The USD 231 Board of Education supports a local assessment plan as one indication of the success and quality of the total education in the school district. With time and effort, the local assessment plan produces:
A comprehensive testing program that monitors a variety of achievement targets for a variety of purposes;
Data-driven decision-making regarding curriculum, assessment, instruction, and related programs;
Teachers and administrators who are knowledgeable about data analysis, motivating students to do well on tests, test security policies, and strategies for teaching test-taking skills;
Increased public awareness of student achievement.
FastBridge (K-8)
FastBridge’s valid and reliable assessments help educators identify students’ academic needs faster, align the right interventions at the right time, and measure whether interventions are helping students catch up—all in one platform.
FastBridge combines curriculum-based measures (CBM) and computer-adaptive tests (CAT) to support screening and progress monitoring across reading, math, and social-emotional behavior (SEB).
Universal screening involves regularly evaluating every student's performance throughout the school year. This process helps to identify students who are thriving with core instruction, as well as those who might need additional (some risk) or intensive (high risk) interventions and instructional support as part of a comprehensive tiered support system (Ci3T).
FastBridge screeners are administered three times a year—fall, winter, and spring—to all students in grades K-12. This approach is crucial because a student’s performance can change significantly over the course of the year. For instance, a student might need extra support in the fall but no longer require it by winter. Conversely, a student who performs well in the fall might struggle later on. By using these three screening periods, FastBridge helps teachers make informed decisions about interventions at the school, classroom, and individual levels throughout the entire year.
Key benefits of FastBridge include:
Universal screening for students three times annually
Progress monitoring to assess student skills more frequently
Predictive assessments for state assessment outcomes
Adaptive, computer-based assessments
Behavioral assessments with quantifiable values and ranges
Detailed reports for both staff and parents
Reduced time spent on formal testing
FastBridge offers evidence-based tools for reading, math, and behavioral screenings that are brief and highly predictive of future outcomes, maximizing instructional time and resources. Its unique, multi-source, multi-method approach allows for a more accurate identification of instructional groupings based on students’ proficiency levels, risk, and potential outcomes. When implemented consistently and faithfully within a tiered support system, FastBridge provides teachers with timely, high-quality data to identify students at risk for academic and behavioral challenges and to implement appropriate research-based interventions and instruction, fostering data-driven decision-making.
Two effective ways to interpret FastBridge screening assessment results are:
Benchmarks: These are standards used to interpret student scores and determine whether students are on track or at risk. In FastBridge, risk levels are indicated by “!” (some risk) or “!!” (high risk). FastBridge reports present student scores, risk levels, benchmark targets, local norms, and more—all in a single, user-friendly report. Unlike school or district-specific scores, FastBridge benchmarks compare a student’s achievement level against criteria aligned with relevant outcomes, such as state achievement tests. Teachers use these comparisons to identify students who are on track at their current grade level or who may need additional support.
Percentiles (Norms): These compare a student’s score to that of other students in the same class, school, or district, with results reported as percentile ranks and color-coded for clarity. A higher percentile rank indicates better performance relative to others. For example, a percentile rank of 20 means that a student performed as well as or better than 20% of students in the same grade at the school. Percentile ranks provide supplementary information to benchmark data.
While benchmarks and norms might seem similar, they serve different purposes:
Benchmark comparisons help teachers determine whether students are performing at, below, or above the expected level for their grade.
Norm comparisons complement benchmark comparisons by enabling teachers to assess how their students' performance compares to that of their peers in the same class, school, or district.
Parent Access: Academic reports can be obtained by contacting your child's teacher or school.
Kansas Assessment Program (KAP) (Grades 3-8, 10-11)
The Kansas Assessment Program, commonly referred to as the state assessment, includes a variety of tests aligned to Kansas’ content standards, which help educators and policymakers evaluate student learning and meet the requirements for federal and state accountability. Students in grades 3 - 8, and 10 test in the spring on reading and math; students in grades 5, 8, and 11 test in the spring on science; and students in grades 4, 7, and 11 test each spring in social studies.
Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) (Grades 3-8, 10-11)
The DLM Alternate Assessment System assists students with significant cognitive disabilities to demonstrate what they know in ways that traditional multiple-choice tests cannot. The DLM system maps a student’s learning throughout the year. The system will use items and tasks that are embedded in day-to-day instruction. In this way, testing happens as part of instruction, informing teaching and benefiting students. The subjects tested are English language arts, Mathematics, and Science.
