Elwood CCSD 203 | Assessment
IAR: The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) is the state assessment and accountability measure for Illinois students enrolled in a public school district. IAR assesses the New Illinois Learning Standards Incorporating the Common Core and will be administered in English Language Arts and Mathematics.
IAR assessments in English Language Arts and Mathematics will be administered to all students in grades 3-8.
MAP: This is a District-issued benchmarking assessment for all K-8 students in the area of Math and English/Language Arts. It is completed 3 times per year, in
the fall, winter, and spring. This assessment is done online. Each session is approximately 45-60 minutes in length. Results are used to make sure that all
students are making appropriate academic growth and to group students for intervention, enrichment, and individual support as appropriate.
AIMSweb: Students who are receiving intervention support will also participate in AIMSweb assessments. This is a progress monitoring tool that allows
interventionists and teachers to monitor how students are responding to intervention over time. AIMSweb is used to monitor progress in reading fluency,
reading comprehension, and written expression.
Illinois Science Assessment: This is a state-required assessment for all students in 5th and 8th grades during the month of May. It is completed online in less
than an hour. The results are used to illustrate student and school performance ratings. This link provides additional information regarding the Illinois Science
PSAT 8/9: This is an assessment collectively issued by several area schools for 8th grade students. The assessment is typically completed in September. Results are typically received in the winter and are used in high school placement. This assessment is overseen by the College Board and students will take other forms of it as their state-mandated standardized assessment throughout high school. This link shares additional information about the PSAT 8/9.
KIDS: This is a state-mandated assessment for kindergarten students for the purpose of evaluating kindergarten readiness. KIDS is based on a collection of
fourteen readiness indicators in six areas. Kindergarten teachers and other specialists (math interventionist, reading interventionist, special education staff)
have been trained in completing observations in the classroom to evaluate student readiness. This is completed during the first 45 days of the school year.
FitnessGram: This is a physical education reporting tool that is issued periodically throughout the year for 5th thru 8th grade students. The “healthy
fitness zone” is determined for areas such as flexibility, muscular endurance, muscular strength, and body composition. This link provides additional
information from the Cooper Institute, developers of the FitnessGram assessments.
ACCESS: This is an online assessment for English Language Learner (ELL) students. Results are used in group and program placement. This assessment is
required for students who are identified through the Home Language Survey and additional screening as English Language Learners . Time given for the
assessment is an estimated 4 hours. ACCESS score reports are returned to the school in the summer, and results are analyzed to determine whether or not
students who are English Language Learners continue to need additional support with language acquisition.
Illinois/Federal Constitution Exams: As a state requirement, these exams are issued at the end of the Constitutional units in 7th grade.