The state of Washington will be implementing a new state test, called the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA), in the spring of 2015.

As part of the process, many Edmonds District schools, along with schools across many states, have volunteered to field test this new assessment during the spring of 2014. Students in grades 3 through 11 will be participating and may take field tests in English language arts and/or mathematics.

Participating schools will send parent letters home this week with students who will be taking the field test, including preliminary details and information about what regular state assessments will still be given.

This new test is being developed to assess new student standards, called the Common Core State Standards, which the state of Washington adopted in 2011. These standards are designed to ensure that all students will be ready for college and/or career after high school. Reasons to take the SBA field test in spring 2014 include making sure the test is fair, with all questions used on the final version of the test working the way they are intended, as well as giving schools and students the opportunity to experience the new online test.

Because this is a “trial-run” of the new test, students, schools and districts will not receive scores from the spring 2014 field test. Rather, the way that students answer the various questions on the field test will help determine how the new tests are put together and what scores will be needed to “meet standard” once the tests are used statewide in 2015.

The District is sponsoring an evening informational meeting for parents about the new test from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 15 in the library at Cedar Valley Community School, 19200 56th Ave. W. in Lynnwood. Child care will be available. To request accommodations or an interpreter in a language other than Spanish, please call 425-431-7112 and leave a voice message.

For more information about the Smarter Balanced tests and the Common Core standards, as well as to try out a practice SBA test yourself, please visit www.k12.wa.us/smarter. You may also email questions to the district at testing@edmonds.wednet.edu, or call 425-431-7139.