How to Share Test Score Results in Your Principal Newsletter

Sharing test score results is one of the communications principals approach with the most anxiety. The temptation is either to bury the data in bureaucratic language or to avoid sharing it entirely until it becomes unavoidable. Both approaches backfire. Families who receive clear, honest assessment communication from their principal trust the school more, not less, even when the results are disappointing. The communication strategy is not about spin. It is about context, honesty, and action.

Lead with Context Before Data

Before you share a single number, give families the frame. What does the assessment measure? What is the scale? What does "proficient" mean in your state's scoring system? A sentence or two of context prevents the wildly different interpretations that cause parent anxiety spirals: "Our state reports results on a 1-4 scale. A score of 3 means the student demonstrated proficiency at grade level. About 6 in 10 of our 4th graders scored a 3 or above in math this year." Context first. Data second.

Use Plain Language, Not Education Jargon

Education data is full of jargon that means nothing to most families: scaled scores, stanines, percentile bands, lexile levels. Every number in your newsletter should be translatable to a plain English sentence. "62 percent of students met grade-level standard" is plain. "Students demonstrated an average RIT score of 214.3" is not useful without interpretation. If you are going to use a technical term, define it in the same sentence.

Be Honest About Disappointing Results

When scores are below your goals, say so. "Our math results this year did not meet the targets we set in the fall. We had hoped to reach 70 percent proficiency in grades 3-5 and landed at 61 percent." That kind of honesty is rare in school communication, and families notice it. Pair the honest assessment with a clear, specific response, not a vague promise to "continue working hard."

Show Year-Over-Year Trends

One year of data is hard to interpret. Two or three years of data tells a story. If your scores improved over the last three years, show that progression. If they declined after two years of growth, say so and explain what changed. Trends are more meaningful than snapshots, and they demonstrate that you track results over time rather than treating each year as an isolated event.

A Template Excerpt for Test Score Communication

"Our spring assessment results are in. In ELA, 67 percent of students in grades 3-5 scored proficient or above, up from 62 percent last year. In math, 54 percent scored proficient or above, which is below last year's 59 percent and below our goal of 65 percent. We are not satisfied with the math trend. Starting in September, our 4th and 5th grade teachers will implement a new math curriculum sequence specifically designed to address the fraction and decimal concepts where students showed the most gaps. We will track progress at each benchmark and share results in January."

Describe the School's Response to the Data

Every result communication needs a response section. What is the school doing differently because of what the data showed? Curriculum changes, professional development, additional support staffing, intervention programming? Name the response specifically and tie it directly to what the data showed. "Because writing scores were lower than reading scores across all grade levels, we are adding a structured writing workshop block three days a week starting in October."

Explain What Families Can Do

Close with two or three specific, grade-appropriate ways families can support learning at home. Not generic encouragement: actual suggestions. For elementary: 20 minutes of reading aloud, math games at the kitchen table, asking kids to explain what they learned in school that day. Families who feel equipped to help are more engaged and more forgiving when results are mixed.

Test score communication done well is one of the most trust-building things a principal can do. It signals that you take results seriously, share them honestly, and have a plan. Families can handle difficult news. What they cannot handle is feeling like they are the last to know.