Assessment

Comprehensive, Balanced Assessment System

A set of reliable and valid assessments aligned to standards that allow educators to (a) identify students at-risk in reading, math, and/or social-emotional behavioral well-being (i.e., screeners); (b) determine the reasons why students are not meeting expectations (i.e., diagnostic tools); (c) formatively assess during the learning process to modify instruction and learning activities according to student needs; (d) monitor progress toward meeting expectations (i.e., progress monitoring tools); and (e) evaluate overall student outcomes (i.e., summative).

Universal Screening

A valid, reliable, and technically adequate assessment that is done with all students in a grade or school to determine students' likelihood of future successes on a relevant outcome measure. A healthy system would show that 80% or more of the students are projected to be successful on an outcome measure and therefore are meeting expectations.

Diagnostic Assessment

Flexible process of gathering information to identify which skills and concepts to target during intervention. This process may or may not include formal testing information and should consider the setting, curricular, and instructional needs, in addition to the student’s specific knowledge and skills.

Formative Assessment

Assessments teachers use regularly as part of a comprehensive assessment system to check for what students know and are able to do relative to Iowa content standards and often referred to as Assessment for Learning.

Summative Assessment

Point-in-time measure of instructional outcomes. They are typically high in rigor and technical adequacy and therefore often used for accountability measures.