White Bear Lake School District
A Parent’s Guide to Assessments 2012-13
In order to measure student growth and progress, regular assessment of student learning takes place throughout the
school year. Multiple types of assessments are used to guide instruction and determine students’ progress within the
White Bear Lake School District Reading and Math Curriculum Frameworks. This handout is intended to provide parents
with more specific information about the assessments used in White Bear Lake School District. An assessment calendar is
also provided at the end of this document.
Classroom Assessments
One of the most common forms of assessment is classroom-based assessment. These include, but are not limited to:
classroom observations, written assessments, daily work, classroom projects, etc. Classroom assessment is utilized daily.
These assessments are also used for reporting student progress on your student’s report card.
AIMSWEB Benchmark Testing
In addition to classroom assessments, WBLASD K-5 schools use curriculum-based measurement (also known as CBMs) three
times a year (fall, winter, spring). CBMs have established reliability and validity and are used to summarize both a student’s
level of performance and rate of progress. The majority of the AIMSWEB CBMs take approximately one minute to
administer. This allows the team to screen a large number of students in a short amount of time. They give us a
“snapshot” of a student’s early literacy skills, early numeracy skills, oral reading fluency, and/or academic growth in
reading and math. They are used to identify students who could benefit from additional support or enrichment. Once
students are identified, additional assessment might be needed to determine what kind of support each child might need.
Differentiated instruction and intervention plans might take place inside or outside of the classroom. The different CBM
probes are explained in more detail on the next page.
Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) Testing
Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) is an assessment taken by students in grades 1-11. Students currently take
assessments in Reading and Math. Assessments are given to all students 2-3 times each year for grades 1-11 When taking
a MAP test, the difficulty of each question is based on how well a student answers all the previous questions. As the
student answers correctly, questions become more difficult. If the student answer incorrectly, the questions become
easier. In an optimal test, a student answers approximately half the items correctly and half incorrectly. The final score is
an estimate of the student’s achievement level.
Students receive an individual score, called a RIT score. Individual growth goals are developed for each student based on
his/her achievement. This model of assessment is based on individual growth, rather reaching the same benchmark for
each student. By individualizing for each student, teachers are able to optimize learning and ensure every student is
making progress. The results of the test provide parents and school personnel the ability to monitor student growth over
time.
Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) of Academic Skills
The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) Assessments and the MCA Alternative Assessments are required state
tests given annually in the Spring to students in grades 3-8, 10 and 11. Areas tested include Reading (3-8, 10), Math (3-8,
11), and Science (5, 8, and 10), and GRAD Written Composition (9).
ACCESS for English Language Learners
The ACCESS for ELLs is designed to assess student progress in achieving English language proficiency. It is given annually in
February. The test is given to all students in grades K-12 who are identified as English Learners (ELs) in the language
domains of: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.
White Bear Lake School District
A Parent’s Guide to Assessments 2012-13
AIMSWEB Literacy CBMs Explained
Students who have mastered certain early reading skills (identifying letter names/sounds, reading basic words, etc.) in
kindergarten and first grade are much more likely to continue to have success in literacy. The AIMSWEB literacy CBMs are
intended to assist us in identifying students who may be at risk for falling behind so that we may prescribe appropriate
interventions. It is important to note that these CBMs cannot be used for grading purposes. They are intended to be
screeners to track student progress and growth over time and identify students who may be in need of additional
intervention. The following CBMs are often administered to students in elementary school:
Letter Naming Fluency (Kindergarten)
Kindergarten students are given a page with letters and asked to name each one. This probe takes one minute to
administer.
Letter Sound Fluency (Kindergarten)
Kindergarten students are given a page of letters and asked to name each letter’s sound. This probe takes one minute to
administer.
Nonsense Word Fluency (Grade 1)
The ability to blend together the sounds represented by letters to make words is an important skill in learning to read. This
skill helps us determine how well students can use their basic decoding skills to read short vowel sounds and consonants.
When this probe is administered, children are shown a page of make-believe words like “tob” or “miv”, and asked to read them by
saying the individual sound of each letter in the word or the whole word itself. It takes only one minute to give this test. This
test is administered to first grade students.
