Assessments
The Purpose of Assessments
Comprehensive Balanced Approach
One of our primary responsibilities of our District is to ensure that all students learn, are challenged, show growth and possess the skills necessary for the future. To effectively monitor student growth, the District employs a comprehensive balance assessment approach. These data sources include, but are not limited to, classroom observations, exit tickets, check points, anecdotal notes, state mandated tests, and nationally normed standardized assessments.
By utilizing this multi-faceted system, we are able to capture a broad set of data. This breadth of information allows key stakeholders, the teacher, student and family, to capture different moments of learning in time. The ultimate function of this comprehensive approach is to help teams facilitate the making of data-based decisions that will ultimately help the child be successful. When we illuminate the data, understand the data, we can then act on the data.
Specifically for teachers, assessments help guide their instruction, informs teachers where there are strengths and room to grow in the curriculum, helps to identify which instructional strategies are effective, set goals, reflect on pedagogical practices, and much, much more.
To boost student achievement and foster a culture of lifelong learning, educators should collaborate with students and parents by actively involving them in the assessment and evaluation process. When assessments are properly implemented and interpreted, they yield valuable insights that help shape educational experiences tailored to support student success and address the diverse needs of all learners.
Assessment for Learning
Assessment for learning is to inform the teacher and student about what the student has learned and what the student needs to learn next, also known as formative assessment. This type of assessment is used to guide a learning experience as it provides specific details regarding what the child has mastered and what are the next items to be accomplished.
There are many tools used in USD 116 for this practice. These include, but are not limited to, questioning in class, homework assignments, class projects, exit slips, videos, presentations, the NWEA MAP assessment and the Dibels assessments. Each of these instruments can provide specific information about what the child has mastered and what concepts a child should work on next.
Assessment of Learning
Assessment of learning is a final measuring stick of what has been learned, also known as summative assessment. Summative assessments are used to rate or rank a student’s performance, program’s effectiveness, school’s achievement or district’s achievement.
Tools used for Assessment of Learning are often for reporting aspects. USD 116 has several tools that provide data regarding Assessment of Learning. These include, but are not limited to, common curriculum assessments (which demonstrate whether the child mastered the concept to the district standard), Illinois Assessment for Readiness (which provides information on child, school or district rank in State performance), NWEA MAP and Dibels assessments (which tell us how the child or district ranks in comparison to district or national norms). At times these assessments are used to guide specific instruction where as at other points, the assessments are used as a universal screener in order to identify groups of students who may need additional enrichment or remediation.
Assessments by Grade Level
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Fall Assessments
Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS): KIDS is an observational tool designed to help teachers, administrators, families, and policymakers better understand the developmental readiness of children entering kindergarten. This is completed within the first 40 days of attendance.
NWEA MAP Assessments: This is used to measure growth from one window to another. A RIT score is produced which is used as our beginning-of-the-year benchmarking assessment. Students should set goals using their projected goal as a guide.
DIEBELS: The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) dyslexia screener is used to identify students who are at risk for future reading difficulties, including dyslexia. Students who are flagged will be given dyslexia screener again in Winter & Spring.
Panorama Fall SEL Survey (Students): Students in grades K-5 take the Panorama Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Questionnaire which measures student mindsets, behaviors, and attitudes that might be related to success in school and beyond the classroom. These surveys are designed to help educators understand the social-emotional competencies of their students and how they are supported in classrooms and schools.
Winter Assessments
NWEA MAP Assessments: This is the mid-year benchmarking assessment. Students should review their goals and create or revise them using their projected goal as a guide.
DIBELS: The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) dyslexia screener is given to any student who was flagged in a previous benchmark.
Panorama Winter SEL Survey: The Panorama Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Questionnaire measures student mindsets, behaviors, and attitudes that might be related to success in school and beyond the classroom. These surveys are designed to help educators understand the social-emotional competencies of their students and how they are supported in classrooms and schools. This is taken by students in K-5.
ACCESS for ELLs: This is a standards-based, criterion referenced English language proficiency test designed to measure English language learners' social and academic proficiency in English. This is given to EL students in grades K-5.
Spring Assessments
Illinois Science Assessment (ISA): This is the Illinois State Assessment for Science taken by students in grade 5.
Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR): This is the Illinois State Assessment for reading and math taken by students in grades 3-5.
Dynamic Learning Map/Alternative Assessments (DLM-AA): Designed to maximize accessibility for students in grades 3-5 with significant cognitive disabilities.
Panorama Spring SEL Survey: The Panorama Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Questionnaire measures student mindsets, behaviors, and attitudes that might be related to success in school and beyond the classroom. These surveys are designed to help educators understand the social-emotional competencies of their students and how they are supported in classrooms and schools. This is taken by all students.
