March 7, 2018
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Maine’s public school students in grades 3-8, and in the third year of high school, are required by state and federal law to participate in annual assessments in mathematics and English language arts (ELA)/literacy. Students in grades 5 and 8, and juniors in high school, are also required to participate in the MEA state science assessment.
The upcoming eMPowerME assessment of math, reading and writing is part of the overall Maine Comprehensive Assessment System. Our students will participate in these assessments beginning the week of March 19.
-The 8th grade students will take the assessments Monday through Friday during the week of March 19.
-The 7th grade students will participate in the testing on March 20, 21, 22, 23 and 26.
-Our 6th grade students will take the assessments on March 23, 26, 27, 29, and 30.
-Fifth grade students will take part in the assessments on March 26, 27, 29, 30, and April 2
While no single test can give a complete picture of a student’s achievement, these assessments, combined with other information (e.g., student performance on school-based formative assessments, daily classwork, and our Measures of Academic Performance universal screener), support our understanding of our students’ progress. The state assessments can help our schools to review and improve curriculum. The results can also highlight areas where an individual student needs additional support, where she/he has mastered the content, and where students might be challenged to go deeper into the subject matter. Educators use the information from these assessments to inform their instruction and provide more individualized learning opportunities for students. Parents can use the information to help support their child at home and guide discussions with their child’s teachers.
As always, it’s important that our students are well rested and well-fueled for these assessments. We’re confident that the quality instruction delivered by our staff, along with your support, will assist our students toward the goal of meeting the expectations Maine has established for their learning.
Thanks very much-
Joan Adler and Tom McDowell
HMS Administrative Team