Back to School!
The calendar is about to turn to September, which means the end of summer and the beginning of another school year. Over the next few weeks, more than a million kids in Washington state will start a new challenge on their educational journeys. Heading back to the classroom can be exciting, scary, and everything in between.
At Ready Washington, we believe strongly in providing information to make sure students and their families are prepared for the new school year. That’s why we’ve created a back-to-school fact sheet about Washington State’s Learning Standards and Assessments that we’re sharing with public schools statewide. The digital flyer — available in 15 languages — provides key information about the standards, why they’re important, and how parents can support their students.

As featured in the fact sheet, here are the Top 5 Facts about Washington’s K-12 Learning Standards and Assessments:
1. Real-world skills: Washington’s learning standards and assessments focus on real-world skills that students are learning and practicing in the classroom every day such as problem solving, critical thinking and writing.
2. Closing gaps: The assessments help identify achievement gaps and allow school districts and the state to place resources where they are needed the most.
3. Testing is just one measure: State testing is one of several indicators; in combination with report cards, teacher feedback and classroom work used to create a complete picture of a student’s progress in school.
4. The right stuff: Washington’s state learning standards and the aligned assessments are designed to prepare students for college, work, and life.
5. Accessible for all students: The Smarter Balanced tests are designed to accommodate all students, including those with disabilities and English language learners.
Download a copy of the fact sheet in English here. For a downloadable version of the fact sheetin 14 other languages, click here. Print it out. Stick it on the fridge. Tweet it to your network. And please send us feedback!
Thank you to The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and Superintendent Chris Reykdal for helping create this and many other resources for students and their families. As always, Ready Washington stands committed to preparing all students for success after high school.
More info available here:
Learning Standards: bit.ly/StateStandards or email CoreStandards@k12.wa.us
State Testing: www.WAtesting.com or email StateTesting@k12.wa.us
Great Schools Test Guide for Parents: https://goo.gl/DECE4K
