District 68 Assessments

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.

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.

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.

The MAP assessment is adaptive in that it adjusts to a student’s performance. As a student answers questions correctly, the subsequent questions become more difficult. If a student answers questions incorrectly, the questions become easier. Using the data from the September administration of MAP, we can determine a student’s appropriate instructional level. Results help teachers develop a clear picture of the skills and concepts their class has mastered and those that need additional instruction. The needs of individual students can then be addressed along with the objectives outlined in the District’s curriculum for that grade level

Classroom Assessments
Teachers use common assessments or units 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.