Meeting House Hill School

PTO Newsletter

February 2012

The Connecticut Mastery Tests are scheduled to begin the first week in March. We are confident our students are well prepared, confident, and ready to shine. Your child will be tested on reading, writing, and mathematics. However, our fifth graders will take an additional test in the area of science.

The students will be asked a variety of questions. The Connecticut Mastery Tests provide an accurate assessment of how well students statewide are reaching the standards of achievement that have been established by the State Board of Education.

Due to the impact of legislation of No Child Left Behind, standards based testing (“standardized” means: the same test taken under the same conditions by all students) has grown greatly over the past few years.  Schools now receive a “report card” on what is referred to as their Adequate Yearly Progress (A.Y.P.).  The CMT tests will be given at Meeting House Hill March 3^rd through March 18^th.

The following are a few tips to help your child be successful:

• Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep. Each test is approximately one hour and can be tiring.
• Provide a nutritious breakfast so they can focus and feel energized.
• It is very important that your child arrive at school on time the days of the CMT’s. Testing begins promptly at 9:00 a.m.  If a student is just a few minutes late, they need to take the make-up test at a later date.

Most importantly, keep a positive attitude about the tests. We encourage you to have a conversation about each test by asking questions that build confidence:

• “What went well on the CMT today?”
• “What test do you take tomorrow? How do you feel about that test?”

Keep in mind, too much talk about the tests can create anxiety for children.  We want to assure them that they will do well and that we are confident in their ability.

For additional information on the Connecticut Mastery Test, please visit the following website: http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/cedar/assessment/cmt/index.htm

Sincerely,

Sarah McLain and Scott Bannon