NWEA MAP Assessments (Reading and Math Growth): This is our end-of-year benchmarking assessment to measure growth.
DIBELS: The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) is used to identify students who are at risk for future reading difficulties, including dyslexia.
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Fall
NWEA MAP Assessments: To measure growth from one window to another. A RIT score is produced. This is our beginning-of-the-year
benchmarking assessment. Students in grades 6-8 take reading and math MAP Assessments.Panorama Fall SEL Survey: The Panorama Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Questionnaire measures student mindsets, behaviors, and attitudes that might be related to success in school and beyond the classroom. These surveys are designed to help educators understand the social-emotional competencies of their students and how they are supported in classrooms and schools.
Winter
NWEA MAP Assessments: This is our mid-year benchmarking assessment to measure growth. Students should review their goals and create or revise them using their projected goal as a guide.
Panorama Winter SEL Survey: The Panorama Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Questionnaire measures student mindsets, behaviors, and attitudes that might be related to success in school and beyond the classroom. These surveys are designed to help educators understand the social-emotional competencies of their students and how they are supported in classrooms and schools.
ACCESS for ELLs: This is a standards-based, criterion referenced English language proficiency test designed to measure English language learners' social and academic proficiency in English.
Spring
Illinois Science Assessment (ISA): Illinois State Assessment for Science give to students in 8th grade.
Illinois Assessment of Readiness: Illinois State Assessment for Reading and Math given to students in grades 6-8.
DLM-AA: Illinois State Assessment – Dynamic Learning Map/Alternative Assessments are designed to maximize accessibility for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
Panorama Spring SEL Survey: The Panorama Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) questionnaire measures student mindsets, behaviors, and attitudes that might be related to success in school and beyond the classroom. These surveys are designed to help educators understand the social-emotional competencies of their students and how they are supported in classrooms and schools.
NWEA MAP Assessments: To measure growth in reading and math. This is our End-of-Year Benchmarking Assessment. Students should review their goals from Winter to Spring and/or Fall to Spring and reflect on their overall learning.
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Fall
NWEA MAP Assessments: This is used to measure growth from one window to another. This is our beginning-of-the-year benchmarking assessment taken by students in grades 9-11.
Panorama Fall SEL Survey: The Panorama Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Questionnaire measures student mindsets, behaviors, and attitudes that might be related to success in school and beyond the classroom. These surveys are designed to help educators understand the social-emotional competencies of their students and how they are supported in classrooms and schools. This is taken by students in grades 9-12.
Winter
NWEA MAP Assessments: This is our Midyear Benchmarking Assessment to measure growth. Students should review their goals and create or revise them using their projected goal as a guide.
Panorama Winter SEL Survey: The Panorama Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Questionnaire measures student mindsets, behaviors, and attitudes that might be related to success in school and beyond the classroom. These surveys are designed to help educators understand the social-emotional competencies of their students and how they are supported in classrooms and schools. This is taken by students in grades 9-12.
ACCESS for ELLs: This is a standards-based, criterion referenced English language proficiency test designed to measure English language learners' social and academic proficiency in English.
Spring
DLM-AA: Illinois State Assessment – Dynamic Learning Map/Alternative Assessments are designed to maximize accessibility for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
Panorama Spring SEL Survey: The Panorama Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Questionnaire measures student mindsets, behaviors, and attitudes that might be related to success in school and beyond the classroom. These surveys are designed to help educators understand the social-emotional competencies of their students and how they are supported in classrooms and schools.
ACT: Illinois will transition to the ACT as the state’s federally required high school accountability online assessment for English language arts, math, and science, beginning with the 2024-25 school year. The ACT is taken by students in 11th grade.
preACT9 Secure: This is an ACT assessment for freshman to prepare them for the ACT in 11th grade. This is an online test.
preACT Secure: This is an ACT assessment for sophomores to prepare them for the ACT in 11th grade. This is an online test.
NWEA MAP Assessments: This is our End-of-Year Benchmarking Assessment to measure growth in reading and math. Students should review their goals from Winter to Spring and/or Fall to Spring and reflect on their overall learning.
Panorama
Panorama is a digital visualization tool developed to inform educators to make data-driven decisions about student learning in four areas:
- Attendance
- Academics
- Behavior
- Social emotional learning
Educators receive feedback with surveys they administer to their students three times a year around social emotional learning. Attendance, academics, and behavior are synced with Skyward, our student information system. District assessments are synced with NWEA and State assessments (IAR, ACCESS) are uploaded after we receive data from ISBE. Each area provides a picture of the whole child.