Dear Parents of 8th Graders,

An important component of 8th grade is preparing to successfully transition into high school, and we have no doubt that the education and experience your student has received will allow them to thrive in high school and beyond.

As part of your child’s eventual transition to high school, they will be expected to participate in the P-ACT assessment, which will take place at Stratford Middle School on Saturday, October 5, 2024 at 8:00 a.m.

It is critical that your child participates in this assessment as it will impact their 9th grade course recommendations. Please ensure that you and your child review and understand the following schedule, requirement and assessment format information.

Complete Schedule for Saturday, October 5, 2024

• 8:00 a.m. - Student arrival and check in
• 8:30 a.m. - School doors are locked; students arriving at or after this time will not be allowed to test
• 11:00 a.m. - Students who have been granted standard testing time will be ready to be picked up
• 12:15 p.m. - Students who have been granted extended testing time will be ready to be picked up. In email messages sent on 9/18/24, families were informed in this space if their child qualified for extended time. 

Student Requirements

• It is critical that students fully charge and bring their Macbooks on October 5.
• Approved calculator (see policy here) and headphones (if your email notification indicated in this space that your child would need them)
• Cell phones and smartwatches are not allowed in the classroom while testing. We strongly recommend that students do not bring them to the assessment. Any student who does bring either of these devices will be required to turn them off and store them in their locker. Families should also be aware that if electronic devices are found on a student during testing, that is grounds for invalidating the test session for that student.

Assessment Format

The P-ACT is a digital assessment. It consists of 4 sections: English, Math, Reading and Science. Most of the questions are multiple choice, although some of the math questions will ask your student to type in the answer rather than select it. Breaks are built into the testing window.

More Information

• CCSD93 is unable to provide transportation to or from school for this testing. Please arrange transportation for your child. 
• We recommend that students bring a book to the test to read if they complete the test early. Students will not be allowed to leave the testing space or engage with electronic devices (e.g. cell phones, smartwatches, etc.) beyond their secured testing web browser until the testing period is complete.
• We will follow up with you with more information regarding accessing your child’s scores.
• This assessment will be the first of a series of P-ACT assessments that will culminate in the ACT taken during 11th grade.
• Additional resources for families:
  • Why Take the P-ACT?
  • 6 Ways the P-ACT Helps You
  • Test Preparation Resources (geared towards ACT)

If you have any questions about the assessment, please contact CCSD93’s Coordinator for Middle School Curriculum Katie Girardot at girardk@ccsd93.com. 

Sincerely,

Phyllis Taborn

Principal
Stratford Middle School
630-671-4300
tabornp@ccsd93.com