The Coatesville Area School District is committed to providing every student with the education they deserve. In an effort to understand the strengths and needs of each student, the Coatesville Area School District has devised a comprehensive assessment schedule to provide teachers with data needed to focus their instruction. CASD requires students to take a variety of tests throughout the course of the school year that measure a variety of different achievement areas. Students are given summative, formative, diagnostic, and benchmark assessments. The results of these assessments allow the teachers to have a clear picture of the needs of their students and provide them with the necessary information to tailor their instruction to the needs of all of the students in the Coatesville Area School District. Below you will find a list of assessments that are given throughout the year. [break] [break] [break] PSSA– Grades 3-8 – Reading, Math, Writing, and Science [break] In 1999, Pennsylvania adopted academic standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening and for Mathematics. These standards identify what a student should know and be able to do at varying grade levels. School districts possess the freedom to design curriculum and instruction to ensure that students meet or exceed the standards’ expectations. [break] [break]
The annual Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) is a standards-based, criterion-referenced assessment used to measure a student’s attainment of the academic standards while also determining the degree to which school programs enable students to attain proficiency of the standards. Every Pennsylvania student in grades 3 through 8 is assessed in reading and math. Every Pennsylvania student in grades 5 and 8 is assessed in writing. Every Pennsylvania student in grades 4 and 8 is assessed in science.[break] [break] Individual student scores, provided only to their respective schools, can be used to assist teachers in identifying students who may be in need of additional educational opportunities, and school scores provide information to schools and districts for curriculum and instruction improvement discussions and planning. [break] [break] In compliance with §4.51(b)(4) of the PA School Code the State Board of Education approved, “specific criteria for advanced, proficient, basic and below basic levels of performance.” [break] [break] [break] Keystones – English Language Arts, Biology, and Algebra [break] Pennsylvania Keystone Exams are given as an end of course assessment and are a graduation requirement for all students graduating 2017 and beyond. Students enrolled in English 10 and Biology on the high school campus will take the Keystones during the Spring of the year they are enrolled in the class. Students who are currently enrolled in Algebra I in any grades 7-11 will take the Keystone Exam in the Spring as well. Students who do not score proficient or advanced on their initial attempt will be required to retest after some remediation occurs. Students who fail the Keystone multiple times will be given the opportunity to demonstrate proficiency through the completion of an online project based assessment. For more information click here. [break] [break] NWEA MAP – Grades 1-8 – Reading and Math [break] Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)– These computerized tests are adaptive and offered in Reading and Mathematics. When taking a MAP test, the difficulty of each question is based on how well a student answers all the previous questions. As the student answers correctly, questions become more difficult. If the student answers incorrectly, the questions become easier. In an optimal test, a student answers approximately half the items correctly and half incorrectly. The final score is an estimate of the student’s achievement level. [break] [break] Grade (Group reading and diagnostic evaluation) – Grades k-6 [break] The GRADE™ (Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation) is a diagnostic reading test that that determines what developmental skills PreK-12 students have mastered and where students need instruction or intervention. It is given in the Fall, Winter and Spring. [break] [break] D.I.b.e.l.s. – Grades k-3 [break] The DIBELS assessments have been researched and validated specifically for benchmark testing in kindergarten through sixth grade. We screen all students in grades K-3 three times per year with grade-level materials. Research indicates that early identification and early intervention are essential for helping students who are at risk for future reading difficulties, or are currently having reading difficulties. Screening all students, including those who met earlier benchmark goals, also provides a complete data set that is needed to determine if reading instruction is effective with all students at the school or district level. Benchmark data can help answer the following types of questions: [break] [break]
- Is our reading program effective with all students at all grade levels?
- Are there exemplar schools (or classes) in our district on which we can model successful reading instruction?
- What are the strengths of our reading program?
- What areas of our reading program need improvement?
- Did we meet our literacy goals this year?