Unit 7 Assessment Information
Guidelines for a Comprehensive Assessment System: These school district assessment guidelines address the philosophical base, focus, roles, and responsibilities for all engaged in assessment in Unit 7 Schools.
Assessment Philosophy: Assessment is central to instruction and is used to enhance student learning. The purpose of assessment is to help students be motivated to learn, reach achievement targets and take responsibility for their own learning. Assessment methods will be appropriate and purposeful, resulting in information that will drive teaching and learning. Students will be full partners in assessment and will come to understand how assessment and evaluation affect their academic success.
Key Terms: In this policy, three key terms are used extensively. They are defined below to promote complete understanding:
- Assessment – the process of gathering information that reflects levels of student achievement
- Communication — the process of transforming assessment and evaluation results into information for decision-making
- Evaluation – judgment regarding the quality of assessment results, set against desired standards; usually based on many sources of information
Comprehensive Assessment System
Focus of Assessment: The focus of assessment in Unit 7 will be student mastery of content knowledge and skills, use of knowledge to reason and solve problems, creation of valued products, and development of positive attitudes. Those successfully completing our program will be able to do the following, and more:
- Communicate both verbally and in written form in school, work-related, and social contexts;
- Read proficiently;
- Solve problems that arise in everyday school, work, and personal life;
- Make safe and healthy choices regarding school, work, and personal lives;
- Learn and contribute productively as individuals and as members of groups;
- Recognize and apply connections of important information and ideas within and among learning areas;
- Appreciate the arts as instruments for human experience;
- Understand and appreciate cultural, ethnic and social diversity.
Faculty and Staff Responsibility
The development, administration, use, and evaluation of assessments in this district shall be guided by these basic tenets: (1) Instruction and assessment will be integrated at all times, and (2) Students will be involved in classroom assessment, record keeping, and communication of assessment results.
All assessments used in this district will meet given standards of quality: (1) Arising from and reflecting a clear and appropriate target, (2) Serving a clearly articulated purpose, (3) Using an appropriate assessment method, (4) Sampling the target appropriately, and (5) Controlling for extraneous factors that can cause the mis-measurement of achievement (bias).
District Assessments
Tolono CUSD 7 Assessment Reporting for Public Act 099-0950
2022-2023
Assessment Name | Assessment Window | Entity Requiring Assessment | Grade Levels | Subsets of Students taking the Assessment | Estimate of Average Time to Complete the Assessment | Purpose of the Assessment |
Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) https://cdn.nwea.org/docs/Family+Guide+to+MAP+Growth.pdf | Aug. - Sept.Dec. - Jan.May | District | 2nd - 10th | All students | 50 minutes per subject | *Guiding instruction*Determining need for additional support through RtI*Course placement at UJHS/UHS |
AIMS Web Plus https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1600727/aimswebplus_parent_or_guardian_letter.pdf | Aug. - Sept.Dec. - Jan.May | District | K - 5th 6th - 12th | All students Targeted students | 5 - 25 minutes | *Guiding instruction*Determining need for additional support through RtI |
Kindergarten Individual Developmental Study (KIDS) https://www.isbe.net/kids | October 2023 | State | Kindergarten | All students | Varies | Guiding instruction |
ACCESS/WIDA https://wida.wisc.edu/sites/default/files/resource/ACCESS-Parent-Handout-English.pdf | January 11, 2023 - February 23, 2023 | State | K-12 | English language learners | 4 hours | *Guiding instruction*Determining level of ELL proficiency |
Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Illinois-Science-Assessment.aspx | March 1, 2023 - April 28, 2023 | State | 5th, 8th, 11th | All students | 40 minutes | Guiding instruction |
Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) https://www.isbe.net/Pages/DLM-AA.aspx | March 15, 2023 -May 10, 2023 | State | 3rd - 11th | Alternate assessment for special education students | 45 minutes - 10 hours | Guiding instruction |
Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) https://www.isbe.net/iar | March 6, 2023 - April 21, 2023 | State | 3rd - 8th | All students | 8-9 hours | Guiding instruction |
PSAT 9/10 https://www.isbe.net/Pages/sat-psat.aspx | April 12, 2023 - April 28, 2023 | State | 9th & 10th | All students | 4-5 hours | *Guiding instruction*Graduation requirement |
SAT https://www.isbe.net/Pages/sat-psat.aspx | April 12, 2023 | State | 11th | All students | 4-5 hours | *Guiding instruction*Graduation requirement |