NWEA Parent Letter

Hello Parents-

This Friday your child's September NWEA scores will be sent home. I wanted to share with you a few thoughts regarding these scores to provide you with additional insight into the test, how it is scored, and what it all really means.

Why take the test so early in the school year? We take the test in September to provide the teachers with baseline data. The data allows us to track students progress throughout the course of the school year. The information is one piece that allows me to create strategy groups and next-step plans for the students.

How long should the test take? The most accurate data comes students who spent at least 40 minutes on the test. Students spending less time or significantly less time might have been rushing or not reading the questions before selecting an answer. 

Is there a standard error with NWEA? Yes, there is a standard deviation on 6 points with the test. If your child is within the standard deviation in his/her scores there is no reason to believe it is based on your child's performance but rather the nature of the test. 

What other factors might be affecting my child's performance? Sleep, mood, computer skills, food choices and time of day are huge factors in any standardized test. Taking the test in the afternoon after a child has been working hard all day could drastically change his/her score due to lower stamina. 

Will my child's performance be graded? No. The information collected for NWEA will not affect your child's grade in any way.

Why take the test? The data collected is a helpful indicator of where your child started the school year. It is one of NUMEROUS data points we take. NWEA does not carry any more weight than another baseline point. 

Please contact me with any questions.

Thank you!