Dear Parents and Guardians,
State assessment season is upon us and schools across New Hampshire are beginning their annual assessments. I am writing to share why these assessments matter and how your support can help ensure your child benefits from them.
For these assessments to be truly useful, student effort matters. When students take the assessments seriously and do their best, the results more accurately reflect their abilities. This helps ensure that students receive the correct level of support, and that schools and communities have the information needed to make informed decisions. Assessment results help improve learning for all students by informing instruction, guiding targeted support, and directing resources and money where they are needed most. At the state level, results are used to compare performance across New Hampshire and focus improvement efforts. The goal is simple: better outcomes for every student.
We also understand that families may have questions or concerns about their student’s participation. In New Hampshire, our assessments are designed to limit time away from learning, with each subject typically taking about two hours to complete. These assessments are not used to track students or families, and they do not collect personal information outside of performance on the test itself. Student privacy is a top priority. Individual results are only accessible to authorized local and state staff; public reporting is done in aggregate, and all data is protected under federal privacy laws.
At the high school level, New Hampshire uses the SAT as the statewide assessment. Every student has the opportunity to take the SAT for free, use their scores for college applications, and access a nationally recognized measure that supports postsecondary planning.
Your encouragement plays an important role in your child’s success. I encourage you to speak with your child about the importance of these assessments, remind them to take them seriously, and support them in doing their best.
More information on the Statewide Assessment Program, including prior school performance, may be found here: Office of Assessment | Department of Education, or https://bit.ly/4bzTUjI. While I strongly encourage all students to participate in these assessments, I understand some families may have concerns or may consider not participating; if that is the case, I ask that you share your concerns with us at info@doe.nh.gov so we can better understand and address them. Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting your child and strengthening their education.
Sincerely,
Commissioner Caitlin D. Davis
New Hampshire Department of Education