Understanding State Assessments

Parents and community,
As we approach our annual State assessment window, I wanted to shed some light on the assessments that both 9th and 10th grade students will take.  Through federal mandates, states are required to implement state run assessments for progress monitoring.  As you know the Colorado state assessment for years has been called the CSAP (Colorado Student Assessment Program).  This year thet state implemented new standards and therefore our new assessment is called TCAP (Transitional Colorado Assessment Program).  Assessments are designed to assess students on the material learned in classes as courses follow the state curriculum/standards.  The new TCAP will assess any and previous standards that are on the new adopted state standards.  These assessments are VERY important to schools as we receive a grade/rating based on student results.  As a staff we work dilligently to help students understand and respect the assessment as a progress tool.  I am asking your dilligence in both supporting the TCAP program and encouraging your son or daughter to take this assessment seriously to provide staff an understanding of how SLHS students are performing based on their instruction.  I do appreciate this community tremendously and know we will continue our partnership toward excellence.