To comply with state requirements for local student progress monitoring of the Common Core State Standards for the California Dashboard, it has been determined that VESD Benchmark Assessments will be administered three times per year. In efforts to save time and energy for more focus on instruction, as well as utilize a tool with universal access to all district teachers and students, the Inspect assessments in the DnA (formally Illuminate) Itembank are being used for VESD Benchmark Assessments for math in Grades 1-6 and ELA in grades 3-6.  In addition to satisfying state requirements, some other key factors for this testing platform include, but are not limited to:

• Computer-scored for immediate feedback and timesaving

• Aligned to VESD negotiated Focus Standards

• Can be administered in-seat or remotely (to support independent study)

• Rigor and item types comparable to SBAC (state test)

• Provides actionable, sustainable, consistent, valid, and reliable data

• Many teachers familiar with format and reports, including multiple grade levels in the Assessment and Reporting Committee (ARC)

• Many current supports in place for success

English Language Arts in grades TK-2 will be measured by current classroom assessments (i.e., Letters and Sounds in Kindergarten, Running Records in First and Second Grade) to eliminate redundancy or added assessments to tight schedules.  Scores for these assessments must be entered in DnA (formally Illuminate) and Running Records, whatever format, must be converted to the Literacy Footprints Guided Reading Level scoring system for a common metric district-wide.