Uinta Meadows Elementary



April 13, 2018

UME Parents and Guardians,

It is that time of year again. PAWS (Proficiency Assessment of Wyoming Students) is no longer the name of the game. The Wyoming Department of Education decided to use the American Insitute for Research (AIR) to build our student assessments, inclduing the “state test”. The state assessment is now called WY-TOPP (Wyoming Test of Proficiency and Progress)! The window to administer WY-TOPP to all Wyoming students is from April 16th to May 11th. The Wyoming Department of Education requires all 3rd-8th grade students be tested in the areas of math and reading, with 3rd and 5th graders tested in writing, and 4th and 8th graders tested in science. Each subject tested takes approximately 30 minutes to 2 ½ hours to complete. The tests are not timed and students can take as long as they need.

At UME we believe that teachers know their students best. Therefore, they have chosen the dates and times to administer the assessment. WY-TOPP will be administered in students’ normal classrooms using Chromebooks. The schedule for each teacher is on the back of this memo, however, this schedule is subject to change depending on how long it takes students to complete the test. Teachers are allowed to pause all tests for a break and then allow students to log back in later that day or the following day. There is only one section of each subject tested. The schedule has “1” and “2” next to math and reading because these teachers have scheduled two days to complete math and two days to complete reading. If students finish during the 1st day they will not be testing the 2nd day. Their teacher will give them something to work on quietly while the remainder of students finish. Clear as mud? Since this is the first year of WY-TOPP it is a bit of a trial run throughout the state. We believe UME has a solid plan in place for this year, but we will make adjustments as needed.

We want to take this opportunity to tell you how proud we are of these students. They have worked incredibly hard this year and this is a chance for them to show what they have learned. It is imperative that your student is in attendance on the days he/she tests. We understand there are circumstances which don’t allow that. If you know ahead of time that your student will not be present on a testing day please contact the school so we can plan accordingly for a makeup session. It is also crucial that students arrive on time. Most teachers will administer the assessment first thing in the morning. Please make sure you do not pull your student out early from a test. At home, you can help prepare your student by having them get plenty of rest the night before and offering him/her a healthy breakfast.

I have said it before and I will say it again; students at UME are outstanding! We simply encourage them to do their best. Go Eagles! If you have any questions or concerns please contact the school.

Sincerely,

Jerrod Dastrup, Principal

WY-TOPP Summative Testing Schedule - 2017-18 - UME