Our Core Values and Beliefs about Learning

  • We believe that all students can and will learn when challenged at an appropriate level and engaged in meaningful and authentic work.

  • We believe that effective assessment is practical, authentic, varied, transparent, and closely tied to standards. Assessments should allow students the ability to demonstrate what they know and can do, and skills/knowledge should be assessed multiple times to ensure mastery.

  • We believe that instructional practices should be differentiated based on a student’s assessment results.

  • We believe learning is a collaborative, hands-on process that allows students to explore a content area through deep inquiry.

  • We believe that failure provides an opportunity to learn and should be embraced as a part of the learning process rather than the end of learning.

  • We believe that learning standards should be practical, transferrable, allow students the opportunity to leverage knowledge and skills from other content areas, and should prepare students for college, a career, and the ability to participate in a democratic society.

Assessment Updates

iPlatform Webinar

NHED hosted an informational webinar for the public to learn how to navigate iPlatform – their online tool that provides transparent school data such as enrollment, assessments and more; it took place at 6 p.m. on Feb. 7 and is available online through this link.

State of New Hampshire Notification Letter of Assessment for Parents (January 2024)

NAEP 2024 (SELECT 4th, 8th, & 12TH GRADERS)

Allenstown Elementary, Hill School, Three Rivers School, and Pembroke Academy have been selected by the state to give the NAEP to a sampling of fourth. eighth, and twelfth-grade students in February 2024. This group is randomly selected by the state, and consists of groups of approximately 25 students. The testing takes approximately 2 hours and will take place at AES, Hill, TRS, and PA. 

More information is to come, but in the meantime, please check out this document for a quick overview of the purpose and what is involved in the process for our 12th grade students at Pembroke Academy. 

i-Ready: SAU 53's New Diagnostic Program (k-9)

For the past few years, SAU 53 has been looking for a new diagnostic system that would engage our students, be easy to report out on, and provide the data needed to help our students succeed. This fall, we have launched our work with i-Ready to assess and track our students' reading and math skills. For information about the program as a whole, please check out their website "See i-Ready in Action" for more details. As we get further into our journey, data from these assessments will end up on the SAU 53 Data Dashboard website. To see the first round of SAU 53-wide diagnostic scores, please check out this link. When reviewing the Fall 2023 Diagnostic Data, please keep in mind that this was the first time through this program for our students and faculty. We will be assessing again in January and at the end of the year.

Educator Spotlight!

Congratulations Pembroke Hill School's Elizabeth Duclos for being recognized as the 2024 New Hampshire Teacher of the Year! Here is a link to the story! Way to go, Liz!

Curriculum Corner - Newsletter

i-Ready 101: Understanding Diagnostic Results

15 days ago

Understanding Your Student’s 

i-Ready Diagnostic Results

This section is designed to help guide you through understanding the your student's results from their i-Ready Diagnostic Assessment.

What is the i-Ready Diagnostic?  

The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions for each student. As a student  answers correctly, the questions get more difficult. As a student answers incorrectly, the questions get easier. This adaptability allows the i-Ready Diagnostic to identify the strengths and opportunities for growth of each student. 


Why is my student taking it?  

The purpose of the i-Ready Diagnostic is not to give your student a grade but instead to determine how best to support their learning. It will help your student’s teacher(s) determine their needs, personalize their learning, and  monitor progress throughout the year. 


How is my student doing overall?

The goal is for your student to be performing at or above grade level, which means they have mastered the skills students at that grade level are expected to master and are prepared to learn more advanced skills.


Reading the Report: 


Image of steps to reading the report

On the i-Ready “For Families" report, the blue bar(s) on the graph (#1) and the corresponding placement level(s) (#2) indicate how your student performed on each test in relation to their grade level, which is indicated by the green shading (#3). The National Norm percentile (#4) below the graph indicates how your student performed in relation to students in the same grade level nationwide. 


How is my student doing in specific learning areas?

Students have different areas of strengths and opportunities for growth. It is important to understand how your student did in more specific learning areas, which are called domains. The domain table (#5) shows how your student did in specific domains and helps teachers know where to build on strengths and focus their support.


How is my student progressing over time?

The goal is also for your student to be making progress in their learning. After your student has taken more than one Diagnostic in the school year, you will see results for each Diagnostic, allowing you to see the progress your student is making both overall and in each domain.


What if my student is performing below grade level?

This situation can happen, and teachers and schools have many strategies and programs to help accelerate your student’s learning. Having this information can help you, your student, and their teachers have the right conversations to make the needed progress.


What does it mean if my student scored lower on the second Diagnostic than the first?

A lower score does not mean your student did not learn or lost skills. Scores can be affected by things like stress, distraction, taking the Diagnostic in a different place, and receiving help. This can be particularly common when students are learning in different environments and under unique circumstances. Teachers take this into account and use the data from i-Ready as one of many tools to understand your student’s unique needs and progress.


What can I do to help my student?

• Discuss these results with your student. Celebrate their strengths and progress, and collaborate with them on planning how they will reach their goals.

• Reach out to your student’s teacher to get more ideas and resources to support your student in specific domains and/or skills.


Where can I get more information?

visit page
2023-2024 Assessment Windows (K-12)