2623A - STUDENT ASSESSMENT

PURPOSE

Assessment, like any other element of the District’s operation, should have a definite purpose related to District programs or State mandates.  No test should be given without first defining its purpose and determining how the results will be used.

Purposes of Various Assessments

1. Achievement, Proficiency and/or Competency Tests
    
   1. measure a student’s progress in achieving District or State learning outcomes
   2. help determine student learning strengths and weaknesses and/or diagnose their causes
   3. help assess the effectiveness of a grade level’s, school’s or the District program and/or identify/diagnose educational strengths and weaknesses
   4. aid in evaluating curriculum and/or instructional strategies and resources
   5. aid in diagnosing problems with obtaining mastery of required skills and in providing for appropriate remediation.
2. Intelligence Tests
   
   measure a student’s mental ability as defined by the instrument
3. Readiness Tests
   
   help determine the appropriate time for a student to begin a learning program
4. Aptitude Tests
   
   help determine a student’s interest and aptitude for specific courses of study
5. Vocational Interest/Aptitude Tests
    
   1. help determine a student's interest or aptitudes for comparison with those related to particular vocational fields
   2. assist in the vocational counseling of a student

Use of Test Results

The purpose for giving a test is to use the results to improve learning and to communicate with those concerned about how well a student or group of students are learning.

Curriculum and Instruction

Administrators will be responsible for ensuring that test results are used by the staff to both refine the curriculum and improve instructional strategies and resources.  To aid in this process, in-service programs may be necessary to strengthen understanding of how different kinds of tests are designed, how to judge reliability and validity of the instruments, and how to use test information to diagnose and remediate.

Counseling

Administrators should ensure that all instructional personnel are working together to share information derived from the testing program.  Teachers should be using test results and analysis to help students and their parents/legal guardians develop a realistic and valid view of their current achievement levels and design and follow through on plans related to both their school and vocational careers.  Teachers should be aware of these plans to help support such plans in the classroom.

Communication with Parents/Legal Guardians

It is essential that parents/legal guardians be kept properly informed of standardized test results, particularly those that relate directly to academic achievement.  In communicating with parents/legal guardians, particularly with regard to standardized test, the following procedures should be observed:

1. Test results should be provided in context, with the purpose of the test clearly stated and the student’s measurement compared to appropriate standards.
2. Make sure parents/legal guardians are aware of the relationship between the test’s purpose and the goals of the particular program of which the test is a part.
3. Communicate what the test is designed to measure as well as what it does not attempt to measure.
4. Share the standards that the test is designed to measure, and discuss how the standards were created.

Use in Remediation and Promotion/Retention

1. Intervention shall be provided to all students who do not meet the minimum standards of proficiency (Level II and above) as measured by the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA).
2. Test results will be used by all classroom teachers to identify and implement instruction appropriate to the needs of students who do not meet Level II standards.
3. Test results will be used by administrators as one part of the data used in making instructional placement decisions regarding students.
4. Intervention shall continue until students attain minimum proficiency as measured by the FSA or until the one (1) calendar year beyond receipt of a Certificate of Completion at the completion of 12^th grade.
5. Teachers in the exceptional student education program shall assist basic classroom teachers in identification of individual student learning needs and in accommodating instruction to the intervention needs of identified students.
6. Textbooks and other instructional materials appropriate to the intervention needs of students shall be identified and correlated to the grade level expectations and benchmarks of the Florida standards.

Revised 10/23/18

© Neola 2002