Testing

Overview

The purpose of this page is to:

Inform families of philosophical purpose of assessment in the district
families on what logistical purpose assessment serves in each building. (what do we do vs. what we do not do)
Inform families of types of assessments used in each building in the district
Provide brief examples of each assessment

An assessment is a form of measurement that allows us to:

gauge the effectiveness of our instruction, programs and resources.
make informed decisions about necessary changes to instruction, programs and resources.
have a “checkpoint” for student progress.
dialogue with teachers, administrators and community members about the impact of “best practices.”

Examples of a formative assessment are homework, projects quizzes, concerts, art shows. A formative assessment allows us to:

Test information is NOT used for:

Teacher evaluation or scoring
Student placement in grades 3-7
A placement test is used for eighth grade honors courses. There are various metrics used for students in the high school for placement in honors or Advanced Placement courses including Regents exam scores. Individual appeals are always considered.

In response to statewide concern over assessment practices, particularly at the 3-8 level, the state has responded by making the following changes:

No teacher accountability until teachers are properly trained on new standards and assessments. (currently 2019-20 school year)
Shortened test questions
Unlimited productive testing time.
Change in testing provider (Questar)

There are many types of assessments, including:

Local, teacher derived assessments, such as classroom quizzes and tests, projects, art shows, concerts, and presentations
Common benchmark assessments – local building-derived assessment measures
Local placement tests and rubrics
State tests- 3-8 Math, ELA, Science tests and Regents exams
Advanced Placement tests
SAT/ACT