March, 2012 - PSD - Poudre School District
March, 2012 - PSD - Poudre School District
March, 2012 - PSD - Poudre School District
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Page 10 Riffenburgh Elementary <strong>School</strong> Newsletter <strong>March</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
Parents Can Help Prepare their Child for TCAP<br />
Testing (<strong>March</strong> 19-April 12)<br />
<strong>Poudre</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>District</strong> students are scheduled to take the<br />
state-mandated Transitional Colorado Assessment<br />
Program (TCAP) tests <strong>March</strong> 19 – April 12.<br />
The TCAP tests replace the former Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP)<br />
tests that students have taken in the past and which were based on the old Colorado<br />
Model Content Standards. The TCAP tests support school districts as they transition<br />
to the new Colorado Academic Standards.<br />
The TCAP, designed to measure standards that are common between the old and<br />
new standards, will assess the same content areas and grades as CSAP including:<br />
math, reading and writing in 3rd – 10th-grades. Science tests will also be given to<br />
5th, 8th and 10th-grade students. According to state law, every Colorado student<br />
enrolled in a public school is required to take either the TCAP or CoAlt (alternate<br />
assessment).<br />
Parents can prepare their child for these tests in several ways:<br />
Ensure your child gets a good night’s sleep.<br />
Provide your student with a nourishing breakfast.<br />
Schedule appointments or vacations on non-test days.<br />
Encourage your child to do their best in school at all times, not just during assessments.<br />
The TCAP assessment is designed to provide a picture of student performance to<br />
schools, districts, educators, parents and the community. The data will be used to<br />
measure student, school, and district progress toward higher student achievement<br />
levels.<br />
Other key points about the TCAP:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
TCAP encourages districts to move forward with implementation of the new<br />
standards, while providing time for the preparation of students for the higher<br />
expectations to come.<br />
TCAP has been designed to be used only for two years. At the end of the two<br />
years, all districts are expected to have transitioned fully to the new academic<br />
standards.<br />
TCAP does not assess the entire Colorado Academic Standards, nor does it assess<br />
the new standards at the same level of difficulty which will be expected<br />
once the new standards are fully implemented.<br />
When the new standards are fully implemented, a new assessment designed to<br />
assess the full depth and breadth of those standards will also be implemented.<br />
The new assessment is currently scheduled to be implemented in 2014.<br />
For more information about the TCAP tests, check out the TCAP Frequently Asked<br />
Questions or visit the Colorado Department of Education website.