Dear OMS 8th Grade Families,

Onteora Middle School will continue offering Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for students participating in New York State assessments. As part of this process, schools are required by the New York State Education Department to participate in a CBT simulation. The purpose of the simulation is to allow school staff to evaluate the readiness of internal systems, hardware, and testing procedures in advance of state assessments.

The CBT simulation for Grade 8 students will take place on February 3 during their regularly scheduled math classes. The simulation will take approximately one class period to complete. No scores will be generated, saved, or shared, and all simulation data will be erased following the testing window under NYSED and NWEA oversight.

Families are encouraged to review the New York State Parent Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for the Grades 3–8 ELA and Mathematics Assessments. As required by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), all students in grades 3–8 are expected to participate in the annual ELA and Mathematics assessments. Families may also find it helpful to review the NYSED Question Sampler, which is available online and provides examples of computer-based test items.

The Spring 2026 New York State testing window runs from April 6 through May 15, 2026. At this time, OMS testing is scheduled as follows:

• ELA: April 13 and April 14

• Mathematics: April 27 and April 28

• Grade 8 Science: May 4 and May 5

Additional details will be shared as we get closer to the assessment window. Thank you for your continued partnership and support.

Sincerely,

Don Solimene
Interim Principal