KELPA (K-12)
Kansas English Language Proficiency Assessment
assessment required by the state for ELL students grades K-12;
can be used as a screening test for students whose first language is other than English
measures the proficiency of English Language Learners in 4 Domains: listening, speaking, reading, writing;
typically administered during 2nd Semester (exact dates determined by the state)
Pre-ACT (Grades 9-10)
PreACT simulates the ACT testing experience within a shorter test window on all four ACT test subjects: English, math, reading, and science. Results predict future success on the ACT test and provide both current achievement and projected future ACT test scores on the familiar 1-36 ACT score scale. Please contact your student's high school counselor for further information.
ACT (Grade 11)
The ACT is a standardized test produced by ACT, Inc. Colleges and universities use students' scores on the ACT in the admissions process as a measure of college readiness and, in some cases, for course placement purposes. ACT sets national test dates. Each spring, the state of Kansas funds and offers ACT testing free to all juniors. Please contact your student's high school counselor for further information.
WorkKeys (Grade 11)
ACT WorkKeys determines workplace skill assessments: (1) Applied Math – applying mathematical reasoning to work-related problems, (2) Workplace Documents – comprehending work-related reading materials such as memos, bulletins, policy manuals, and governmental regulations, and (3) Graphic Literacy – using information from sources such as diagrams, floor plans, tables, forms, graphs, and charts ACT sets national test dates. The state of Kansas offers a state-funded opportunity for all juniors to take the WorkKeys test. This is offered one time at no cost to the student. Please contact your student's high school counselor for further information.
College Board PSAT/NMSQT (Grades 9-11)
The PSAT is the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test. It measures critical reading, math problem-solving skills, and writing skills. The test is offered for 10th graders as a practice test and for 11th graders for consideration for the National Merit Program. By taking the PSAT/National Merit exam, students can practice for the actual SAT college entrance exam, get information from colleges by participating in the Student Search Service, and enter scholarship programs. You will also be able to use the College Board QuickStart program to access free resources and information about college and career planning.
Advanced Placement (AP) Assessments (Optional, High School)
Advanced Placement (AP) is a program created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. The AP curriculum for each subject is created for the College Board by a panel of experts and college-level educators in that field of study. For a high school course to have the AP designation, it must be audited by the College Board to ascertain that it satisfies the AP curriculum. Students may opt to take the AP examinations for various courses in May. American colleges and universities often grant placement and course credit to students who obtain high scores on the examinations, which are scored using a 1-5-point system. AP Exam dates are set by the College Board.
Formal and Informal Assessment
Formal assessments are systematic, data-based tests that measure what students have learned. Formal assessments determine student proficiency or mastery of content and can be used for comparisons against certain standards.
Informal assessments are spontaneous forms of assessment that can easily be incorporated into day-to-day classroom activities and measure student performance and progress. Informal assessments are content and performance-driven.
Informal assessment cannot replace formal assessment. We need both, as one complements the other, depicting accurate pictures of students. We can use either type to improve teaching and learning. The type of assessment we use should match the intended purpose of the assessment. For example, if we want to assess academic achievement and compare it with other students, we use formal assessment. If we want to use assessment to monitor student progress or use assessment to improve instruction, we use informal assessment.
How Results are Used by Teachers
Using Assessment Results to Plan for Instruction
If assessments benefit the child, then testing should be linked to learning experiences and instruction. If they are to be fair and authentic, they include all types of strategies that provide a comprehensive picture of each child’s progress and needs. The teacher selects the assessment methods that are relevant to the information needed and uses the results in planning for curriculum and instruction. This assumes the teacher is concerned with individual rates of learning and is prepared to address individual differences. The learning activities that are available in the classroom and through teacher instruction reflect not only curriculum goals established by the school but also how each child can best achieve these goals.
Using Assessment Results to Report Progress
Just as we need multiple assessment strategies to assess students, these assessment strategies should be used to report how the student has developed and learned. If the assessment system is comprehensive, the method to report the child’s progress should also be comprehensive and provide many examples of how the child demonstrated growth and achievement. Parents receive limited information from reports that rate a child as average, above average, or below average. Likewise, a report indicating satisfactory or unsatisfactory progress tells little about the student’s learning experiences and accomplishments. Rather than a snapshot of progress, a comprehensive picture should be conveyed.
Using Assessment Results to Evaluate the Instructional Program
The assessment process includes an evaluation of the effectiveness of the teacher’s instruction and the activities and materials used in the classroom. The teacher uses assessment information to determine whether instructional strategies were successful for students to learn new concepts and skills or whether new approaches are needed.
With this type of evaluative reflection, the teacher demonstrates that assessment should focus not on student achievement but rather on how well students progress and the quality of instruction on growth. If some students need additional opportunities to learn information and skills, the teacher considers how more varied activities might accomplish the goal. Should the concepts be incorporated into different types of activities, or should they become a part of a continuum that includes a new direction or focus? Students need many opportunities to learn new skills, and encountering concepts in new contexts provides meaningful routes to understanding and the ability to use what is being learned.
