Washington Elementary
April 2, 2018
NWEA Testing Purpose and Dates, April - May 2018
Dear parents/guardians and students:
Our students will be participating in the District 77 sponsored NWEA assessment in reading in math for grades K-5 beginning in April and ending in mid-May. Each grade will take a reading and math assessment. See information below for details about purpose of the assessment and the approximate dates each grade level with test.
NWEA Assessment Schedule:
Kindergarten: Week of April 30-May 4 and May 7
1st Grade: Week of April 30 - May 4
2nd Grade: Week of April 3 - 6
3rd Grade: May 9, 10 & 16
4th Grade: May 11 and 15
5th Grade: May 10 - 16
Understanding the North West Evaluation (NWEA)
What is the North West Evaluation (NWEA) assessment?
The NWEA Test engages students, parents and teachers in the use of data to inform student learning. NWEA results will help teachers plan for classroom instruction, small group instruction and additional time and support for enrichment and intervention
How is this test different from other tests students take?
Unlike the state mandated standardized test, the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA), the NWEA test is intended to:
provide immediate feedback to students, parents and teachers
establish student learning level, indicated by a RIT score
demonstrate growth in student learning overtime.
What is the purpose of this assessment?
The purpose of the test is to measure your child's progress and chart growth over time in areas of reading and math. Teachers use the results to set goals with students using the RIT score.
Which tests are given?
K-5: Spring (math and reading) for all students
K-5: Winter NWEA reading and math is an option for grade levels. Information is used formatively to check on learning progress, inform instructional groups and serves as a predictor for where students are related to proficiency targets for the MCA assessment in administered in grades 3-5.
How long does the assessment take to complete?
Typically students take between 25-40 minutes to complete each assessment.
How do I interpret the results using the RIT score?
The RIT score gives us a way to monitor students' progress over time. The score is independent of the age or grade of the student, but reflects the instructional level at which the student is currently performing.
The RIT scale is an equal interval scale much like feet and inches on a yard stick. It is used to chart your student's academic growth from fall to spring and year to year. A RIT score tells you where on the scale your child is performing.
You will be able to determine your progress in comparison to other students in District 77 and the norm group of over 1.5 million students in the United States and Canada.
When will I be able to determine growth in student learning over time?
The results from the spring test will provide you with the opportunity to see growth in student learning from the spring to spring in the areas of reading and math.
Be Proactive in preparation for student testing
The following ideas may help your child have a strong test day:
Get plenty of sleep 8-10 hours (not only the night before the test)
Daily exercise
Eat a balanced diet
Eat a good breakfast the morning before the test
Showering and dressing for success the morning before the test (builds confidence)
Positive conversations about doing their best on daily work, tests, engagement and focus during the school day
Encouraging your child to ask clarifying questions during class discussion
MCA Testing Updates and Calendar, Grades 3-5, April - May 2018
The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) and alternate assessment Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) are the state tests that help districts measure student progress toward Minnesota’s academic standards and also meet federal and state legislative requirements. Students take one test in each subject. Most students take the MCA, but students who receive special education services and meet eligibility requirements may take the alternate assessment MTAS instead.
The list below shows tests by subject and the grades they are given.
Ø Reading: MCA or MTAS (grades 3-8, 10)
Ø Mathematics: MCA or MTAS (grades 3-8, 11)
Ø Science: MCA or MTAS (grades 5, 8, and once in high school)
The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) is an assessment administered to all 3rd 4th and 5th grade students in the areas of reading and math. Additionally, 5th grade will take a science assessment.
The schedule for Washington Elementary is as follows:
3rd Grade Reading: April 9-11
3rd Grade Math: April 18-20
4th Grade Reading: April 16-18
4th Grade Math: April 24-26
5th Grade Reading: 3 test sessions on 3 days for each class between April 9-27
5th Grade Math: 3 test session on 3 days between April 5-17
Click here to access a resource that students use to practice reading and math skills.
Request for a Specific Learning Environment
Parents may wonder how students are placed in classrooms. As a staff we fully understand the importance of assigning students to homeroom teachers and that endeavor is taken very seriously. Grade level teams, special education staff, counselors and specialists work diligently to develop the schedule. The goal of the placement process is to create heterogeneous class units. This requires balancing the unique needs of each child with the overall school need for cohesive homeroom and classroom sections. There are several items taken into account when creating class lists, such as ratio of boys to girls, students’ educational and behavioral needs to name only a few. We believe that if we are successful in creating balanced homeroom situations, all students in each class will have the best chance for learning and success. In early spring, staff begins to develop the school’s schedule for the 2018-19 school year.
If you feel your child has an educational need which should be considered when we place students, please stop and complete a request for specific environment form May 4, 2018. Due to various reasons including retirements and change in staff assignments, completing this form does not guarantee placement. Only requests focused on educational need will be considered.
Please pick up and drop off this completed form in the office by May 4 2018. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Baier, Principal at 345-3059 or sbaier1@isd77.k12.mn.us . Thank you.
Counselor’s Corner
-Mrs. Ricke
School Counselor
After School Excel Dates
After school Excel meets Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of each week from 3-4 pm for student who are registered to attend. All Excel dates for the remainder of the year are listed below.
EXCEL dates remaining this year: January 8- March 14, April 3-April 11
Important Dates!
March 28-March 30- No School
April 2- No School
April 9- PTO Meeting @ 6:30pm in the Media Center
April 10-Two-Hour Late Start, school starts @ 10:15am
April 19- Kindergarten Round up 4:30-5:30pm and 6-7pm
April 20- Kindergarten Earth Day Celebration @ 1-2:30pm
April 27- Washington Art Show @ 5:30-7pm
May 7- PTO Meeting @ 6:30pm in the Media Center
May 8-Two Hour Late Start, school starts @ 10:15am
May 11- Walk-A-Thon & Picnic (more information coming)
May 16-4th Grade Trip to Farm America
May 17- 5th Grade Revolutionary War Field Trip
May 25-Kindergarten Picnic @ 11:15am-1pm
May 28- No School
June 1- 5th Grade Picnic/Family Gathering @12:30-2:30pm
June 1- Last Day of School!!
You can help raise money for your school!!
It’s easy to support your school with items you already use in your home or receipts from stores you already patronize!
Feel free to send any of the following to school with your student.
There are drawers in the hallway next to the lost and found to drop any of them off.
Each box top through Box Tops for Education is worth 10 cents. If each student turned in just 20 box tops during the year the school would receive around $800. Watch for Bonus Tops on participating products or as a coupon from your store purchase. Go to www.boxtops4education.com to sign up, enter sweepstakes and to see a list of the participating products. Box tops do expire so be sure to turn them in on time!
Through Kwik Trip’s Milk Moola program, each milk/juice cap and bag top is worth 5 cents. Please remember to rinse the caps and bag tops before turning them in.
Save your Hy-Vee receipts from both Mankato locations and they will donate $1 for every $150 spent through the Hy-Vee Kash 4 Kids program. The receipts must be dated during the current school year (Sept. 2017- May 2018) to qualify. Every little bit will add-up!
We have set up our PTO as an organization you can support through AmazonSmile.
Once you select us as an organization to support, we will receive 0.5% of the price of your eligible smile.amazon.com purchases.
Our unique link is: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/90-0542342