Assessment

ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT PAGE

Assessment is more than a score—it’s a tool for insight, growth, and continuous improvement. In Reeds Spring, assessment is used to inform instruction, guide decision-making, and support every student’s learning journey. It’s about empowering educators with information and giving students meaningful opportunities to show what they know and can do.

On this page, you'll find an overview of how assessment works at every level of our system—from quick classroom checks to district benchmarks and state accountability measures. Each section outlines the purpose, use, and impact of various assessment types, along with how we use the data they provide to drive high-quality instruction and continuous improvement.

USING DATA EFFECTIVELY AT ALL LEVELS

Assessment isn’t just about collecting data—it’s about using it. At every level of our system, data helps us:

In Classrooms: Tailor instruction based on student understanding.
In Teams: Reflect on effective practices and refine approaches together.
At the District Level: Allocate resources, identify trends, and drive strategic planning.
System-Wide: Monitor equity, ensure accountability, and guide improvement across schools.

External Assessments

Purpose: Ranking, sorting, and system accountability

These are large-scale assessments, often created and mandated by state or national agencies, used to compare student performance across schools, districts, or states. While these assessments are not the heart of daily instruction, they offer important data for long-term planning, resource allocation, and public accountability.

Examples include:

ACT / SAT
National percentile rank scores

State and Federal Accountability

Purpose: Compliance and monitoring of student growth and achievement at scale

State and federal assessments are required to evaluate how well students are mastering grade-level standards. These assessments influence school and district accreditation, funding, and interventions.

Examples:

Missouri Assessment Program (MAP)
End-of-Course Exams (EOCs)
ACCESS for ELLs

These assessments ensure we are meeting state and federal expectations while also identifying opportunity gaps and areas for targeted improvement.

District-Level Assessments

Purpose: Benchmarks for proficiency and mastery

District assessments are designed to monitor progress across grade levels and content areas. They help ensure alignment with curriculum and instructional priorities and offer timely data to adjust instruction and interventions before state testing.

Examples:

Beginning-of-Year (BOY), Mid-Year (MOY), and End-of-Year (EOY) Benchmarks
Universal screeners (e.g., STAR, Galileo)

These benchmarks are critical for early identification of student needs and system-wide instructional calibration.

Common Assessments

Purpose: Collaborative reflection on teaching and learning

Common assessments are developed by teacher teams to measure student learning on essential standards. They include:

Formative Assessments: Used during instruction to guide immediate instructional decisions.
Summative Assessments: Evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional period.

What sets common assessments apart:

Collaboratively developed to ensure consistency across classrooms
Collectively scored to calibrate expectations and provide scoring reliability
Routinely analyzed in PLCs to identify student needs and instructional next steps

Classroom Assessments

Purpose: Ongoing interaction to support high-quality instruction

These are the most immediate and responsive types of assessment, embedded directly into teaching and learning. They help teachers adjust instruction in real time and allow students to engage with their own learning progress.

Examples include:

Exit tickets
Student conferences
Quick checks for understanding
Performance tasks
Self- and peer-assessment

Effective classroom assessment isn’t an event—it’s a daily practice rooted in clarity, feedback, and student ownership.

🗃️ Structures

checks for understanding

Examples: Fist-to-Five, thumbs up/down, whiteboard responses, turn-and-talk

Why: Provides immediate insight into student comprehension and allows for real-time adjustment.

exit tickets

Examples: Quick written response to a prompt, one thing learned today, one question still remaining

Why: Helps assess mastery of the day’s learning intention and informs next-day instruction.

student self-assessment

Examples: Learning goal checklists, traffic light reflection, rubric ratings

Why: Builds metacognition and empowers students to take ownership of their learning.

peer feedback

Examples: Peer reviews using success criteria, glow/grow comments, structured protocols

Why: Reinforces learning targets and builds collaboration and clarity around expectations.

PERFORMANCE TASKS & DEMONSTRATIONS

Examples: Science experiments, oral presentations, modeled math problems, gallery walks

Why: Allows students to apply knowledge in authentic ways and demonstrate depth of understanding.

Examples: Science experiments, oral presentations, modeled math problems, gallery walks

Why: Allows students to apply knowledge in authentic ways and demonstrate depth of understanding.

conferencing & observation

Examples: One-on-one conferring, small group discussion observation, anecdotal notes

Why: Supports differentiated instruction and provides individualized feedback.

DISTRICT ASSESSMENT PLAN

2024-2025 Reeds Spring School District Assessment Plan