Homeroom teachers at FACTS read the following letter to students each year before testing begins:
This week, all students in grades 3 – 8 will be taking a test called PSSA. Every student your age in the state is required to take this test.
The test is important and we want everyone to do their best. The test can help the teachers at our school figure out how we can teach you better.
Sometimes, some students end up feeling bad about themselves if they don’t get high marks on a big test. That’s especially true of this PSSA test – they have put in here questions that they know many people in your grade will get wrong.
It is important for every student to know that this test does not tell us how good a person you are. This test does not tell us how hard you work to learn new things, it does not even tell us how smart you are or how much you are able to learn.
We want you to do your best on everything you try – but here at FACTS we are concerned about more than just test scores.
We want to know, — Do you treat yourself and others with respect? Do you understand your own family’s history and place in our city? Do you have the skills to keep on learning on your own even after you leave FACTS? These are some of the things that matter to us more than some test numbers.
At our school we love and care for all our students – kids who get high scores – kids that don’t. Every one of you is a unique and special person whose importance is not measured by just one test.
Relax. We know you will do your best.