Polk students will soon be asked to participate in two state mandated assessment tests.

The first test, the Stanford 9, will be administered Monday through Friday, March 18- 22.

The Stanford 9 is a nationally norm-referenced test which is given to students in grades three, five and eight. The test covers reading, mathematics, science and social studies and will test students to see how their performance compares with that of students on a national scale.

Make-up tests will be given through March 26 and testing results will be given to parents prior to the end of the school year.

The second test, the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT), is administered to students in grade 11 for graduation purposes.

The dates for this spring’s testing dates are Monday through Thursday, March 25-28. The schedule of testing is as follows:

English- Monday, March 25; Social Studies- Tuesday, March 26; Science- Wednesday, March 27 and Mathematics- Thursday, March 28.

Due to the short testing window, there will be very few opportunities for make-ups.

Students need to make every effort to attend school each of these days and to arrive on time. Those who are taking retests are required by law to re-register in writing.

Test scores will be released by the third week in May.

As with all tests, the Polk School District offers these tips to ensure maximum performance on test day.

—Make sure your child has a healthy breakfast before testing

—Make sure your child arrives at school on time

—Make sure your child gets a good night’s rest the night before each testing date

—Make sure your child has at least two Number 2 wooden pencils for each testing day

—Make sure that test mornings are calm at your house

Any questions about these tests can be directed to a school counselor or Dr. Jean Rhoades, assistant superintendent, at 770-748-3821.