August 19, 2009

Dear Parents/guardians

A well-designed assessment program provides information to support educational decision-making.  Measurement of student progress is best done using multiple assessments.  No single test does it all.  We frequently evaluate information acquire the best data to drive our instructional programs.

Recent changes in Pennsylvania law and academic standards created a need to modify how we measure student achievement.  We will continue to administer some of our assessments early in the year to provide a diagnostic tool for teachers to use to improve instruction in their classrooms.  These results will be compared longitudinally with subsequent assessments to demonstrate trends and individual student gains.  Web-based assessments provide our staff with immediate feedback to generate changes in curriculum and instructional strategies used in the classroom. 

Individual student scores from district and state assessments can be used to assist teachers in identifying students who may be in need of additional educational opportunities, while school scores provide information to districts for curriculum and instruction improvement discussions and planning.  Our goal is provide our staff and parents with high quality assessment that drives our district to higher standards of educational excellence.  Attached you will find a testing schedule for your future reference.

Sincerely,

Wayne P. Gdovic

Acting Superintendent

South Allegheny School District