WPS Assessment

• Subject: Reading and Mathematics

• Intended for: all 3rd-8th graders and students in their second year of high school

• Maine Educational Assessment, computer-based adaptive and diagnostic assessment

• Timeline:  Fall, winter (optional), and spring each year

• Assessment description: The Maine Department of Education has partnered with NWEA to provide to students in grades 3-8 and 2nd year of high school an assessment for mathematics and reading, delivered through the Acacia platform. The Through Year Assessment is computer-based and adaptive, adjusting the difficulty level of the questions presented to the student based upon student response. Student achievement is measured both according to grade-level Common Core State Standards as well as according to a RIT score which allows for comparisons of academic growth across students and time. 

• For more information visit Maine Comprehensive Assessment System (MECAS) website

• Data reporting: Teachers use assessment data to guide their instruction and provide individualized activities and learning opportunities to students.  Families will receive Individual Student Reports following the spring administration (see 2023 template for 3-5th and 6+). 

• Subject: Science

• Intended for: all students in 5th, 8th,  and their third year of high school

• Maine Educational Assessment, computer-based diagnostic assessment

• Timeline:  Spring each year

• Assessment description: The Maine Department of Education has partnered with New Meridian to develop the Maine Science Assessment, based on the Maine Science and Engineering Standards for which the Next Generation Science Standards serve as the foundation. The assessment focuses on performance expectation levels based on three-dimensional learning that incorporates science practices and crosscutting concepts with disciplinary core ideas.

• For more information visit Maine Comprehensive Assessment System (MECAS) website

• Data reporting: Teachers use assessment data to guide their instruction and provide individualized activities and learning opportunities to students.  Families will receive an Individual Student Report (see template for Grade 5, Grade 8, and High School). 

• Subject: Reading, Mathematics and Language (as available)

• Intended for: K-2nd grade students (Math and Reading), 3rd-8th students (Language), 9th and 11th graders (Math and Reading)

• Local Assessment, computer-based adaptive assessment

• Timeline:  Fall, winter (optional), and spring each year

• Assessment description: NWEA MAP Growth is a nationally normed, standardized achievement test which measures what students know and informs what they're ready to learn next by using a computer adaptive test that adjusts to the ability and knowledge of the student. Your child's teacher will use the results of the NWEA MAP Growth assessments to better understand your child's individual needs and to help him/her progress in the assessed area. Because the assessment is a growth measure, it can track the growth of the student between testing events and over multiple years of testing

• For more information visit the  NWEA MAP Growth website

• Data reporting: Teachers use assessment data to guide their instruction and provide individualized activities and learning opportunities to students.  Please reach out to your child's homeroom teacher for copies of their data.

• Subject: Student Attitude

• Intended for: K-12th graders

• Local Assessment, computer-based survey

• Timeline:  Fall and early spring each year

• Assessment description: Research-based attitudinal assessment with impactful intervention guide:  Uncover hidden non-academic barriers to student learning and success, such as lack of confidence, motivation, and connectedness to school, with a research-based and easy- to- administer pre-K-12 survey that takes students less than 15 minutes to complete. Dynamic, interactive, and immediately available reports provide insights into the whole district or school, from the demographic level down to the individual student level. These actionable reports provide standardized measures based on nine factors that focus on how a student feels about their school and themselves as learners. Renaissance Fundamentals allows educators to identify at-risk students and areas of concern before they manifest as chronic issues.

• For more information please read the Parent & Guardian Guide or visit the  Renaissance Fundamentals website

• Data reporting: Data from this assessment provides our staff with student perception data around non-academic barriers and can be used to inform individual, group, or whole school interventions.

• Subject: 

• Intended for: all 5th-12th graders

• Optional Survey

• Timeline:  February of odd years (every-other year)

• Assessment description: The Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (MIYHS) is a biennial survey of Maine students in grades 5 through 12 that monitors health behaviors and attitudes regarding tobacco, alcohol, substance use, mental health, nutrition, physical activity, and protective factors. The MIYHS was first administered in 2009 and will be offered in February of odd-numbered years, except for 2021 when the survey was administered in the fall. The MIYHS is conducted by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services in collaboration with the Maine Department of Education. 

• For more information visit Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey website

• Data reporting: Publicly available data reports for the state, geographic public health districts, and counties are available for each survey cycle since 2009. School and school district reports are available via username and password assigned to principals and superintendents.

• Subject: Reading/Writing & MATH

• Intended for: 9th-11th graders; Winthrop High School offers several optional PSAT testing windows throughout the year. Please contact the WHS Guidance Office (377-2228 ext: 3016) for more information.

• National Assessment

• Assessment description: The PSAT (Preliminary SAT) is a standardized test that serves as a practice version of the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test). It is typically taken by high school students, often in their 10th or 11th grade year. The PSAT measures skills in areas such as reading, writing, and math, and is used for several purposes:

  • Practice for the SAT: The PSAT helps students familiarize themselves with the format and types of questions on the SAT.\

  • National Merit Scholarship Program: The PSAT/NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) is used to determine eligibility for the National Merit Scholarship, which is a prestigious academic award based on test scores.

  • College and Career Planning: The PSAT can help students identify areas of strength and areas that need improvement, assisting them in preparing for the SAT and future college applications.

• For more information on PSAT please visit the College Board website

• Subject: ELA & MATH

• Intended for: Specific grade levels as determined by selection

• National Assessment

• Assessment description: The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called The Nation’s Report Card, is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what students in public and private schools in the United States know and are able to do in various subjects. Since 1969, NAEP has been a common measure of student achievement across the country in mathematics, reading, science, and many other subjects. Depending on the assessment, NAEP report cards provide national, state, and some district-level results, as well as results for different demographic groups. 

NAEP is a congressionally mandated project of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), located within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences. NAEP data are also used in special studies conducted by NCES. These have included comparisons of proficiency standards across state assessments; insights from high school transcripts, including courses taken and credits earned; and in-depth looks at how different demographic groups perform across different types of schools. 

The National Assessment Governing Board, an independent, bipartisan organization made up of governors, state school superintendents, teachers, researchers, and representatives of the general public, sets policy for NAEP.

• For more information on NAEP please visit NCES.ED.GOV