Dear Parents/Guardians,

Formative assessments play an important role in education. A formative assessment is a tool for evaluating student learning during teaching in order to gauge whether students are understanding material at that identified time. It is a learning tool, not a final evaluation of mastery. Formative assessment helps teachers alter their approach to the learning objectives if students are struggling with or exceeding grade level standards.

Over the next few weeks, we will be using Star 360 as a formative assessment in grades 1 through 5. The Star 360 assessment will provide more intuitive information that will help to plot the course for what each student needs in their learning. This assessment is only one of several methods used to monitor progress and achievement over the year.

Star 360 assessments are computer adaptive and automatically adjust each question based on how the student answered the previous prompt. This reduces testing time and limits frustration and boredom. We encourage students to try their hardest and do their best, while recognizing that any assessment is an in-the-moment snapshot and not the final word on a child’s understanding or skill. Certainly a good night’s sleep and a healthy breakfast will go a long way toward minimizing test anxiety and we appreciate your support in this regard.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the Star 360 assessment.

Sincerely,

Becky Fortier, Principal