Student Learning
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Each year, District 25 administers several state and local assessments to our students to inform instructional planning, determine who may need additional instruction, and obtain a general snapshot of students’ academic strengths and needs. Please note that classrooms will participate in these assessments at different times throughout the testing window, so be attentive to the dates and times provided by your child’s school.
If you have any questions, please reach out to the District's Assessment Coordinator: Amanda Czerniuk (aczerniuk@sd25.org).
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ACCESS for English Language Learners (Multilingual Learners (ML))
ACCESS for ELLs (Multilingual Learners (ML)) is a standards-based, criterion referenced English language proficiency test designed to measure English language learners' social and academic proficiency in English. It assesses social and instructional English used within the school context as well as the language associated with language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies across the four language domains (Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing).
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aimswebPlus
aimswebPlus is a universal screening, progress monitoring, and data management system that supports Response to Intervention (RTI) and tiered instruction. aimswebPlus uses brief, valid, and reliable measures of reading and math performance for grades K-8, which can be generalized to any curriculum.
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CogAT
The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) is a standardized test designed to measure learned reasoning and problem solving skills. These abilities, acquired both in and out of school, are important because children use them on a daily basis to learn and solve problems. It is important to note that the CogAT is neither an intelligence test nor an achievement test. It measures developed rather than innate abilities.
Sample tasks include:
- Comprehending problem situations
- Detecting similarities and differences
- Making inferences
- Make deductions
- Classifying and categorizing objects, events, and other stimuli
- Creating and adapting problem-solving strategies
- Using familiar concepts and skills in new contexts
The Quantitative and/or Verbal CogAT batteries are given to students in third and fifth grade. Any 4th, 6th, and 7th grade students new to the district will also be administered the CogAT in their first year.
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FitnessGram
All Illinois public schools are required to administer a physical fitness assessment to students in grades 3-12. Illinois has selected FITNESSGRAM, a health-related fitness test that is intended to help students acquire lasting habits of regular physical activity.
The four required areas of fitness assessment are as follows:
- For Aerobic Capacity, grades 4-12 will take the PACER test (recommended) or Mile Run Test (alternate) or Brockport test (adapted);
- For Flexibility, grades 3-12 will take the Back-Saver Sit and Reach test (recommended) or Trunk Lift test (alternate) or Brockport test (adapted);
- For Muscular Endurance, grades 3-12 will take the Curl-Up test or Brockport test (adapted); and
- For Muscular Strength, grades 3-12 will take the Push-Up test or Brockport test (adapted).
For each fitness area of the FITNESSGRAM, a student’s performance is classified into the Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ) or Needs Improvement (NI). The desired performance goal for each test option is the HFZ, which represents a level of fitness that offers some protection against the diseases related to physical inactivity. The NI designation indicates an area of fitness where a student would benefit from activities designed to improve performance in that area.
Our students will receive their results upon completion which will help them understand their individual levels of fitness. Students are encouraged to talk about these results with their parents or guardians and their physical education teacher to plan appropriate fitness activities.
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Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR)
The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) is the state assessment and accountability measure for Illinois students enrolled in a public school district. IAR assesses the Illinois Learning Standards and will be administered to students in English Language Arts and Mathematics.
IAR assessments in English Language Arts and mathematics will be administered to all students in grades 3-8, according to their current grade level.
Resources
Score Report Guide (English Language Arts/Literacy & Mathematics)
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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.
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Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS)
The Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) is an observational tool designed to help teachers and administrators better understand the developmental readiness of children entering kindergarten. KIDS is core to the Illinois State Board of Education’s (ISBE) goal that every child in Illinois deserves to attend a school wherein all kindergarteners are assessed for readiness. KIDS focuses on the knowledge, skills, and behaviors that most impact long-term student success. This assessment takes place within the first forty days of the Kindergarten school year.
KIDS focuses on the knowledge, skills, and behaviors across four key domains that most impact long-term student success. The domains are: Approaches to Learning and Self-Regulation; Social and Emotional Development; Language and Literacy Development; and Cognition: Math.
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Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)
Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP®) are K – 12 interim assessments that measure growth, project proficiency on high-stakes tests, and inform how educators differentiate instruction, evaluate programs, and structure curriculum.
Computer adaptive MAP assessments reveal precisely which academic skills and concepts the student has acquired and what they’re ready to learn. MAP assessments are grade independent and adapt to each student’s instructional level. Every item on a MAP assessment is anchored to a vertically aligned equal interval scale, called the RIT scale for Rasch UnIT—a stable measurement, like inches on a ruler, that covers all grades. RIT scores serve as an essential data point in a student’s learning plan; educators can see their precise learning level and respond accordingly.Resources