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State Assessment Information
There are a number of required statewide assessment that school districts and students take in order to measure what student know, what students can do, and to ensure accountability for schools and districts. Below is information on teach of those statewide assessments. For more detailed information, please go to the state website at: https://education.alaska.gov/assessments
Results of the various state assessments for our schools can be found at: https://education.alaska.gov/assessments/results
Measures of Academic Progress
The district administers the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) to all K-12 students for reading, math, and language usage. The tests are given three times each year (September, December, and April) and it takes a few hours for students to complete each test of a two-week period. The information is shared with parents during parent-teacher conferences or other parent meetings. The purpose of these assessments is to track growth in the above-mentioned subject areas over the year and determine how to support students on their learning journey.
Amplify mClass
The district administers the Amplify mClass screener, sometimes called DIBELS, to all K-5 students for reading. The tests are given three times each year (September, December, and April) and it takes a few hours for students to complete each test over a two-week period. The information is shared with parents during parent-teacher conferences or other parent meetings. The purpose of this assessment is to find the strengths and weaknesses in the area of reading and develop and individualized reading plan to support students in reading.
AK STAR (Alaska System of Academic Readiness)
The Alaska System of Academic Readiness (AK STAR) is designed to provide families with information about student performance and progress in relation to the academic standards for Alaska students. Alaska System of Academic Readiness (AK STAR) for English language arts (ELA) and mathematics in Grades 3–9. This solution administers MAP® Growth™ in the fall and winter and an end-of-year summative test in the spring. This assessment is required in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. DEED provides a window in April and May in which these assessments can be administered. It is expected to take two to three days for students to complete. Parents will receive the results from the school in the fall of the next year, typically around the first parent/teacher conference, but it could be earlier.
ACCESS for ELL's (WIDA)
ACCESS for ELLs is aligned with the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards and assesses each of the four language domains of Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. This assessment is designed to monitor student's progress in acquiring academic English. All identified English learners (students identified as EL) in grades K-12 are required to take this assessment. This assessment is required in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. DEED provides a window in February and March in which these assessments can be administered. It is expected to take no more than a few hours for students to complete it. Parents will receive the results from the school in May.
Alaska Science Assessment
The Alaska Science Assessment is a summative assessment designed to measure a student’s knowledge of the Alaska science standards. The science assessment is administered to students in grades 5, 8, and 10. This assessment is required in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.DEED provides a window in April and May in which these assessments can be administered. It is expected to take two to three days for students to complete. Parents will receive the results from the school in the fall of the next year, typically around the first parent/teacher conference but it could be earlier.
Results of the Alaska Science assessment for our schools can be found at: https://education.alaska.gov/assessments/results
Alternate Assessment Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM)
Students with significant cognitive disabilities will have access to, participate in, and make progress in the general education curricula in compliance with the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA; 2004). Alternate assessments designed for these students offer assessments in the same content at the same grade levels as the general content assessments. If a student meets the eligibility criteria, the IEP Team may recommend the alternate assessment for that student. The alternate assessments are based on content standards for English language arts, mathematics, and science called the Alaska-Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) Essential Elements. The Essential Elements are aligned to Alaska’s content standards, but are reduced in complexity, breadth, and depth.
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as “the Nation’s Report Card,” is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America’s students know and can do in various subject areas. Its two major goals are to measure student achievement and to report change in performance over time. The NAEP assessment is given to selected 4th grade and 8th grade classes in the reading and mathematics content areas. The NAEP is administered every other year. This assessment is required in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This information is not designed for parent, school, or district use so there will be no reports sent to parents.
Alaska Developmental Profile (Kindergarten Profile)
The purpose of the ADP is to identify, record, and summarize the skills and behaviors students demonstrate upon entry to school, based on teacher observations. Student skills and behaviors are defined by whether students are consistently demonstrating 13 goals and indicators in the following five domains from Alaska’s Early Learning Guidelines:
- Physical Well-Being, Health, and Motor Development
- Social and Emotional Development
- Approaches to Learning
- Cognition and General Knowledge
- Communication, Language, and Literacy
This assessment is given to Kindergartners and is required by state law.DEED provides a window in September in which these assessments can be administered. It is expected to take two t days for students to complete. Parents will receive the results from the school around the first parent/teacher conference but it could be earlier.