Assessment

This pyramid shows the different ways schools check how students are learning. Teachers use daily classroom activities to guide instruction and support each child’s growth. District assessments help track student progress across schools, and the state MCAS tests give a big-picture view of how well students are meeting learning goals. Together, these assessments help teachers and schools understand and support every student’s learning journey.

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Types of Assessments: How Do We Know What Students Are Learning?

The image above shows a pyramid illustrating different types of assessments and how they inform student learning.

Top: State assessments (e.g., MCAS) are used for verifying learning.

Middle: District benchmark assessments (e.g., DIBELS, IRLA, common math assessments) are used for monitoring learning.

Base: Classroom assessments include formative (daily checks like cool downs, turn-and-talks, observations) and summative assessments (end-of-unit tests, projects, presentations). These classroom assessments help teachers with planning and supporting learning.

RPS District Assessments

District assessments are benchmark assessments that help teachers monitor student progress toward mastering grade-level standards during the year. The results guide instruction and ensure each child gets the support or challenge they need to keep growing. Below is a brief description of each of the RPS K-5 district-wide assessments.

Assessing Math Concepts (K-1 Math)

The Assessing Math Concepts (AMC) assessments are one-on-one interviews that help teachers understand what your child knows about early math ideas, such as counting, and number relationships,. During these assessments, the teacher asks your child to solve short math tasks and explain their thinking, which helps guide instruction to support your child’s mathematical growth.

The AMC is administered to kindergarten and grade 1 students two times per school year.

DIBELS (K-3 Literacy)

The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) is a quick, one-on-one assessment used as a universal screener in schools to measure foundational reading skills from Kindergarten through third grade in RPS. Its purpose is to efficiently monitor a child's progress and proactively identify students who may need additional support in literacy. The assessment consists of several very brief (often one-minute) tasks that check essential skills like phonemic awareness (hearing sounds), phonics (connecting letters and sounds), and reading fluency. School literacy specialists administer DIBELS three times a year to gain a reliable snapshot of where your child stands in relation to grade-level reading benchmarks. The results help educators determine if a student is on track or if they are at risk and need strategic or intensive intervention. Ultimately, DIBELS data ensures that every child receives the right kind of targeted instruction needed to become a confident, successful reader.

Members of the reading teams from Wakefield and Reading recorded an informational video to share about early literacy screening and how to interpret the DIBELS Home Report that is sent home to families. You can find the recording using this link and password:

Recording: DIBELS Information for Families

Passcode: QxDK8E$Y

Pear Assessment (2-5 Math )

The Pear Assessments are district-developed assessments designed to align with the Illustrative Mathematics curriculum. The assessments measure a student's understanding of math standards from units that have already been taught. It is completed either on paper or digitally and helps teachers see how well students have grasped key concepts and skills so they can plan next steps in instruction.

The Pear Assessment is administered to students in grades 2-5 three times per school year.

IRLA (K-5 Literacy)

The Independent Reading Level Assessment (IRLA) is a reading framework that maps your child's journey using a series of color-coded levels. At its core is the Developmental Reading Taxonomy, a detailed, research-based sequence of all the skills needed to become a proficient reader, from sounding out words to understanding complex text. This framework acts as the direct instructional driver for the teacher, providing highly specific data rather than just a single score. When a teacher assesses your student, they pinpoint the single most crucial skill your child needs to master next. This key skill becomes a personalized "Power Goal" that guides all small-group and one-on-one instruction. This system ensures your child is always reading "just-right" books for practice, which builds confidence and accelerates reading growth.

The IRLA is an essential component of ARC Core and is administered by your child's classroom teacher multiple times throughout the year.

Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS)

Each spring, students in grades 3–8 and 10 take Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests in English Language Arts and Mathematics. Students in grades 5, 8, and high school also take a Science MCAS test, and students in grade 8 complete a Civics MCAS test. These statewide standardized tests help us understand how well students are learning the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and where we can provide additional support.

To learn more about the MCAS tests, visit MA's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website.

Elementary Assessment Calendar

Click here to see district and state assessment windows.

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