KENDALL – The 2016 round of NYS Grade 3-8 Assessments is just around the corner and parents in the Kendall Central School District Tuesday evening were invited to an informational forum presented by Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES on understanding standards and assessments in New York State.The district hoped that the presentation, which Monroe 2-Oreans BOCES staff has been making for its member districts, would help remove anxiety and misconceptions about new standards and the 3-8 tests.

Marijo Pearson, assistant superintendent for BOCES 2, and Bridget Harris, coordinator of the BOCES 2 MAARS program, presented information to district administrators, school board members, students and their families during the forum held in the Jr./Sr. High School Library.

Pearson noted there has been much press around the assessments as well as, “a lot of misinformation.” She explained the difference between standards – what students need to know – and curriculum – how the district will teach the standards. The four types of assessments – formative, benchmark, summative and state assessments – were also discussed.

Kendall Jr./Sr. High School Principal Carol D’Agostino said the new standards are having a positive impact on students.

“It’s a real application of understanding,” she said. “I see it coming to life in the classroom, it’s powerful.”

Pearson explained the status of the AIMHighNY survey which the NYS Education Department conducted recently to review Common Core Learning Standards and ensure those standards are right for New York’s students.

Work has just wrapped-up on analyzing the results and the process of revising standards will begin soon.

“They are looking at the standards and re-writing, fine-tuning them to make sure they are appropriate,” Pearson said. She noted the survey found ELA standards for preK-Grade 3 may be a little challenging as well as those for Math for K-Grade 4.

New standards are expected in the spring of next year and then districts will begin to re-align their curriculum documents, Pearson said.

Examples of Data Report and Analysis documents from State Assessments were explained and one parent in attendance expressed the worry she experienced when she first received her child’s NYS Education Department Score Report, saying she became anxious because she felt the results might be part of her child’s future transcript sent to colleges.

District officials in attendance and Pearson told the parent results of the Grades 3-8 Assessments are not part of a student’s transcript.

The assessments are not for graduation, Pearson explained.

“They are about where (the student) is in relationship to their peers, and help teachers learn what they need to do differently. It’s valuable for teachers,” she said.

Pearson said the state is working to make the reports better and easier to understand. She also announced the most recent changes for the 2016 Grade 3-8 Assessments.

The tests will have fewer questions and will not be timed. Students will have the time they need to complete the tests, she explained. There is also greater teacher involvement in both creating and reviewing the assessments and opportunities will be expanded for teachers to be more involved in future test development.

Finally, the state is moving to a new test vendor, Questar Assessment Inc. Questar has partnered with the State Education Department on the recent changes. Questar Assessment tests will be administered beginning in 2017, Pearson said.

In the near future, the state will release more test questions and release results before the end of the school year. Additionally, the Assessments will be completely computer-based by 2020, Pearson and Harris said.

Kendall School District Superintendent Julie Christensen said the entire presentation will be available on the school’s website (Click here).

Photos courtesy of Kendall Central School – Kendall students compete against staff in a game of scooter basketball.

Press Release, Kendall Central School

KENDALL – Kendall elementary students proved once again that they have caring hearts when the school celebrated a “Week of Character” from Feb. 8-12.

Students participated in activities that encouraged caring for themselves, their classmates and their community. They collected food donations for the Kendall Food Cupboard, participated in heart-healthy activities to take care of themselves and practiced using kind words and actions with their peers.

Students were encouraged to sit with a new friend during lunch, wear a team jersey one day and red another day to show team spirit, and take a walk with their class and use a water bottle at school to practice healthy habits. Ten boxes of donations were collected for the Kendall Food Cupboard by the end of the week.

On Friday, Feb. 12, Elementary Student Council members competed against faculty and staff in a game of scooter basketball. Participants sat on scooters and tried to shoot baskets at a moving target as they scooted around the gym after each other.

There is a sea of red as students and staff cheer on the competitors and performers during the Feb. 12 assembly.

Students attended an assembly on Friday where they participated in Drums Alive, a cross-curricular activity involving fitness and music. K-6 students rehearsed drum routines during the week with music teacher Jeremy Rath and physical education teachers Judy Weber and Justin Laureano, then performed them at the assembly. Students encouraged each other as they enthusiastically learned the routines and practiced their endurance when drumming.

Special area teachers also awarded golden trophies to acknowledge classes demonstrating exceptional caring. Classes received a golden sneaker, book, glockenspiel, tambourine, paintbrush, or mouse based on their behavior during physical education, library, music, art or technology classes.