Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students will be participating in the New Hampshire Statewide Assessment System (NH SAS) for English Language Arts and Mathematics. Students in eighth grade will also be assessed in Science. Students who have the most significant cognitive disabilities are eligible to take the Dynamic Learning Maps, DLM, assessment, as designed in their active Individualized Education Program.

Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Section 1111(b)(2) and New Hampshire law, RSA 193-C:6 requires each school district in the State to implement a set of high-quality academic assessments that includes, at a minimum, assessments in mathematics, reading/language arts and science to be administered in each of grades 3-8 and not less than once during grades 10-12; and in science not less than once during grades 3-5, grades 6-9, and grades 10-12. Furthermore, ESSA sections 1111(b)(2)(B) require State assessments to be the “same academic assessments used to measure the achievement of all public elementary school and secondary school students in the State,” and provide for the participation in such assessments to all students.

State assessments are an important part of a student’s core educational program. They provide an evaluation of student mastery of content and skills in various academic areas, serve as one tool for measuring the degree to which students are on track to graduate high school and be college- and career-ready, and help inform future instruction in the classroom. Along with student work on classroom assignments, projects, essays, and local assessments, state assessment results give teachers and you, the parents, important information about where students are on their path toward academic success. Parents may access training tests for the NH SAS by going to the portal at ​https://nh.portal.airast.org/training-tests.stml​.

The testing times for the NH SAS are as follows:

If you choose to exempt your student from the state assessment (permitted in RSA 193-C:6), you must submit an exemption form to David R. Cawley Middle School. Please contact Brad Largy, Assistant Principal, to receive a copy of the exemption form. Please understand that if you choose to exempt your student from the assessment, no scores or summary of individual student performance, based on the statewide assessment, will be provided to you or your student.

Student results for the NH SAS are generally available within ten days. Individual score reports will be sent home once all testing is complete. DLM scores will be released to districts in early July. We will then send home to each family the Individual Score Report for each student who took the DLM assessment as soon as possible upon receiving the results.

Thank you for supporting your student and encouraging him/her to do his/her best during this assessment administration. If you have any questions related to this assessment administration,please contact the school at (603) 518-5047.