TEMPLATE: Score Report Notification Letter to Parents
[DATE]
Dear Parent(s) and/or Guardian(s),
Last spring, your child participated in the new Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessment in English language arts and math. The new assessment, which replaced the DC CAS assessment in reading, composition and mathematics, is more rigorous and presents a fuller picture of student learning.
The student test scores released today establish a new baseline aligned with the Common Core State Standards adopted by the District. Your child’s score, as well as the school and district averages, may look lower this year. That is because the new test measures more complex, real-world skills, such as critical-thinking, writing, and problem solving. But just as we saw improvement over time on DC CAS, we are confident our results will improve in future years.
Having a more rigorous assessment helps inform teaching and learning by showing what the Common Core State Standards look like in action. These scores should not be compared to DC CAS scores because they measure different kinds of student learning.
It’s also important to remember that standardized test scores provide only one measure of student learning. When combined with other measures, such as teacher observations and in-class work, the PARCC test provides a more comprehensive picture of student performance.
Our ultimate goal is to ensure that all students are set up to be successful in college and beyond, and that will remain the focus for the District of Columbia this school year. We will be working hard to keep you informed about how we are supporting our teachers and students as we work toward that goal.
Teachers are the experts about what is happening in their classrooms and are an invaluable resource for parents. I encourage you to reach out to your child’s teacher(s) with any questions you may have about your child’s score report or academic trajectory.
If you have general questions or want more information about the assessments, please visit our website at [WEBSITE ADDRESS] or the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) at http://osse.dc.gov/.
Thank you,
