Northshore School District, in partnership with the Northshore Council PTSA, is holding an additional informational meeting for parents on Smarter Balanced Assessments from 6-7:30 p.m. on April 29 at Leota Junior High School library at 19301 168th Ave. in Woodinville.

The meeting will consist of an overview of Common Core State Standards and Smarter Balanced Assessments, how Smarter Balanced Assessments are different than previous state assessments and the impacts to students by grade level. Parents will also have the opportunity to work through sample test questions and get their questions answered.

Common Core State Standards, which are academic learning standards in math and English language arts, were established to ensure all students are ready for success after high school. The Smarter Balanced Assessments, or tests, measure student progress on those standards.

Northshore students in grades 3-8, 10 and 11 are taking the new Smarter Balanced Assessments online this spring.

The new learning standards are different and more challenging than the standards they replaced.

The Smarter Balanced Assessments replace the reading, writing and math Measurement of Student Progress (MSP) for students in grades 3-8. The Smarter Balanced Assessments will also replace the Grade 10 High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE) and End of Course (EOC) exams during the next few years.

For more information on Smarter Balanced Assessment, visit www.nsd.org/smarterbalanced.

For more information on the informational meeting, contact the district’s Communications Office at 425-408-7670.