Students using laptops

Assessment

Overview

We believe that good instruction starts with knowing our students. We work in partnership with families to ensure students are motivated learners, are challenged to their potential, and make continual growth in their learning. An important component of our educational program is a formal assessment system that provides us with data regarding each child’s academic progress. This data is utilized when making educational decisions about the curriculum, the instructional program, and instructional strategies, in addition to pacing and interventions needed for each student. The District 30 assessment system is based on a variety of assessments including classroom assessments, formal assessments, and state-mandated tests. Together, the results from these tests provide us with valuable information that assists us in making data based decisions about each student’s educational program. These assessments help us differentiate for children, maximize the learning potential for all students, and create engaging, enriching learning experiences for all.


This section is designed to help parents better understand District 30’s standardized testing program and to guide you in reviewing your child’s individual results on the following tests:

  • Illinois Assessments of Readiness for Grades 3-8 (IAR)  
  • CogAT (Ability Test) (Grades 3 & 5)
  • NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (Grades 1-8)
  • ACCESS (ELL students)

When we think about standardized assessment, please keep the following in mind:

  • Standardized testing is only one way to measure student ability and achievement— it is not the only way. Human capabilities are much more diverse and complex than what is measured by standardized achievement tests or school ability tests. As we learn more from the fields of cognitive science and brain research, definition of human learning are changing and becoming broader.
  • Educators consider scores from these assessments as one view, a snapshot, of a student. Classroom performance and teacher assessments are equally important.
  • Teachers also recognize that students’ test-taking skills and attitudes during testing session affect their results.

 

Below is a chart indicating this year's testing schedule.