Oral Reading Fluency (Grade 1-5)
This is a measure of how fluently and accurately students can read passages written at their grade level. This is given to
students in grades 1-5 in the fall, winter, and spring. Children are given three passages and asked to read each one aloud
for one minute. Children who read accurately and fluently are better able to comprehend what they read.
AIMSWEB Math CBMs Explained
Students who have mastered certain early numeracy skills in kindergarten and first grade are much more likely to continue
to have success in math. Additionally, it is important that students demonstrate efficiency and accuracy when completing
basic computation skills. The AIMSWEB Math CBMs used in WBLASD Grades 1-5 are intended to progress monitor
students who are at risk for falling behind so that we can be more certain interventions are effective. It is important to note
that these CBMs cannot be used for grading purposes. They are intended to be progress monitoring tools to track student
progress and growth over time. Your student’s intervention teacher will share the type of Math CBM and purpose if your
student is identified for math intervention in grades K-5.
White Bear Lake School District
Date
September 2012
Sept 10-Oct 5, 2012
Sept 10-Oct 5, 2012
Sept 5-Oct 5
Sept 4- 11
October 2012
Oct 2-9
November 2012
Nov 6-13
Nov 7
Nov 13
January 2013
Jan 1-8
Jan 7-Feb 22
Jan 7- 31
Jan 21-Feb 15
Jan 21- Feb 15
February 2013
Feb 5-12
Feb 15
Feb 22
Feb 4-March 22
March 2013
March 11-May 10
March 5-12
March 18-May 10
March 18-May 10
March 18-May 17
March 18-May 10
March 22
April 2013
April 2-9
April 16
April 16
April 17
April 23
A Parent’s Guide to Assessments 2012-13
Test
Grades Tested
Fall MAP Reading
Fall MAP Math
Fall Aimsweb Literacy
Assessments – Administered
by Specialists Only (Title
I/Intervention)
GRAD Retesting Window**
1-11
Grades 1,2 and 6-11
K-5
GRAD Retesting Window**
10-12
GRAD Retesting Window**
GRAD Writing Retest
GRAD Writing Retest Make
Up
10-12
10-12
10-12
GRAD Retesting Window**
Optional Local Purpose
(OLP) MCA Assessment
Window – Math
Winter Aimsweb Literacy
Assessments – –
Administered by Specialists
Only (Title I/Intervention)
Winter MAP Reading
Winter MAP Math
10-12
3-8
GRAD Retesting Window**
Winter MAP window ends
OLP MCA Math Window
Ends
ACCESS for EL Window
10-12
1-10
3-8
MCA III Online Math
Window
GRAD Retesting Window**
MCA III Online Reading
Window
MCA Modified Reading
Grades 5-8, 10 and Math
Grades 5-8 Online Window
MCA Online Science
Window
MTAS Reading, Math and
Science Window
ACCESS for EL ends
3-8
GRAD Retest Window**
MCA Grade 11 Math (Paper)
Modified Math Grade 11
Segments 1 and 2
GRAD Writing and Writing
Retest Seniors Only
MCA Grade 11 Math (Paper)
and Modified Math Grade 11
Segments 3 and 4
GRAD Writing Make Up and
Writing Retest Seniors Only
10-12
11
10-12
K-5
1-5
1-5
K-12
10-12
3-8, 10
5-8, 10
5, 8 and High School
3-11
K-12
9 and 12 (for retest only)
11
9 and 12 (for retest only)
White Bear Lake School District
May 2013
May 7-14
May 2-June 6 (will close
window May 31st for grades
1-5)
May 2-June 6 (will close
window May 31st for grades
1-5)
May 2-31
May 10
May 17
A Parent’s Guide to Assessments 2012-13
GRAD Retest Window**
Spring MAP Reading
10-12
1-11
Spring MAP Math
1-11
Aimsweb Spring Literacy
Assessments – –
Administered by Specialists
Only (Title I/Intervention)
MCA Reading and Math
Online Window Ends, MCA
Modified Reading and Math
online grades 5-8 Ends,
MTAS All areas ends
MCA Science Online Ends
K-5
5, 8. and High School