WHY WE TEST
For students, carefully selected assessments do the following:
- Serve as diagnostic tools to identify instruction levels and to measure student growth over time.
- Help students take greater ownership of their own learning as learning targets become increasingly clear to them and to help them observe their own progress towards learning goals.
As educators, external assessments serve us in the following ways:
- As tools to assist us in evaluating and fine-tuning our curriculum.
- To increase our instructional effectiveness.
- To help us improve the quality of the classroom-level assessments that we use.
The fundamental purpose of assessment is to guide teaching and learning. Important decisions about students are never made on the basis of a single assessment. Information gained from testing contributes to a balanced view of student growth that also includes each student’s daily work, performance on a variety of classroom assessments, and the observations and insights of their teachers.
As testing events approach, we offer parents advice on how to appropriately help children prepare for success. Following each test event, results are shared with students and parents.
NWEA MAP Growth (Grades 3–5)
Students in Grades 3–5 take the NWEA MAP Growth assessment in reading and mathematics. MAP Growth is a computerized, adaptive assessment, meaning the questions adjust based on each student’s responses.
MAP Growth provides valuable information about each student’s instructional level, academic growth over time, and performance on grade-level skills. This information helps teachers identify areas of strength and areas where additional support may be needed, allowing us to adjust instruction to meet the needs of each student.
Because the assessment is individualized, students will work at an appropriate level. Results also allow us to measure growth throughout the school year and provide families with information about their child’s progress and achievement.
For additional information and resources for families, please visit the NWEA website.
AimwebPlus
As students grow, doctors regularly measure their height and weight to monitor growth and development. These “well checks” help show how a child is growing over time and when additional support may be needed. We know it is just as important to monitor how our children are growing as readers.
Because reading growth is so important, our school administers regular reading “well checks” using AIMSwebPlus, a screening and progress-monitoring tool. Students in Grades K–2 complete reading assessments that measure important foundational literacy skills. Students in Grades 1–5 also complete an Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) assessment, which measures reading accuracy and fluency.
Students are assessed three times each year (fall, winter, and spring). AIMSwebPlus allows us to monitor each child’s reading growth over time, compare performance to national grade-level expectations, and use the information to help guide instruction and provide additional support when needed.
NCEA: ACRE
The National Catholic Education Association’s Assessment of Catechesis and Religious Education (ACRE) is given to students in grades 5, 8, 11, and 12. This test helps schools assess the faith knowledge and attitudes of students in an effort to improve curriculum and instruction.
ACT: Aspire and Pre-ACT
ASPIRE and Pre-ACT assessments are vertically aligned tests that monitor progress in the context of ACT college readiness. Just like ACT, students take the English, Reading, Writing, Math, and Science. Online reporting allows teachers to view readiness benchmarks and national norms for all students. Because the tests are reliable predictors of success on the ACT, the results will be used to help students, parents, and counselors set goals and to establish their high school program of study. The ASPIRE is given in grades 6-8 and the Pre-ACT in grades 9-10.
ACT
Based on a set of College Readiness Standards, the ACT is the most widely accepted college entrance test. It is taken by 11th and 12th graders to measure academic readiness to make a successful transition to college. Students may take the test multiple times in an effort to improve their score, broaden their college options, and qualify for scholarships and grants.
