15, 2015. Within this window, each building will develop a schedule that meets the needs of students. Students will take the tests using computers and the assessments will be computer adaptive. This means that the difficulty level of questions will change based on ĂƐƚƵĚĞŶƚ͛Ɛ success on the preceding questions. The new on-‐line assessments offer other significant improvements over previous state tests, including new types of questions that allow students to demonstrate a broader range of skills and the addition of Performance Tasks that ask students to apply their knowledge and skills to real-‐world problems. Questions include selected response (multiple choice), constructed response (short answer), essay writing, technology enhanced (video, animation, and sound interactive tools) and technology enabled (interaction, digital media, and manipulation of information). All students will practice using the technology before they take the assessments. Supports are available for students with special needs, as determined by an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan. To find more resources specifically designed for parents and guardians, including ways to support your child, please visit CTCoreStandards.org. If you have any questions ƉůĞĂƐĞĐŽŶƚĂĐƚǇŽƵƌĐŚŝůĚ͛ƐƉƌŝŶĐŝƉĂůŽƌŵĞ͘ Sincerely, Linda C. Berry, Ed.D. Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Regional School District 13 135 A Pickett Lane Durham, CT 06422