Important information regarding upcoming NYS grades 3-8 assessments

A message from Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction Rachel Anderson:

Dear Parents and Guardians:

The arrival of spring signals the start of another seasonal activity for our students in Grades 3 through 8. The annual New York State (NYS) assessments for English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics will be administered in a few short weeks. These annual tests are designed to measure how well students are mastering the NYS learning standards that guide our classroom instruction, and they help us to identify students who may need extra support. The tests also show us how our schools are progressing with the learning standards, and the data help us to determine where we may need to improve our academic programs. NYS assessment results are reviewed at every level by teachers and school leaders in order to make informed decisions about our students, our curriculum, and our instruction.

The State Education Department has made a number of changes to the annual Grades 3-8 English Language Arts and Mathematics Assessments over the past few years. A summary of these changes is below.

Untimed Testing

The Grades 3-8 ELA and Math Tests are untimed so students who need more time to demonstrate what they know and can do will be able to work at their own pace. This means that as long as students are working productively, they will have as much time as they need to complete their tests, within the confines of the regular school day.

Greater Teacher Involvement

Hundreds of New York State educators served on state-wide committees to write, evaluate and select questions for the 2024 Grades 3-8 ELA and Math Tests. Teacher involvement in writing and selecting questions will continue in future years.

Improved Resources for Schools and Parents

As in recent years, the State Education Department plans to release at least 75-percent of the test questions to help teachers and school leaders make decisions about future instruction.

Also, as in past years, the 2024 Score Reports for parents/guardians will feature a clear design with information about what students should know and be able to do at each grade level.

Computer-Based Testing

New York State is transitioning to computer-based testing for the Grades 3-8 Tests. In Guilderland, we have administered our Grades 3-8 ELA and Math Tests on computers rather than on paper since 2019. The computer-based tests have the same questions as the paper versions of the tests.

Students and teachers have been preparing for the computer-based tests over the past few months, and students should be familiar with the format prior to the test administration dates. The Question Sampler is available to the public online (https://cbtsupport.nysed.gov/hc/en-us/articles/115000943046-New-York-Question-Sampler), and may be used by parents/guardians and students to become familiar with computer-based testing.

Other ways parents and guardians can help students prepare for the New York State 3-8 Assessments include:

  • ensuring your child has a good night’s sleep before test day
  • encouraging your child to eat a healthy breakfast on test day
  • ensuring your child arrives at school on time on test day
  • encouraging your child to do their best on each assessment

You can find more information about the New York State 3-8 Assessments on the State Education Department’s website (http://www.nysed.gov/state-assessment/parent-resources), or by viewing our Parents’ FAQs document. If you have additional questions, please contact your child’s building principal.

We look forward to your child’s success with New York State tests this spring.

Sincerely,

Rachel Anderson
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction

The district is not responsible for facts or opinions contained on any linked site. Some links and features on this site require the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view. Visit the Adobe website to download the free Acrobat Reader. This website was produced by the Capital Region BOCES Engagement & Development Services, Albany, NY. Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved.