On Wednesday September 2, 2015 the Delaware Department of Education released the overall results of the Smarter Balanced Assessments in Math and ELA English Language Arts). Overall, the proficiency rates are exactly where we expected they would be, especially for schools with a higher concentration of at risk populations.
We have long maintained that an assessment is only effective when weighed against its intended use and purpose. The true purpose of assessments should be to determine gaps in learning and ensure that the state is directing the appropriate resources to the students and schools that need it most. As parents, it is our responsibility to make sure that any assessments our children take serve this purpose and this purpose only. Testing outcomes used for any other purpose, have no value for parents, teachers or students.
In the next two weeks, parents across the state will begin to receive their student’s SBAC assessment report.
When looking at these scores, parents should be asking the following questions:
- What does this score mean for my child at the classroom level?
- How is the state ensuring resources are making it directly into the classroom to help my child and other students?
- How is the state supporting districts and teachers in using this information to make instructional changes?
- How is your district using the SBAC scores? Are they using them as a single indicator of student success?
We always encourage open and ongoing communications between home and school. This is also a great opportunity to engage your district leadership, school board, as well as the Delaware Department of Education on exactly how and why this test will help your student.
Look for additional PTA communications on how you can become involved and support our advocacy efforts to secure and protect your rights as parents; and ensure that assessment data is used to support, not punish our schools.
[Read more on DPTA’s position on SBAC and HB50]
