Data & Assessment
The Joseph Sears School is committed to continuous growth and learning for all students through a comprehensive liberal arts curriculum. Standardized and adaptive measures allow us to monitor each child’s progress toward grade-level benchmarks and individual achievement and growth goals.
The assessments outlined in this guide represent part of a multi-layered assessment program which includes classroom assessments, observations, and individual inventories of skills and competencies relating to all academic areas. This process of gathering evidence of growth and achievement supports the work of educators at the Joseph Sears School to make our educational environment appropriately challenging for each of our scholars every day.
Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) Test
- Grade: 2-8
- Administered: Fall, Winter, Spring
- Results: Mailed home
- Time: Approximately 120-180 minutes (untimed)
The MAP test is a nationally normed test, which means student growth over time can be determined and student achievement compared to peers across the country.
This adaptive assessment is taken on the iPad and begins with questions addressing grade-level content for each student. The difficulty of each subsequent question is based on the student responses. If students are answering grade-level questions incorrectly, the questions become easier, and if they are answering questions correctly, they get more difficult.
As an instructional tool, MAP provides educators with many resources designed to support differentiated instruction in the classroom. Teachers can access the MAP data system to look up student scores and determine areas of strength or weakness based on those scores. This information can be used for a period of time to design instruction that is appropriately challenging for all students. It is also part of the matrix utilized for placement in math courses for 6th grade.
The MAP reports also provide students with a Lexile level, similar to the reading level provided through the Benchmark Assessment System. This level can support the appropriate selection of texts for student instruction, however, it should not be a limiting factor for student book selection.
The MAP assessment, just like other assessments, provides a “snapshot” of student growth and achievement on a given day and does not define in total the achievement and growth profile for a student.
MAP Family Toolkit: https://www.nwea.org/the-map-suite/family-toolkit/
aimswebPlus
- Grade: K-2
- Administered: Fall, Winter, Spring
- Results: Mailed home
- Time: Approximately 20 minutes per year
The aimswebPlus assessments of early numeracy are measures of foundational math skills. Some measures are individually administered, and some are given to a whole group of students at once. Some of the skills assessed through these measures are:
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These assessments help us to identify students who may need additional support or enrichment. Giving these assessments multiple times over the year allows educators to monitor students’ progress in math in the core curriculum and interventions.
These are nationally normed assessments, which also support an understanding of how students in Kenilworth are performing compared to students across the country.
Illinois Assessment of Readiness and the Illinois Science Assessment
- Grade: 3-8
- Administered: Spring only
- Results: Sent home in October
- Time: Approximately 8.5-14 hours depending on grade level
Students in grades 3-8 take the Illinois Assessment of Readiness in reading and math every spring. The Illinois Science Assessment is given to all students in grades 5 and 8 each spring.
These tests are standardized assessments given to all students across the state to measure student achievement on the Illinois Standards for Learning. Illinois belongs to a consortium of states which designed this assessment to measure the standards, which are the basis of our curriculum.
The assessments are administered over three weeks and are taken on iPads. Students are given opportunities to practice using the test’s digital tools and question formats before the assessment window.
The results of this assessment are used primarily for accountability across the state. The results are disaggregated by student subgroups that the state of Illinois has identified. Schools and districts with an achievement gap between the majority group and any subgroup are identified by the state as having a priority area of focus.
The data from these assessments can also be used to evaluate a district’s core curriculum with regard to the standards and adjust programs to ensure that all standards are being addressed for all students.
For more information on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness or the Illinois Science Assessment, please visit the Illinois State Board of Education website:
CogAT Cognitive Abilities Test
- Grade: 5
- Administered: Fall
- Results: Kept on file
- Time: Approximately 90 minutes
The CogAT Abilities Test assesses the cognitive domains of Verbal, Quantitative, and Nonverbal reasoning, which have traditionally been associated with school success. It is the most widely used test of cognitive ability in the nation.
Educators can use the results of these assessments to inform differentiated instruction. They are also used as a part of the math matrix utilized for placement in math courses in 6th grade.
mCLASS DIBELS
- Grade: K-2
- Administered: Fall, Winter, Spring
- Results: Mailed Home
- Time: Approximately 5-7 minutes
mCLASS DIBELS is an assessment that helps teachers and schools determine how students perform on essential reading skills. DIBELS stands for Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills. Students in grades K-2 will take the mCLASS DIBELS assessment three times a year. Some skills assessd through this assessment are:
- Letter Names: Naming letters from print, measured by DIBELS Letter Naming Fluency (LNF).
- Phonemic Awareness - Hearing and using the smallest units of sound in spoken words, measured by DIBELS Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF).
- Decoding - Knowing the sounds of letters and sounding out written words, measured by DIBELS Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF).
- Accurate and Fluent Reading - Reading common words easily, quickly and correctly, measured by DIBELS Word Reading Fluency (WRF).
Educators can use the results of these assessments to inform reading instruction and provide necessary support with lagging skills.
One last note on assessment…
The Joseph Sears School strives to gather evidence from various sources to make the best educational decisions for our students. As your child’s first and most influential teacher, we are committed to seeking out and valuing your thoughts and observations regarding your child’s learning style, preferences, strengths, and challenges. We believe that the best academic results for students start with a strong partnership between home and school and will do all we can to ensure that this partnership stays strong throughout your child’s years at the Joseph Sears School.
Specific dates and times for the assessments listed in this guide and information on those assessments, which are unique to your child’s classroom, will come home in communication from your child’s teacher. Please support your child by providing them with a great start to any day of assessment: a good night’s sleep, a healthy breakfast, and a word of encouragement from you! Thank you for all you do to support our students and our school.