Testing Information

Dear Parent/Guardian,

The purpose of this letter is to inform you that your student will take the computer-based Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) Grade 8 ELA Writing assessment on Tuesday, March 6. Your student has had an opportunity to participate in a practice test to become familiar with the computer-based testing platform, item types, and response formats he or she will see on the FSA assessments. If you or your student would like to review the computer-based practice test at home, the practice tests and answer keys are available at http://www.fsassessments.org/students-and-families/practice-tests/. 6th and 7th grade students will be taking their writing test paper based.

For information regarding test session lengths for all Spring 2018 FSA assessments, please visit the FSA Portal at www.FSAssessments.org, click on the Students and Families icon, select the Frequently Asked Questions card, then select the question: “How long are the tests?”

Please review the following policies with your student before testing:

Electronic Devices—Students are not permitted to have any electronic devices, including, but not limited to, cell phones, smartphones, and smartwatches, at any time during testing or during breaks (e.g., restroom), even if the devices are turned off or students do not use them. If your student is found with an electronic device, his or her test will be invalidated.
Calculators—For Grades 7 and 8 Mathematics, approved calculators may be used during Sessions 2 and 3 only. For EOC assessments, approved calculators may be used during Session 2 only. If students have handheld calculators during Session 1, their tests will be invalidated. Calculators are not permitted during Grades 3–6 Mathematics tests.
Testing Rules Acknowledgment—All FSA tests include a Testing Rules Acknowledgment that reads: “I understand the testing rules that were just read to me. If I do not follow these rules, my test score may be invalidated.” Prior to testing, test administrators read the rules to students, and students acknowledge that they understand the testing rules by signing below the statement on their planning sheets, worksheets, or work folders.
Discussing Test Content after Testing—The last portion of the testing rules read to students before they sign below the Testing Rules Acknowledgment states: “Because the content in all statewide assessments is secure, you may not discuss or reveal details about the test items or passages after the test. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as texting, emailing, or posting online, for example, on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, or Instagram.” Please make sure your student understands that “discussing” test content includes any kind of electronic communication, such as texting, emailing, or posting to blogs or social media websites, etc. While students may not share information about secure test content after testing, this policy is not intended to prevent students from discussing their testing experiences with their parents/families.
Working Independently—Students are responsible for doing their own work during the test and for protecting their answers from being seen by others. If students are caught cheating during testing, their tests will be invalidated. In addition, the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) employs Caveon Test Security to analyze student test results to detect unusually similar answer Student tests within a school that are found to have extremely similar answer patterns will be invalidated.

Leaving Campus—If your student leaves campus before completing a test session (for lunch, an appointment or illness, etc.), he or she will not be allowed to return to that test session. If your student does not feel well on the day of testing, it may be best for him or her to wait and be tested on a make-up day. Please remember not to schedule appointments on testing days.

Testing Accommodations—If your student has an Individual Education Plan (IEP), a Section 504 plan, or is an English Language Learner (ELL), please contact the school to discuss the testing accommodations that will be provided for your student.

If you have any questions related to this test administration, you may contact Dr. Pascoa at 863-291-5320.

For more information about the FSA program, please visit the FSA Portal at www.FSAssessments.org.

Thank you for supporting your student and encouraging him or her to do his or her best during this test administration.

For any questions or concerns, please contact Dr. Pascoa, our testing coordinator.

For grade specific information, such as FSA testing standards and strands, please click the grade buttons below.

6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade

FSA Scale Scores

Assessment		Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4	Level 5
English Lnguage Arts Scale Scores (240-412) for Each Achievement Level	Grade 5 ELA	257-303	304-320	321-335	336-351	352-385
	Grade 6 ELA	259-308	309-325	326-338	339-355	356-391
	Grade 7 ELA	267-317	318-332	333-345	346-359	360-397
	Grade 8 ELA	274-321	322-336	337-351	352-365	366-403
Mathematics Scale Scores (240-393) for Each Achievement Level	Grade 5 Mathematics	256-305	306-319	320-333	334-349	350-388
	Grade 6 Mathematics	260-309	310-324	325-338	339-355	356-390
	Grade 7 Mathematics	269-315	316-329	330-345	346-359	360-391
	Grade 8 Mathematics	273-321	322-336	337-352	353-364	365-393
End-of-Course Assessment Scale Scores (425-575) for Each Achievement Level	Algebra 1 EOC	425-486	487-496	497-517	518-531	532-575
	Geometry EOC	425-485	486-498	499-520	521-532	533-575

Testing Tips

We will be busy at JMA preparing and reinforcing the skills necessary for students to demonstrate their learning. Parents play an important part in helping students give their best performance on this important test. Even though assessments are a snapshot—one single perspective – it is important that our students have every advantage to do their very best. We don’t want to cause test anxiety, rather we want our students to be as prepared as possible. There are many ways in which parents can help their child put his/her best foot forward. The following guidelines can help set our students up for success:

Throughout the year:

Read to/with your child and make time to discuss what you’ve read.
Encourage reading for pleasure regularly.
Know what kind of homework teachers expect and make sure your child completes it.
Provide a regular, quiet place for your child to read or complete homework.
Set high expectations for grades and attendance.
Take an active interest in what your child is doing in school. What is he or she learning? Parents who communicate daily about what their children are learning build a strong foundation to demonstrate that learning on tests.
During the weeks leading up to the test, begin to talk with your child about doing his or her best. You know your child better than anyone. Emphasize the importance of the test, but remember to build confidence, not anxiety.

New Testing Resource

Testing & Education Reference Center is a start-to-finish resource with all the information and support materials needed to make informed, confident decisions to shape the rest of your life. Click the icon to access the page. TERC does require a user name and password for each user.