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Assessment
Assessments in District 68
District 68 is committed to meeting the needs of all students. In order to do so, students participate in various types of assessment throughout the year. Ultimately, the purpose of such assessment is to improve student learning, track growth, inform teachers, and determine if adjustments need to be made to the core curriculum.
Types of Assessments
District 68 believes that no single test measure should be used to create a comprehensive picture of a learner. Therefore, a variety of assessment measures are administered and analyzed to inform instructional decision making, grouping practices, enrichment, and placement within tiered intervention programs. District 68 uses the assessments listed below for these purposes:
Diagnostic Assessments
- Purpose: To identify students' strengths and weaknesses before instruction begins.
- Timing: Administered at the beginning of a learning experience.
- Examples: Pre-tests, surveys, or interviews designed to assess prior knowledge.
Formative Assessments
- Purpose: To monitor student learning during the instructional process to provide ongoing feedback and adjust teaching strategies.
- Timing: Conducted during the learning process, not at the end.
- Examples: Class discussions, group activities, quizzes, homework, and informal feedback.
Performance-Based Assessment
- Purpose: To evaluate students’ ability to apply their knowledge and skills in real-world contexts.
- Timing: Conducted at various times during the learning process
- Examples: Presentations, essays, debates, etc.
Standardized Assessment
- Purpose: To evaluate students’ academic performance and progress
- Timing: Conducted yearly
- Examples: Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), Illinois Science Assessment (ISA), WIDA ACCESS
Summative Assessment
- Purpose: To evaluate student learning at the end of a unit, course, or program.
- Timing: Conducted at the conclusion of a learning period.
Examples: Final exams, projects, standardized tests, and portfolios.
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ACCESS
Students in Kindergarten through grade eight who are identified as Multilingual Learners are mandated by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to take the ACCESS test January-February each school year. The assessments measure second language learners' English proficiency in four domains: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing.Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR)
Students in grades three through eight are mandated by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to take the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) in the spring. IAR helps measure how schools are performing relative to grade-level Learning Standards. Students are assessed in reading and mathematics.Illinois Science Assessment (ISA)
In compliance with federal testing requirements, Illinois will administer a science assessment to students enrolled in a public school district in grades 5 and 8. The assessment will be administered in an online format and is aligned to the Illinois Learning Standards for Science incorporating the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which were adopted in 2014.
Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS)
Illinois requires all kindergarten teachers to complete the KIDS assessment within the first 40 days of school. Teachers collect observational data on students in 14 different domains to determine students' development readiness for kindergarten.
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Classroom Assessments:
Teachers use common assessments or unit assessments to determine if children are mastering content taught throughout the school year. The outcomes of student achievement in the classroom are reported in student progress reports.
Easy CBM:
Easy CBM is another universal screener that measures fluency in reading and math. Students in Kindergarten and 1st grade participate three times a year in this short assessment. Students in 2nd - 8th grade participate as needed for additional information as to how to support their learning within the classroom.
i-Ready Diagnostic:
District 68 administers the i-Ready Diagnostic to all students three times a year in Reading and Math with the exception of kindergarten students who will take the assessments in Winter and Spring only. The assessments are designed to monitor the growth and progress students make over time. Both assessments are computer-based and are adaptive, meaning they adjust the level of difficulty of the content based on how students answer questions.
The i-Ready assessment items are aligned with the Illinois Learning Standards as well as national standards.
Personalized Learning: Following the initial diagnostic assessment, students are placed into a personalized learning path where they can practice skills and concepts in a fun and engaging manner. Students may practice at school under their teacher's direction and can also log in from home. i-Ready provides a good deal of information in the Family Central portion of their website.
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