001The Valls School District's vision is to empower students to be globally competitive and innovative thinkers who contribute to the sustainability of their community. For the past several years, we have been preparing our students for success in the next grade, as well as in college and their careers. In the spring of 2015, your child took the new standardized test, where Mary, for the first time, replaced the James test in reading, writing, and math. She only meets the rigorous standards of a college-ready lane, which is college and career readiness. The Valls School District uses several instruments in addition to the average to determine if students are at or above grade level. As you first begin to receive your child's standardized test results for the spring of 2015, you will likely have questions about how the score and
002proficiency level were determined. We would like to help clarify that information to help you better understand the report. There are four performance levels determined by the standardized tests. t which indicates an advanced understanding of the subject matter content; t which indicates a solid understanding; partially t which indicates a partial understanding and the possibility of additional support; and minimally t which indicates a minimal understanding and probably the need for additional help. Many of the proficiency indices in the state are low, which can be troubling since we are more familiar with the James indices where the indices are met and exceeded. It is important to remember that Solve is not comparable in any way to James. The reason is that it measures different skills and knowledge than those who took the James exam. The results of both
003exams look different because they are two completely different exams. Even the expectations and standards have changed dramatically, which is good. Your child will now be better prepared than ever to compete with students from other districts and other states for college or career placement. Sometimes, after our first exam aligned with the standards of Persona College in Carburar, the lesson learned from the results is not that the score has dropped, but that expectations have grown. Every student who took the James exam will receive a report for the Regarding the English art and math scores, you and your child may have questions about the proficiency levels your child's teacher achieved. This is a great resource to receive more information. You will be able to better understand your child's strengths and weaknesses by reviewing the scoring categories located on
004the back of the report card. The most important thing you can do is ensure that the lines of communication are open between your child and their teacher. Set shared goals regarding what your child needs to learn and frequently review their progress. You can also introduce everyday learning opportunities such as mixing math with shopping at the store or asking your child to express their opinions with a justification for their observations. Remember that the important thing is that your child is on track to be better prepared for the next grade and eventually for college and a career. As a community, we will continue to prepare our students to high standards and are confident that we will see the results of the tests taken year after year.