Assessments

Common Formative Assessments are given before a unit of instruction (i.e. pre-test) and after a unit of instruction (i.e. post-test) that are the same across a grade level and/or content area.  The results are used to inform and adjust instruction and monitor progress.  Post-tests may be used for a grade.

Diagnostic Assessments are used to target the needs of individual students when the information provided by other types of assessments, such as common assessments, is not sufficient or too broad. Once recognized, these explicit learning needs can be targeted for instruction and intervention.

Formative Assessments provide teachers with information they need to create appropriate work for groups of learners or individual students. These assessments are administered before or during the learning. 

Progress Monitoring Assessments are used to track student progress toward a goal. Progress monitoring assessments are administered to students receiving interventions to determine the extent to which the chosen intervention, lesson plans, and teaching strategies have helped the student progress toward grade level expectations.

Standardized Assessments are administered under consistent (i.e. standard) conditions to all students at a given grade level. 

Summative Assessments are given to assess cumulative student learning at a particular point in time. 

Universal Common Assessments are the same for (i.e. common to) all students in a grade across the district that are administered to all students usually three times per year. Universal screenings are used to determine the effectiveness of curriculum, instruction, school organization, and to determine students’ level of proficiency in essential academic areas.