BSD7 Assessments and Screeners

What is MAST?

"The Montana Aligned to Standards Through-Year (MAST) Program features a series of short, standards-aligned math and ELA tests that are administered throughout the year. The goal of this assessment is to develop a system that provides timely and relevant feedback for teachers and students, as well as comparable summative data for education leaders. This “classroom up” approach will provide flexible opportunities for students to demonstrate learning while providing actionable data to stakeholders throughout the education system. " - Montana Office of Public Instruction

Platform(s):

Teachers: Kite Educator Portal Website

Students: Kite Student Portal App (Version 21) on BSD7-issued Chromebooks.

What is Acadience Reading?

Acadience Reading is a universal screening and progress monitoring assessment that measures the acquisition of early literacy skills from kindergarten through fifth grade. Acadience Reading is comprised of six brief measures that function as indicators of the essential skills that every child must master to become a proficient reader. These measures are used to regularly monitor the development of early literacy skills in order to provide timely instructional support and prevent the occurrence of later reading difficulties. 

Platform(s):

Teachers: Acadience app on your iPad's home screen.

Students: Teacher-provided printed materials.  

What is ACCESS?

The ACCESS for ELLs is the English Language Proficiency assessment for academic achievement reporting for English Learners (ML/ELs) in Grades K-12. The ACCESS for ELLs is used to provide state, district, school, and individual student achievement information on the state-adopted content standards in English Proficiency. It is used by the state to provide a consistent picture of student proficiency and progress in academic English across Montana's public schools and private schools seeking accreditation. It is an important measure for understanding comparisons between schools, over time, and for gaining understanding of equity in educational services.

Platform(s):

Teachers: DRC INSIGHT Online Assessments App on BSD7-issued Chromebooks.

Students: DRC INSIGHT Online Assessments App on BSD7-issued Chromebooks.

What is MSA?

The Montana Science Assessment (MSA) is the general science assessment for academic statewide achievement reporting in Grades 5 and 8. The MSA is aligned to the Montana Content Standards (2016) in Science. It is used to provide state, district, school, and individual student achievement information on the state-adopted content standards in science. It is used by the state to provide a consistent picture of student proficiency and progress across Montana's public schools and private schools seeking accreditation. It is an important measure for understanding comparisons between schools, over time, and for gaining an understanding of equity in educational services.

Platform(s):

Teachers: MSA Test Portal.

Students: The SecureTestBrowser app on BSD7-issued Chromebooks.

What is ACT?

The ACT test is a curriculum-based college and career planning assessment for high school students that assesses the mastery of college readiness standards in science, math, and English language arts. The Montana Office of Public Instruction requires that this test is annually administered to all 11th grade students.

Platform(s):

Teachers: Bluebook App on BSD7-issued Chromebooks.

Students: Bluebook App on BSD7-issued Chromebooks.

What is STAR?

Star Assessments are short tests that provide teachers with personalized learning data for each student. Star tests are computer adaptive, which means they adjust in difficulty to each answer students provide.

Students may take a Star test for early literacy, math, or reading. Teachers analyze the data they receive from Star Assessments to learn what students already know and what they are ready to learn next, to monitor student growth, and to determine which students may need additional help.

Star Assessments are research-based and scientifically proven to help teachers guide each student on their unique path to proficiency.

Platform(s):

Teachers : Renaissance app displayed on your BSD7 Classlink page.

Students: Renaissance app displayed on their BSD7 Classlink page.

What is DESSA?

The DESSA suite of social-emotional assessments is administered for all students twice a year - once in the fall and again in the spring. It is an evidence-based competency assessment to support student growth. It measures 5 core competencies of self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, social awareness, and relationship skills.

Platform(s):

Teachers: DESSA is accessed via the Apature app displayed on your BSD7 Classlink page.

Students: N/A (students do not take DESSA).

What is the Naglieri General Ability Tests?

The Naglieri General Ability Tests- Verbal (Naglieri-V: Naglieri & Brulles, 2021), Naglieri General Ability Tests- Nonverbal (Naglieri-NV, Naglieri, 2021), and Naglieri General Ability Tests- Quantitative (Naglieri-Q: Naglieri & Lansdowne, 2021) were designed to remove cultural influences, allow students to solve problems regardless of the language they speak, and significantly reduce the amount of formal knowledge required so tests measure how well students 'think', rather than what students 'know'. 

Platform(s):

Teachers: Administered via paper and pencil.

Students: Taken with paper and pencil.

What is the WIDA Screener?

WIDA Screener is an English language proficiency assessment given to new students in grades K–12 to help educators identify whether they are English learners (ML/ELs). It is a flexible, on-demand assessment that can be administered at any time during the school year. WIDA Screener is available in two formats – online (U.S. only) and paper (U.S. and International).

Platform(s):

Teachers: Administered via paper and pencil in kindergarten and 1st grade and the DRC INSIGHT Online Assessments App on BSD7-issued Chromebooks in grades 2-12.

Students: Taken with paper and pencil in kindergarten and 1st grade and the DRC INSIGHT Online Assessments App on BSD7-issued Chromebooks in grades 2-12.

What is SOS?

The Signs of Suicide (SOS) program is a nationally recognized, evidence-based curriculum endorsed by organizations like the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). The program teaches students to “Acknowledge” the signs of distress in themselves or others, “Care” by showing support, and “Tell” a trusted adult. SOS is provided annually to students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 to foster awareness about mental health, depression, and suicide prevention.

Platform(s):

The SOS program is a single lesson, ~50 minutes in duration, implemented through school counseling departments at each school and is delivered by school-based mental health professionals who are trained in suicide prevention protocols,confidentiality and sensitive information handling, and trauma-responsive support. 

The curriculum includes age-appropriate video lessons that cover:

• Mental health and depression awareness

• Coping tools and strategies

• Steps to access support for oneself or a friend

Videos cannot be shared via link or download but can be screened at the school by request. 

Screening Process:  

• The PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) is used as the screening tool due to its high validity and reliability in identifying symptoms of depression. It is widely recognized across educational and clinical settings.

• The screening takes approximately 10 minutes and students complete the screening independently via Chromebook. 

• Student responses generate results that fall into one of four categories: mild, moderate, moderately severe, or severe.

• Parents and students will receive the categorical screening results via email.