November 24, 2004

Dear Students, Staff and Families:

State testing remains a "hot" issue statewide, district-wide, and nationally. The No Child Left Behind legislation requires districts to administer state devised assessments annually to grades 3-8. DCS administers state assessments in grades 4 & 8 (ELA, Math, & Science); social studies in grade 5 & 8; and tech in grade 8. The Terra Nova standardized tests are given to the remaining grades. Personally, my preference would have been to maintain status quo (or reduce the number of assessments to ELA and math). However, we have no choice. Next year your children will be given the state assessments at all grade levels 3 - 8. This change is occurring quickly and we are in the process of informing our teachers of the new state assessments. You can anticipate further information sent home by principals in the spring.

Let me say a word more about testing. "High stakes" testing has some value. It insures that districts are held accountable and keep pace with the state standards. It also has a large downside. It reduces curriculum time and sometimes can cause teachers to teach towards a "test", therefore losing the flexibility to modify curriculum each year. My greatest concern is that it can create unnecessary worry and anxiety, especially for some children. 

As a former high school principal I appreciated end of year regent exams. I think it helped me evaluate the success of our academic programs and to address any deficiencies. Students who do not perform well on "big" tests always had the "cushion" of four quarterly grades to soften the impact of their final grades if they were not good "test takers". I worry that undue pressure on younger children can reduce their enjoyment of school and create unneeded stress. As parents make sure your children receive the proper rest before an exam, but be careful that they do not overly weigh the importance of state assessments. Please call the building principal or classroom teacher if you are concerned about your child's reaction to the testing requirements. 

Testing can be a great asset to schools if the results are used appropriately and we maintain a balanced, healthy view of student success. Over the years I have met many highly successful people who did not break 1000 on the SAT. We have to be careful not to allow standardized tests to define us or create unreasonable anxiety. 

More information on the changes in the additional state assessments can be found by surfing the New York State Elementary & Education web page at www.nysed.gov. 

Sincerely,

Mark Villanti, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

> Back