Important message for ALL JUNIORS about the HSPA

On March 4, 5 and 6, 2014, all eleventh grade students will participate in the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).  The New Jersey Department of Education has provided Your Guide to the HSPA.  This booklet should provide an overview and answer most of your questions about the testing program.  Please review this information with your son/daughter.  In addition, your son/daughter will receive a Student Preparation Booklet which provides more detailed information about the test itself.  A hard copy of this booklet will also be distributed to students in their English classes by Monday, February 10. 

The areas of testing include Language Arts and Mathematics.  Students must pass the Language Arts and Mathematics sections of this test in order to graduate.  The results of this March HSPA will not be available until late May or early June.  If a student does not pass a Language Arts and/or Mathematics section of the test, he or she will be required to retake the test in the section or sections not passed.  In addition, in their senior year, he/she will be placed in an appropriate Language Arts and/or Mathematics section of the Reading/Writing/Mathematics 400 course to work on the areas in need of improvement.  This course will help the student to prepare for future administrations of the test.  As part of this course, the student will also participate in the Alternate High School Assessment (AHSA) process.  The AHSA process is an opportunity to fulfill the state graduation requirements by alternate means.

CALENDAR

March 4, 2014 Mathematics

March 5, 2014 Language Arts Literacy: Day 1

March 6, 2014 Language Arts Literacy: Day 2

Testing will take place during Periods 1 - 3 and could extend into Period 4.  Students are required to bring a #2 pencil.  For the Mathematics test, students should also bring a calculator.  It is imperative that no one is absent on the days of testing. 

Finally and most importantly, for several reasons, including the security of the HSPA, the New Jersey Department of Education rules do NOT permit the following in the testing rooms:

1) Cells Phones: Students must leave their cell phones at home or in their lockers.  If a student is found to have a cell phone in the testing room, this constitutes a breach of security and the district is required to void the section of the test being taken that day.  This applies whether the phone is on, silenced, or off.  The HSPA Manual states that students are not permitted to have cell phones in any testing room and that any student found to have a cell phone in his or her possession while in a testing room, will have his or her answer folder voided for that test section.  Students whose answer folders are voided during testing are considered to have attempted the test section.  They may NOT retake or resume taking the voided test section during the make-up.  They must wait until the next HSPA administration.  Thus, the student will be required to take the retest on that section in October, 2014.  In addition, the student will be enrolled in the AHSA program (described above). 

2) Backpacks or purses

3) Coats or jackets

4) Books (textbooks, novels, dictionaries, etc.), magazines, or notebooks.

5) iPods, cd players, etc.

6) Food or drink.

If you have any additional questions please contact your son's or daughter's Guidance Counselor.