Testing will begin each morning at 8:15 am. We ask that you plan ahead and make every effort to ensure that your student(s) arrive at the school as early as possible for breakfast and a prompt start to each morning’s testing session. Students who arrive late will not be permitted to enter a classroom once testing has begun.
If your child will be dismissed early for an appointment on any testing day, please contact the office in advance. Due to state testing requirements, once students have started an assessment, they will not be able to leave and return to that test again. Other arrangements for testing will be made for students that miss a section of the PSSA assessment.
Each assessment is designed to measure students’ comprehension of grade-level concepts and skills. In each assessment, students will respond to multiple-choice questions and open-ended writing prompts. A copy of the individual student results will be sent to the school district for distribution to parents, teachers, and principals. The state will not receive any reports with individual names included. Results will be reported by the school for curricular and planning purposes. School districts will publish the results of PSSA testing for each school. The state will release school-by-school assessment data.
Since the PSSA is designed to help determine the quality of school programs, all students will be included. If parents do not want their child to respond to a specific prompt or to participate in the assessment due to a conflict with their religious beliefs, they must first schedule an appointment to review the tests by contacting the Elementary School Office on or after April 8, 2019. Next, the parent is required to write a note to the School District Superintendent, Mr. Dennis Peachey, to excuse their child from the assessment.
Please note that electronic devices are not permitted in the classrooms during testing. Electronic devices include cell phones, smartphones, E-readers, Nooks, Kindles, iPads, iPods, tablets, camera-ready devices and any other electronic device which can be used to photograph or duplicate test materials, access the internet and/or communicate with others during the testing. Students will be required to turn in all devices to their teacher prior to the start of testing. It is advised that all electronic devices remain at home during the PSSA test administration window.
Please remember that, by working together, and with your help and support, our students achieve their best on the State Assessments. One way to support your child during the testing weeks is to ensure your child is well rested. Another way to provide your support is to communicate to your child the importance of putting forth his or her best effort on these tests.
Please direct any questions to the Elementary School Office. Thank you for your support.