M-STEP at Woodworth 2018

Greeting, Woodworth Hornets & Families!

We hope you’re all enjoying a great week off. When we return to school on Monday, we’ll begin a busy homestretch through April and May. We have lots to learn, and we will also participate in many important assessments as we conclude our school year. These assessments are valuable opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning, helping our Woodworth staff make smart choices about supporting children each day.  M-STEP testing will occur for all grades first, followed by NWEA later on in May.

M-STEP testing begins for 8th grade the week we return, starting on Tuesday, April 10th. Please help our students be ready to bring their best to school each day during this important time- we have lots to learn and want to do our best on M-STEP and beyond!

See below for a letter from our interim principal, Mrs. Zriek. Students also received a copy of this letter at school last Thursday. More details regarding NWEA will come soon.

Enjoy your last days off, we’re ready to see you soon!

 

March 29, 2018

 

Dear Parents,

 

When school resumes after spring break, our district will administer the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) to students in grades 3-8.  This standardized assessment is given to students to measure their knowledge of Michigan’s academic standards in English language arts (ELA), Math, Science, and Social Studies.  All Woodworth students will complete ELA and Mathematics assessments. These assessments are comprised of constructed response (open-ended) and multiple choice questions. In addition, 8th grade students will complete a Science and Social Studies assessment; which contains multiple choice questions.  Please see the M-STEP assessment schedule below:

 

	Science	ELA	Math	Social Studies
8th Grade	Tues., April 10th	Thurs.,April 12th	Tues., April 17th	Thurs., April 19th
7th Grade		Tues., May 1st	Thurs., May 3rd
6th Grade		Wed., May 9th	Thurs., May 10th

 

As partners in your child’s education, I am asking for your help in reminding your child of the importance of taking their time and giving their best effort on these assessments.   Please encourage your child to spend some time during spring break and in April to take practice online assessments, which can be found by visiting https://wbte.drcedirect.com/MI/portals/mi.  Several factors have an influence on test outcomes.  That being said, please take a few moments to review the simple, yet important test taking tips below.

 

Before Test Tips

During Test Tips

Have a positive attitude.  Tell yourself, “I will do my best on this test.” Go to sleep at a reasonable time to get a good night’s rest the night before the test. Wake up early enough to avoid rushing to get ready for school. Eat a healthy breakfast.

Relax, take a deep breath, and think positive thoughts, “I am going to do well.” Listen carefully to directions. Ready each question carefully.  Identify key words. Think about what the question is really asking. Read the entire question and all the answer choices. Apply strategies that you learned in class to figure out the answer.  Pick the best answer. Recheck answer before moving on to the next question.

 

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to your child’s education.

 

Kindest Regards,

 

Zahra Zreik

Interim Principal

Woodworth Middle School