Raise Your Hand –Culture of Testing Forum – 11/29/12
DESCRIPTION OF CPS ASSESSMENTS
NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association) K-8
Computer-based adaptive assessment/multiple choice. Mandatory for all schools this year at beginning and
end of year but winter NWEA is optional. Check with your school/LSC regarding winter. CPS explains the
test “provides screening data, and helpful data for placement and grouping, information on suggested
learning objectives and aligned resources. Administered per subject in math and reading. Purpose:
Accountability, Growth, Screening, Progress Monitoring.” Used in over 1200 school districts, 3 million
students according to website.
REACH Performance Tasks (PK-12)
Brand new for 2012-2013. Mandatory for all schools. Teacher created – by over 200 CPS teachers.
Paper/pencil. A performance task is used to assess demonstration of mastery, o progress towards mastery
of a particular skill or standard. All teachers in PreK-8 will administer a performance task (including PE,
art, music) and hs teachers will administer in core subjects Per CPS, “Aligned to course curriculum,
measures a range of objectives, baseline info, focus on applied learning and understanding. Purpose:
Accountability, Growth, Screening.”
ACCESS (English Language Learners – all grades)
ACCESS is a state/district mandated assessment taken once a year during the winter for all English
Language Learners. It takes roughly 3 hours and is administered 1:1. It is supposed to measure social and
academic proficiency in English. Developed by World Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA),
website says ACCESS is currently administered in 27 states to 975,441 students.
mCLASS Suite (Wireless Generation)
DIBELS, TRC and mCLASS Math – used by many CPS schools but not all. 1:1 w/ handheld device. Some
schools use other diagnostic tools. According to CPS all K-2 must use some form of diagnostic assessment
but doesn’t have to be mCLASS Suite. Per CPS measures, “Growth, Screening, Diagnostic, Progress
Monitoring.” Serve over 3 million students according to WG website.
BENCHMARK PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS (K-8)
Common Core benchmarks taken 3x a year. Optional according to CPS. Literacy and Math. Performance
tasks. Purpose “Growth and Progress Monitoring.”
ISAT (3-8)
Being phased out and Common Core will replace in 2014. The Illinois Standards Achievement Test
(ISAT) measures the achievement of students in reading and math in grades 3-8 and science in grades 4-7.
http://www.isbe.state.il.us/assessment/isat.htm
ALGEBRA EXIT EXAM (7th or 8th)
End of year multiple choice test. Purpose per CPS “HS Placement and Screening.”
EXPLORE (8th)
End of year multiple choice assessment. Purpose per CPS, “Growth, Screening.”
Description of Assessments- High School
ACCESS- see above
EPAS (9th-11th)
Explore – 9th, Plan – 10th, ACT – 11th
Beginning and End of Year Multiple Choice Assessment. Mid-year is optional for EXPLORE and PLAN.
Explore -4 curriculum based assessments. Eng, Math, Reading and Science. Measures skills and knowledge
needed for college success. PLAN is the midpoint measure of academic progress in ACT’s College and
Career Readiness System. Purpose per CPS: “Accountability, Growth, Screening, Progress Monitoring.”
REACH – see above
High School Interim Assessments: (9-12)
Quarterly multiple choice assessment. 45-60 minutes over 3-4 days. “Progress Monitoring”
PSAE – 11th grade
The Prairie State Achievement Test measures the achievement of 11 th grade students in reading, math and
science. The Spring 2013 PSAE includes three components: (1) The ACT
IAA – required for students with most significant cognitive disabilities for whom standard PSAE testing
is not appropriate.
COMPASS (10-12)
Per CPS: The COMPASS Assessment will be offered district-wide as an optional junior college placement
exam; dates and logistics TBD.
There are other diagnostic assessments used at different CPS schools that may not be listed here.
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