State Testing

As part of a balanced assessment system, state assessments provide valuable information to students, families, schools, districts, the state and taxpayers. A balanced assessment system is one that contains formative assessments (quick checks for learning conducted by teachers throughout their class), interim assessments (more formal progress monitoring often conducted several times throughout the year to see how students are progressing), and summative assessments (end of course/unit, end of year assessments to find out what students know and can do). 

  The state assessments are summative assessments. While formative, interim, and classroom-based summative assessments inform classroom instruction on a regular basis, state summative assessments are designed to be point-in-time snapshots of what students know and can do in core content areas. The assessment results are used by: parents/families to gauge student progress over time; teachers to inform and improve classroom practice and student placement; and by schools/districts to inform program, school, and district improvement. The results are also the backbone of the state’s accountability system. They are used to populate the annual school and district performance frameworks which result in accreditation ratings for each school and district. The results can also used for teacher evaluation purposes as one of the multiple measures required under S.B. 10-191.