Family Guide to State Test Results

Each spring, your child takes a state test in math and English language arts to measure how well they are learning the concepts and skills in each subject. The state test is one of several measures, including report card grades, classwork, and teacher feedback, that together give you a more complete picture of your child’s academic progress.

This guide provides important information such as how the test scores are used by teachers and how you can use the results to help your child.

  • What does my child’s test score mean?

    • Your child’s score shows how well they met grade-level expectations in math and English. You’ll also be able to see how your child did in comparison to peers across the grade, school, and district.

  • How will my child’s score be used by teachers?

    • Teachers can use scores to better understand where a child is doing well and where more support is needed. This can help to inform their instruction in the classroom so they can provide additional practice or more challenging work when needed. Scores are also used to measure how well schools, districts, and states are doing.

  • How can I use the scores to help my child improve?

    • You can use your child’s scores to understand where they are doing well and where they need some more support. You can also use the score report to guide a discussion with your child’s teacher(s) and get connected to resources to use at home.

  • What resources can I use to help my child?

  • What if my child did well on their report card last year, but not as well on the state test?

    • The state test isn’t meant to tell the whole story. It is meant to be combined with other measures, including report card grades, classwork, and teacher feedback, to give you a more complete picture of your child’s progress. According to teachers nationally, the best way to understand your child’s overall academic performance is to stay in regular contact, so talk to the teacher to get the full picture.

  • What types of questions are on the test?

    • The test matches what students learn and do in the classroom every day. It asks students to apply critical thinking and writing skills, and explain their reasoning, but also includes traditional multiple-choice questions to measure understanding. To see your state’s practice test, click here.

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