CMAS Information

Posted March 20, 2024

Dear Palmer Families,

In April, Colorado students will take end-of-year assessments called CMAS or Colorado Measures of Academic Success. Students in grades 3-5 will take English language arts and math tests. Students in grade 5 will take science tests. 

CMAS tests measure student progress on the Colorado Academic Standards, which outline what students should understand, know, and be able to do at each grade level in each content area. CMAS data helps determine if educational goals are being met and if students are on track for middle school. 

  • Results provide information that shows what your child has been learning and practicing in their classroom, and how well they are connecting with classroom instruction.
  • Results for the whole school let you know how well Palmer is teaching our students.
  • Results provide you and other families in your community with information about how local schools are meeting the needs of all students.

Review the enclosed CMAS Schedule to see when your child will be testing. Makeup testing and missed instruction can be avoided by scheduling appointments and vacations for non-testing days, and by ensuring that your student arrives at school on time and early pick-ups are avoided. Students may not have electronic devices during testing and will be asked to turn them off and give them to the teacher before testing begins (this includes smart watches). This provides standardized testing environments and ensures the validity of tests for Colorado students. 

Student practice resources can be found here: https://coassessments.com/practice-resources/. More information about assessments can be found here: https://assessments.dpsk12.org and here: http://www.cde.state.co.us/communications/resourcesforparents.

Helpful Reminders: 

  • Some anxiety is typical. 
  • Plenty of sleep and a nutritious breakfast are recommended. 
  • Encouragement will help students succeed.  

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. 

Thank you,

Dawn Salter, Principal

Megan Freeland, Assistant Principal