This year’s Iowa Assessment will be administered to students in First Grade through Eighth Grade on Tuesday, March 26th through Thursday, March 28th. Third Grade students will take the Listening portion of their Iowa Assessment on Friday, March 29th following Mass. Students will take the Cognitive Abilities Test on Tuesday, April 2nd and Wednesday, April 3rd. We invite all parents, guardians and grandparents to review the following information to ensure student performance is maximized on this year’s IA and CogAT.
A Good Night’s Sleep
To prepare for the Iowa Assessment and Cognitive Abilities Test, we encourage students to get a good night’s sleep. A student who is rested will perform higher on their standardized test than a student who comes to school without proper sleep. Other than reading or a few math problems, there is no excessive homework or tests scheduled during the testing window. Therefore, students cannot use the excuse of “I Have Homework” to prevent them from going to bed at an appropriate time. While each child is different, it is recommended that a child receive no less than 8 hours of sleep.
Pencils and Erasers
Parents are asked to send #2 Pencils and good erasers with their students. Please test the erasers prior to sending them to school to ensure they erase properly and do not smear what has been written. Answers which have not been erased properly may cause an error in their scoring.
Morning Exercises
Each morning, students will gather in the gym or outside at 7:55 a.m. for 10-15 minutes of calisthenics. This will help increase alertness and brain activity. This will be followed by a period of 10-15 minutes of centering music which will relax the students before their first test.
Morning Snack Information
Blessed Sacrament Catholic School encourages students to bring water and a healthy snack to enjoy during designated break times. According to Parents® Magazine, snack ideas for children include: whole grain cereal, cheese, fruit, baked goods, yogurt, and peanut butter. PLEASE DO NOT send candy, sugary sweets, chips, energy drinks, soda or juice with high sugar levels.
Testing Dress Code
Blessed Sacrament Catholic School will continue pre-testing activates and motivational exercises throughout the testing window. This includes a minor change in the student dress code. On Iowa Assessment testing dates, students may come wear a Blessed Sacrament Shirt or T-Shirt with blue jeans, blue jean shorts, cargo shorts, Capri’s or warm-ups and tennis shoes. We want our students to be relaxed and ready to excel on the Iowa Assessment. The regular school uniform must be worn on make-up days and for the Cognitive Abilities Test.
Testing Schedules
Each morning, testing will begin promptly at 8:30 a.m. Testing schedules were developed using the guidelines established by the Department of Catholic Schools. Parents are invited to review the following testing schedules: First and Second Grade, Third Grade, Fourth Grade through Eighth Grade.
Test Results
As in previous years, your child’s standardized test results will be sent with the Final Report Card.