Assessments

STATE ASSESSMENT

ILEARN measures student achievement and growth according to Indiana Academic Standards. ILEARN is the summative accountability assessment for Indiana students and assesses:

•  English/Language Arts (Grades 3-5)
•  Mathematics (Grades 3-5)
•  Science (Grades 4)
•  Social Studies (Grade 5)

ILEARN TESTING WINDOW:  TBD

IREAD-3

The purpose of the Indiana Reading Evaluation And Determination (IREAD-3) assessment is to measure foundational reading standards through grade three. Based on the Indiana Academic Standards, IREAD-3 is a summative assessment that was developed in accordance with Public Law 109 which “requires the evaluation reading skills for students who are in grade three beginning in the Spring of 2012 to ensure that all students can read proficiently before moving on to grade four”.

IREAD-3 TESTING WINDOW: TBD

LAS LINKS

The purpose of the LAS Links assessment is to determine a student's level of English proficiency. The placement test, administered upon the student's arrival in the United States, is used to determine the ELL services appropriate for the student. The annual assessment, administered in January and February, is used to determine the student's current level of English proficiency and is used for accountability purposes.

Assessment is a word you will hear Prairie Trace teachers using frequently as they discuss their instructional practices. But what does it mean? According to Jan Chappius & Stephen Chappius, in their book entitled Understanding School Assessment A Parent and Community Guide to Helping Students Learn, (Chappius, 2002) assessment is the process of collecting information or evidence of student learning.  Tests are the best-known tools for collecting that information, but are only one tool. Student oral presentations, projects, student interviews, writing samples, performance assessments, teacher observation, portfolios, and student self-assessment can all serve to collect accurate information about student learning. Assessment has been divided into two major categories: Assessment FOR Learning and Assessment OF Learning.  Assessment FOR Learning consists of assessments taken by students but also used by them to become informed about their own learning and their learning progress toward goals or targets that they or their teachers have set. Assessment OF Learning consists of assessments given at a certain point in time to determine grades or placements in programs. This type of assessment “sums up” the learning or mastery of content in order that progress can be reported to all stakeholders.

WHO NEEDS ASSESSMENT INFORMATION? WE ALL DO.

• Students need this information in order to know where they are in their learning progress. It helps students answer questions such as, “Am I succeeding? Am I improving over time? What should I do next to succeed? What help do I need? Am I in control of my success?”
• Teachers need this information in order to inform their instructional practices to meet the needs of their students, as well as to report student progress. Assessments help teachers answer the questions such as, “Are my students learning and improving? What does this student need? What student strengths can I build on? How should I group my students? Am I going too fast, too slowly, too far, not far enough? Did that teaching strategy work? What report card grade do I assign?”
• Parents need this information so that they can decide what to do to support their child’s learning. Questions such as, “Is my child learning new things? Is my child succeeding? Is my child keeping up? Is my child doing enough at home to succeed in school? Is there a change I need to recommend for my child? Does the teacher know what my child needs? Is this teacher doing a good job?” can be answered via assessment information.

As the staff at Prairie Trace continue to use Assessments FOR and OF Learning, we hope the information gathered will guide students, staff, and parents in ensuring that all students meet or exceed academic targets that have been set.

NWEA is a research-based, not-for-profit organization that supports students and educators worldwide by creating assessment solutions that precisely measure growth and proficiency—and provide insights to help tailor instruction. For 40 years, NWEA has developed Pre-K–12 assessments and professional learning offerings to help advance all students along their optimal learning paths. Our tools are trusted by educators in more than 9,500 schools, districts, and education agencies in 145 countries.

NWEA Practice Test

NWEA Parent Toolkit

Spring Testing Window - TBD