Every parent of every third-grader in Battle Ground Public Schools erroneously received letters over the weekend saying their children all scored so low on language arts standardized tests they’d need additional time and support to get up to speed.
Those families also received quick notice from the district that the letters were sent in error, and that parents can disregard them.
District spokeswoman Rita Sanders said there was some kind of printing problem on the district’s end, and it will review what happened.
Sanders’ daughter is in the third grade, and she got a letter, too. When the district looked into it, she said, they found the mistake.
“We notified families as soon as we discovered the error, and were sorry that it happened,” she said.
The letter sent to parents said their children’s score on the Smarter Balanced tests put them in the Level 1 grade for English language arts.
In the letter, the district said state law requires districts provide parents with the district’s grade placement policies should children score at that level, and the letter also outlined the district’s strategies for getting kids on track.
Sanders said the children’s scores, whatever they were, are still correct in the records. The district, in an email, told families they can expect to receive more and correct information about their children’s test scores in the near future.
