Research, Assessment & Accountability

Assessment Plan

During your school years, you probably took a variety of tests, ranging from classroom quizzes to multi-hour standardized tests, like the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. These tests were primarily used to categorize, sort, or rank students.

Times have changed. Students are held accountable. Now there is a much greater focus on assessment. Students with a GSY (Graduation Standards Year) of 2010 or later must pass the MCA/GRAD tests in order to graduate in Minnesota. The GRAD component of the MCAs was phased in starting in 2007 and has replaced the BSTs. Students (GSY of 2009 and before) were required to pass the Minnesota Basic Skills Tests (BSTs) in Reading, Mathematics, and Written Composition to graduate in Minnesota.

Schools are held accountable too. The average scores of their students are made public, along with scores from every other school in the State. Test scores also play a critical role in the development of improvement plans, both at the school and district levels. In order to help assure that students are fully prepared to meet State requirements and to help ISD 279 provide better service to our students, we must have an efficient and effective assessment plan.

These assessments are designed to meet six goals:

To help students select courses and programs and to help them set career and academic goals.
To identify the students who need special programs.
To support classroom decision making.
To certify individual student competencies.
To help the district evaluate and improve educational programs.
To help parents and other clients evaluate the District’s educational programs.

The challenge is to meet these goals as efficiently as possible in terms of student time and cost. To accomplish this, a district-wide plan was developed. This plan includes a great variety of tests, both the State-required and District-initiated. Each of these assessments provides a particular view of student achievement and meets one or more of the six goals of assessments. The following is a description of the tests used district-wide.

STATE-MANDATED TESTS

Minnesota Basic Skills Tests (April 2012 Last Test Session Offered)

The State requires students to have a basic set of skills in mathematics, reading, and written composition in order to graduate with a Minnesota diploma. The Basic Skills Tests are designed to certify whether students have these skills. Passing rates for districts and schools are also made public to support evaluation and improvement of programs. The reading and math tests were given for the first time in eighth grade. The written composition test was given for the first time in tenth grade. Students with a GSY of 2009 and prior graduate under the BST system.
Learn more about the Minnesota Basic Skills Tests >>>

This system has been altered. Students with a GSY of 2010 or later are required to pass the MCA/GRAD tests. The GRAD Test of Written Composition will be given in Grade 9 (beginning in 2007), the MCA/GRAD Reading test in Grade 10 (beginning in 2008), and the MCA/GRAD Math test in Grade 11 (beginning in 2009).
Learn more about the MCA/GRAD >>>

Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA)

Elementary (Grades 3, 4, & 6) Reading & Math (Grade 5) Reading, Math, & Science

Jr. High (Grade 7) Reading & Math (Grade 8) Reading, Math, & Science

Sr. High (Grade 10) Reading & Science (Grade 11) Math

These assessments are designed to measure how well our educational system is working. They measure a wide range of reading, mathematics, and science skills in Grades three through eight, and ten and eleven. District and building results are made public and individual results are distributed to parents or guardians. Learn more about the MCA>>>

ACCESS for ELLs®

This test is used to measure the skills of students in Grades Kindergarten through twelve who come from homes where English is not the primary language. Data from this test is considered when decisions are being made concerning individual students and the English Language Learners’ program.
Learn more about the ACCESS for ELLs®>>>

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DISTRICT-MANDATED TESTS

MAP (Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) Achievement Level Tests)

The MAP (NWEA) system measures each student’s growth in math and reading skills. It helps judge a student’s progress in Grades two through eight as they develop the skills necessary to pass the math and reading MCA/GRAD tests and the Basic Skills Tests.
Learn more about the MAP (NWEA) >>>

The EXPLORE and PLAN Test

These are pre-ACT tests that measure a student’s skills in reading, language arts, mathematics, and science. The scores from these tests can be used to identify strengths and possible concerns in student’s skills and may help students make high school academic decisions. The EXPLORE will be given in the fall of Grade eight and the PLAN in the fall of Grade ten.
Learn more about the Plan Test >>>

Local Objective Referenced Tests (LORTS)

These tests are designed by ISD 279 to measure the specific skills or knowledge taught in areas such as computer literacy or art. This allows the District to better understand what is working in the classes that teach these skills. These tests generally do not provide individual student scores.
Learn more about the LORTS >>>

In this time of accountability and data-driven decision making, it is essential that Osseo Area Schools have an efficient, comprehensive plan to collect, manage, and report student achievement data. ISD 279s’ Comprehensive Assessment Plan establishes an effective and efficient way for ISD 279 to collect the student achievement data it requires. If you have any questions about the assessment plan or an individual test, please contact Don Pascoe at 763-391-7092 or by e-mail at pascoed@district279.org