Phoenix Families!

Smarter Balance Assessment (SBA) testing will begin on May 7th
with each grade testing on these specific days:
6th Grade – 7, 14, 23, 24 and 28
7th Grade – 8, 15, 20, 21 and 30
8th Grade – 9, 13, 16, 17 and 29
The benefits for your scholar’s participation in testing are as
follows:
• Assessments evaluate critical state standards, including
higher-level thinking, communication, reasoning, problem
solving, and application of knowledge and skills in new
situations.
• Teachers and staff can gain information about students’
progress toward meeting grade-level expectations (what
students should know and be able to do) in the core
academic areas of reading, writing, math, and science, and
can plan instruction accordingly.
• Students become familiar with the test and have several
chances to get feedback on their performance, before
taking the state assessment as a graduation requirement.
• Each student’s state assessment performance provides a
profile of the student’s strengths and weak areas in each
subject area tested.
• Parents and students can see student growth from year to
year.
Through a request to the state, parents can view their child’s
answers on their completed state assessment to gain a deeper
understanding of how their child is progressing on state standards.
Because the state assessment measures students’ progress toward
meeting standards, information regarding the performance of
district groups of students can help district staff make decisions
about the effectiveness of various instructional programs.
Please let your child’s teacher know if you have any questions.

Principal McCarthy