The Washington County School System will be administering the state-mandated TCAP Achievement Assessment beginning Monday, April 14th and ending April 28th for students in grades 3-5 and April 29th for students in grades 6-8. State testing is required for all subjects in grades 3-8. TCAP Assessments for students in grades 3-8 include: Math, English/Language Arts (ELA), Science, and Social Studies.
Federal and State Law states that every student in grades 3-8 be administered the same State Board approved standardized tests required of public school students in accordance with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 and T.C.A. 49-1-602 pertaining to district and school accountability.
The TCAP assessment is a fully aligned assessment that captures the depth and breadth of what students are learning – and have been learning – in the classroom every day. The information from this year’s assessment will provide educators, parents, and students with a perspective on how students are progressing academically compared to their peers across Tennessee, and better information about a student’s strengths, needs, and areas for growth.
Please do not schedule appointments on testing days and encourage your child to do well on the tests and help them at home by doing the following:
Discuss the tests with your child. Talking about the tests will help ease your child’s worries and show him/her that you are interested.
Make sure your child goes to bed early and gets plenty of rest. Students’ minds and bodies need to be ready for a full day of trying their best.
Make sure your child eats a good breakfast. It is difficult for students to think and do their best it their stomach is empty.
Arrive at school on time. Being late may cause your child to feel rushed and nervous. Arriving on time will help your child feel relaxed and ready to do his/her best.
Send your child to school with words of encouragement. Hearing, “You can do it!” or “I have confidence in you!” from you means a lot to your child.
Chapter 978 of the Public Acts of 2022 (PC978), codified at Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-6015, allows for the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) to be administered in a timed format. The law, as amended, requires the Tennessee Department of Education (the department) to establish the Required Time limit for each TCAP test, as well as an additional “Optional Time”, (as known as Requested Time), period that Test Administrators (TAs) at Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools may add to the Required Time limit for each test if requested by a parent or student. As a district, we have decided to implement "Optional Time" for all students. This extra time will vary from 6 to 10 minutes for each TCAP test.