How to Write a Benchmark and Pen Testing Newsletter to Parents

Benchmark and pencil-and-paper testing newsletters have one main job: reduce the anxiety families feel when they hear the word "test" while giving them useful context about what is being measured and why. Done well, this kind of communication transforms testing from an opaque event families dread into a transparent process they understand and can support.

Explain what the assessment is measuring

Start by telling families specifically what the benchmark test is designed to measure. Reading fluency and comprehension? Math fact recall and problem-solving? Writing stamina? Families who understand the purpose of an assessment approach it with appropriate expectations. A benchmark that measures current reading level is fundamentally different from a grade, and parents benefit from understanding that distinction before results come home.

Describe how you will use the results

Testing newsletters are most effective when they explain the instruction-side purpose. "This assessment helps me understand which skills each student has solidified and which ones we need more practice with. It shapes how I group students for small group instruction and what we focus on in the next unit." Parents who understand that tests serve your planning find them less threatening.

Set practical expectations for the test day

Walk families through what test day looks like. How long the assessment takes, whether it is completed in one sitting or over multiple days, what supplies students need, and whether any classroom routines will look different. Practical preparation is within every family's reach and naming it clearly is more useful than generic encouragement.

Give reasonable preparation guidance

For most benchmark assessments, the best preparation is rest, a good meal, and arriving ready to do their best. If there are specific skills students can review at home that align with the test content, mention them briefly. Avoid suggesting intensive prep that implies the test is high-stakes in a way that it is not.

Address test anxiety directly

Acknowledge that some students feel anxious about tests and that this is normal. Give families concrete language they can use at home to normalize the experience without minimizing it. "It is okay to feel nervous. Do your best and I will tell you what I noticed. This test does not define what you are capable of." Helping families say the right thing at home is within your reach through the newsletter.

Tell families when and how results will be shared

Families who know results are coming on a specific date in a specific format feel more settled than families who are waiting indefinitely. If results will come home with the student, be delivered through your communication platform, or discussed at a conference, say so in the testing newsletter.

Provide context when results are shared

When results do come home, include a brief interpretation guide. What does the score range mean? What is considered on-track for this time of year? What happens next based on the results? Numbers without context generate more anxiety than numbers with explanation. Plan to send results with context rather than raw scores alone.

Daystage makes it easy to send the pre-test communication and the results summary with interpretation through the same platform, so families get a complete and coherent picture of the assessment process from start to finish.