Parents

What Parents Need to Know

Every spring, the Grades 3-8 English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics Tests are administered to students across New York State. These annual ELA and math tests for students in grades 3-8 are required by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015. The tests are designed to measure how well students are mastering the learning standards that guide classroom instruction and help to ensure that students are on track to graduate from high school with the critical thinking, problem solving, and reasoning skills needed for success in college and the modern workplace. The tests also show how schools and districts are progressing with the learning standards and can support professional development for teachers. Below you will find information about the 2019 tests.

Fewer Test Sessions

• Like the 2018 tests, the 2019 Grades 3-8 ELA and Math Tests are two sessions each. The 2020 test was not held due to the COVID closire.
• With fewer test sessions, each test will have substantially fewer questions than in recent years, lessening test fatigue for students and better enabling them to demonstrate what they know and are able to do.

Untimed Tests

• The 2021 Grades 3-8 ELA and Math Tests will be untimed.
• In general, this means that as long as students are working productively, they will have as much time as they need to complete each test session, within the confines of the regular school day.
• Schools and districts have discretion to allow students to read silently or quietly exit the room when they have completed their test while others continue to work.

Test Questions Reviewed and Written by New York State Teachers

• Teachers from across the State serve on committees to write, evaluate and select questions for the tests.
• Hundreds of New York State educators were involved in creating and reviewing questions for 2021 Grades 3-8 ELA and Math Tests and selecting the questions for the test forms.
• This year, most of the test questions were written by New York State teachers specifically for the annual New York State tests.

Providing Results for Teachers and Improved Resources for Parents

• Like the previous three years, the New York State Education Department plans to have instructional reports returned to teachers by the end of the school year and to release at least 75% of the test questions again.
• The 2019 Score Reports for parents will feature more information about what students should know and be able to do at each grade level. There will be no score for 2020. 

Computer-Based Testing

• Canandaigua City Schools administered the 2019 Grades 3-8 ELA and Math Tests on computers. The computer-based tests (CBT) will have the same questions as the paper versions. Students in those schools utilizing the CBT option have access to CBT practice tests and most have had prior experience participating in other computer-based tests in ELA and Math.
• The long-term plan is for all schools to use CBT for annual State tests. CBT has the potential to further reduce the need for stand-alone field tests and make assessments better instructional tools for students with disabilities.

Parents' Frequently Asked Questions About NYS K-8 Testing

Title 1 is federally funded to help children who are struggling to meet challenging academic state standards.
Title 1 monies are used to support:

• Salaries of K-5 Reading teachers servicing struggling students at both Canandaigua Primary-Elementary School and St. Mary's Catholic school,
• Academic Intervention Services for Canandaigua students who are in out-of-district placements (due to handicapping conditions or behavioral issues),
• Supplies and materials for homeless students,
• Services for students at the Ontario County Youth Care Facility
• Services for incarcerated youths at the Ontario County Jail.

Canandaigua City School District
Title 1
AIS School‐Parent Compact

To help our children achieve, we agree to abide by the following conditions during the school year:

School Responsibilities
The school will:

• Provide high‐quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment;
• Hold parent‐teacher conferences during these conferences, this compact will be discussed as it relates
  to your child’s academic achievement;
• Provide parents with frequent reports on their child’s progress;
• Provide parents reasonable access to staff; and
• Provide parents with opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child’s class and to observe
  classroom activities.

Parent Responsibilities
We, as parents, will support our children’s learning in the following ways:

• Monitor my child’s attendance;
• Make sure that homework is completed;
• Limit amount of television my child watches;
• Volunteer in my child’s school;
• Participate in decisions regarding my children’s education;
• Promote positive use of my child’s extracurricular time; and
• Stay informed about my child’s education and communicate with the school regularly.

Student Responsibilities
As a student, I will share the responsibility to improve my grades, and agree to:

• Do homework every day and ask for help when needed;
• Read at least 20 minutes a day outside of school; and
• Give to my parents all notices and information received by me from my school every day

Below is the process for resolving complaints submitted to the New York State Education Department’s (NYSED) Office of ESSA-Funded Programs alleging that a local educational agency (LEA), grantee or NYSED has violated a law, rule, or regulation in the administration of any “covered Federal program” under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) identified below.

These procedures offer parents and other stakeholders a process to file complaints and allow for the timely resolution of such complaints. Complaints filed against a local entity such as a school district, charter school, or grantee will be reviewed by NYSED's Office of ESSA-Funded Programs. Complaints filed against NYSED will be reviewed by NYSED's legal counsel.

A complainant may include any of the following: parents, public agencies, and other individuals or organizations.  If the complainant is a minor, the complaint or appeal shall also be signed by his or her guardian, unless the statute or rule under which the complaint or appeal is filed prohibits this requirement. 

More Information

Each LEA in New York State is required to disseminate, free of charge, adequate information about these complaint procedures to parents of students, and appropriate private school officials or representatives.

Parents have the right to request the following information regarding the professional teaching qualifications of the child’s classroom teacher(s):

• Whether the teacher has met NYS Education Department qualifications and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas he/she teaches.
• Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which NYSED qualifications and licensing have been waived due to special circumstances.
• The teacher’s college major (undergraduate level); whether the teacher has any graduate certifications or degrees and, if so, the field of discipline of the certification or degree.
• Whether their child is provided services by any teaching assistants and, if so, their qualifications.

NYS Parent Dashboard

Headphone Letter Information

District Policy - 2070 ACCEPTABLE USE OF COMPUTER SYSTEM

The Canandaigua Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA) believes in making every child's potential a reality by being the premier organization for parent involvement and advocacy. Canandaigua PTSA is a powerful voice for all children, a significant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for the education and well-being of every child.

The PTSA provides critical financial support for various school activities and resource or equipment needs. It strongly supports the community-wide Character Education, Health & Wellness, and Family Involvement initiatives of our school district.

Contact us at: CanandaiguaPTSA@gmail.com

PTSA Newsletter: https://www.smore.com/z5p1k

Please Join Us!

A green form for working papers can be picked up in the Counseling Center. Please follow the instructions for completion of this form. The following is required:

Part I - Your parent or guardian must sign the form and your social security number is required on the form.

Part II - If you are a student at Canandaigua Academy, please provide your date of birth on the form. Otherwise, you must have one of the items listed (birth certificate, state issued photo, I.D. driver's license, schooling record, etc.) to show evidence of age.

Part III - You must have had a physical examination and proof of a physical examination within the past 12 months in order to receive a working card. If you have had a physical, take the green form to the nurse's office. The nurse will record on this form the date of your physical. Otherwise, visit your doctor's office.

When all three parts (I-III) are completed, please bring the green form to one of the secretaries in the Counseling Center for a colored working card. Working cards are color coded (blue for ages 14-15, green for ages 16-17 and orange full time for ages 16-17. You must appear in person to sign the working card.