Parents/Guardians,
Your student will take the computer-based Biology 1 or U.S. History Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS) End-of-Course (EOC) Assessment(s) between December 9-20, 2019. Each NGSSS EOC assessment is administered in one 160-minute session, but students may work up to the length of a typical school day.
Your student will have an opportunity to participate in a practice test to become familiar with the software, item types, and online tools he or she will encounter and use during testing. If you or your student would like to review the computer-based practice test at home, you can access a practice test at PearsonAccess Next. Your student may practice as often as necessary prior to testing.
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 Biology 1 EOC assessments, students may use the built-in calculator, or they may use a handheld four-function calculator. No other calculators may be used.
■ Testing Rules Acknowledgment—All NGSSS 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 clicking a radio button next to the statement.
■ Discussing Test Content after Testing—The last portion of the testing rules read to students before they acknowledge the Testing Rules Acknowledgment reads: “Because the content of all statewide assessments is secure, you may not discuss or reveal details about the test items 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, posting to social media, or sharing online. 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 patterns. Student tests within a school that are found to have extremely similar answer patterns will be invalidated.
■ Leaving Campus—If your student begins a test session and leaves campus before completing it (e.g., for lunch, an appointment, illness), 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 Amanda Shaffer at Amanda.Shaffer@stlucieschools.org or 772-337-6722. For more information about the statewide assessment program, visit FDOE’s Bureau of K–12 Assessment website.
Thank you for supporting your student and encouraging him or her to do his or her best during this test administration.
Brooke Wigginton, Principal
