Parents of children in grades four through eight will be receiving an Individual Student Report with scores from the 2010 New York State Assessment Program in English Language Arts (ELA) and math. The report will contain the child’s score and level, as well as information on what those numbers mean.

Recently, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) developed new procedures raising the cut scores for "proficiency" on the math and ELA assessments. NYSED has stated that the bar on these assessments has been raised to better align the results with college readiness. Due to this change in cut scores (the score needed to reach each level), you may notice that your child is not at the same proficiency level as in previous years. Please keep in mind that a lower score does not indicate that your child has failed or learned less; but it is a reflection of NYSED’s increased expectation for students, and their confidence that students, teachers and parents will strive to achieve these new benchmarks.

With the changes from NYSED, the district has also been given flexibility in Academic Intervention Services requirements for the 2010-2011 school year. For this school year only, the district is allowed to use the cut scores from the previous year to determine eligibility for AIS services. The Greater Johnstown School District will continue to provide for students who need extra assistance. The district is working toward increased student achievement for all Johnstown students, and to ensure that our teachers will continue to receive professional development to make this possible.

If you have any questions, please speak to your child’s teacher or principal. Please also continue to encourage your child to do his or her best on the NYS Assessments.