Diagnostic Assessments

The Junior Assessment of Mathematics (JAM) assesses the understanding of number and the ability to use and solve problems. It is intended for use with students in grades K-2.

The Cognition-based assessments assess the understanding and reasoning of a single concept in mathematics and provide guidance for instructional activities. There are 6 concepts available. It is most often used with students in grades 3 -8.

The concepts most often used in our agency include:

• Addition and Subtraction

• Multiplication and Division

• Fractions

• Place Value

The SOAR surveys are part of the SOAR intervention program and are aligned with the activities. They are not technically diagnostic assessments. However, these surveys give teachers valuable information on a student's ability to make sense of, represent and explain a mathematical concept. These are most often used with students in middle and high school.

Concepts available include:

• Understanding Numbers in Base Ten

• Adding and Subtracting Situation Problems

• Multiplication and Division of Situation Problems

• Fractions as Numbers and Operating with Fractions

• Ratios and Proportional Relationships

• Expressions and Equations

These assessments follow the stages of children’s development of math concepts so teachers can identify where children are in their development. They focus on the concepts of Counting, Comparing, Number Composition and Decomposition, Place Value, Addition and Subtraction, and beginning Multiplication and Division. These are most often used with younger students. These are not as widely used in our agency as the other assessments.