Dear 3rd - 8th Grade Parents/Guardians:
According to the Every Student Succeeds Act federal law, each state must assess its students annually. Pennsylvania administers the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) to students in grades 3 through 8.
The PSSAs are comprised of tests in three subject areas – English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. MaST Schools will be following the following testing schedule:
3rd-8th English Language Arts - April 23, 24 & 25
3rd-8th Mathematics - April 29 & 30
5th & 8th Science - May 1 & 2
The PSSA tests are important tests and the results become a permanent part of each student’s record. They may be used to support academic placement into specific courses or programs.
PSSA testing will be online this year, so please ensure students in grades 6-8 come with a charged Chromebook each day. Students in grades 3-5 have Chromebooks in their classrooms. Please see Mr. Swoyer’s letter for more information regarding the transition to online testing.
As per Section 4.4 of Title 22, Chapter 4, any parent or guardian who believes that he/she may have a religious objection to his/her student participating in the PSSAs may make a request to the school to review the PSSA test(s) for which they may have a religious objection at least three weeks prior to the test administration. Please contact your student’s principal should you wish to review the test(s). If the parent/guardian wishes to request a religious exemption after reviewing the test(s), the parent/guardian must provide a letter addressed to the CEO stating which specific assessment conflicts with their religious beliefs. Parents viewing the assessment must sign a confidentiality agreement.
If you or your student(s) have any questions about this test, please feel free to contact your student’s School Leader:
MaST - Mrs. Santiago (psantiago@mastccs.org)
MaST II - Ms. Brophy (lbrophy@mast2.org)
MaST III - Mr. Serpiello (pserpiello@mast3.org)
Our teachers and students have been working very hard at ensuring that they are ready to take the test, and do their absolute best. We are asking for your support so that students arrive on time each day, get a good night's sleep, eat a nutritious breakfast, and are mentally ready for the test.
We are asking for your help in getting our students to school on time for the duration of the tests. The tests will begin promptly at 8:30 AM each day. If your child is running later than that, they will be sent to the “late” room to complete their test. Breakfast will continue to be served, however, we would like the students to arrive in a timely manner so they are able to eat, and get to their classrooms as quickly as possible.
In an effort to encourage the students to do their best, we are allowing the students to have an option for what they’d like to wear to school on testing days.
Test takers will be able to wear the following on testing days:
MaST gym uniform
MaST regular uniform
Please be mindful that PSSA testing is rigorous, and the students will need extra encouragement from both home and school to be successful.
Sincerely,
John Swoyer,
Chief Executive Officer
MaST Schools Administration
Helpful Resources:
MaST Schools: PSSA FAQ Document
MaST Schools: PSSA Testing and Vacation Policy Document