GRADE-The Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation (GRADE) determines developmentally what skills students have mastered and where they need intervention. GRADE is a group administered normative diagnostic reading assessment. This assessment is given 3 times a year (beginning of year, mid-year, and end of year) to all students' grades 1-3. The primary area of focus for this diagnostic assessment measures not only primary student's reading progress but identifies areas for growth that directly impact instruction by   allowing teachers to plan focused lessons based on assessment results.

The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS®) are a set of standardized, individually administered measures of early literacy development.  They are designed to be short (one minute) fluency measures used to regularly monitor the development of early literacy and early reading skills. The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS®) are comprised of measures to test fluency in the following areas: Initial Sounds, Letter Naming, Phoneme Segmentation, Nonsense Words, Oral Reading, Retelling, and Word Use. The measures were developed to assess student development of phonological awareness, alphabetic understanding, accuracy and fluency reading connected text, vocabulary and comprehension. Each measure has been thoroughly researched and demonstrated to be a reliable and valid indicator of early literacy development. When used as recommended, the results can be used to
 evaluate individual student development toward validated instructional objectives as well as provide feedback on effectiveness of intervention support. DIBELS® is given to all students K-3 at both Junction City and Perryville Elementary as required per Reading First.  Woodlawn administers to early primary as an individual diagnostic assessment.

Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) helps educators identify each student's reading ability and level, document progress, and tailor teaching to drive effective reading instruction. DRA tools allow teachers to assess accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. This quick and accurate assessment will:

-Build students' reading skills and confidence by identifying their independent reading levels and helping teachers match students with appropriate text.

-Deliver immediate analysis and instructional suggestions to group student appropriately and better address their needs.

-Target critical points of intervention and compare student progress against benchmark expectations with easy-to-use data analysis.

-Disaggregate DRA data in order to meet accountability requirements of NCLB.

DRA is administered to all 4^th & 5^th grade students at Perryville & Junction City Elementary. In addition, the DRA is administered to any primary student who exceeds level 20 on the Rigby reading assessment. Woodlawn administers DRA  to all 1^st- 5^th grade students and to all K-5 students in December.  Spring administration is given to select students as a post-test.

Predictive Assessment Series (PAS):  Founded by Vanderbilt University, ThinkLink Learning developed a formative assessment known as Predictive Assessment Series (PAS) that assesses student progress toward meeting state standards for reading/ language arts, math, science, and social studies.  The tests are preconfigured and analyzed by ThinkLink experts to provide teachers the prediction of mastery, proficiency, and adequate yearly progress (AYP) that is so critical to monitoring student progress toward Kentucky's Core Content (curriculum goals). The benchmark tests are administered in the fall, winter, and spring. Each test is carefully constructed to mirror and match the Ky. Core Content Test (KCCT). All 1^st-6^th grade students participate in this formative assessment.

W-APT stands for the WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test^TM. This assessment tool, known as the "screener", is used by educators to measure the English language proficiency of students who have recently arrived in the U.S. or in a particular district. It can help to determine whether or not a child is in need of English language instructional services, and if so, at what level.

ACCESS for ELLs ^® stands for Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners. This large-scale test addresses the academic English language proficiency (ELP) standards. It assesses both social and academic English and is used to evaluate the progress of English language learners. This assessment is only given to ESL (English as Second Language) students.

• InView is a cognitive abilities assessment offered by CTB/McGraw-Hill. It measures the full range of verbal, nonverbal, and quantitative skills that are important to academic success and provides other valuable information about student aptitude. InView is composed of five tests that reliably measure skills and abilities important for academic success. InView tests include:
• Verbal Reasoning -Words
• Verbal Reasoning-Context
• Sequences
• Analogies
• Quantitative Reasoning

    InView is standardized to provide age-and grade-appropriate normative data. The reliable academic ability scores (Cognitive Skills Index) can be used to screen students for placement into special programs such as Gifted & Talented as well as identify underachieving students. InView is given to all second and third grade students during the 2007-08 school year.

• Otis-Lennon (OLSAT 8) measures the cognitive abilities that relate to a student's ability to learn in school. It measures the full range of verbal, nonverbal, and quantitative skills that are important to academic success and provides other valuable information about student aptitude. OLSAT 8 assesses students' thinking skills and provides an understanding of a student's relative strengths and weaknesses in performing a variety of reasoning tasks. Tasks such as detecting likenesses and differences, recalling words and numbers, defining words, following directions, classifying, establishing sequence, solving arithmetic problems, and completing analogies have been shown to be valid measures of an individual's ability to reason logically. Like other aptitude tests, the OLSAT 8 assesses a student's abstract thinking and reasoning abilities.

• Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT) provides a group-administered measure of reasoning and problem solving that is independent of educational curricula and children's cultural or language backgound.  The NNAT uses progressive matrices with shapes and designs that are not unique to any cultural group.  Because it is nonverbal, it is an ideal "non-biased" assessment of aptitude.  The NNAT is given to all third grade students.

Summative Assessments: • Terra Nova Complete Battery is given in the 3rd grade. It's primary focus is to provide nationally normed achievement scores and a full complement of objective-mastery scores. Content areas assessed are reading/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. • Commonwealth Accountability Testing System (CATS) is not a single assessment but includes the following components: o Kentucky Core Content Test (assesses Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies, Arts/Humanities, and Practical Living/Vocational Studies) o writing portfolios o On-demand writing o alternate assessments for students with severe to profound disabilities, o the ACT, PLAN o nonacademic components-retention, graduation rate, attendance and transition data The most important component of the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System, in terms of its contribution to a school's academic index, is the Kentucky Core Content Test (KCCT). As the name implies, the Kentucky Core Content Test assesses student mastery of the Kentucky Core Content for Assessment, as well as higher order thinking and communication skills. The KCCT, composed of open response items and multiple choice questions, is given each spring to students in the content areas of reading, mathematics, science, social studies, arts and humanities and practical living/vocational studies; the 5th, 8th and 12th grade tests also require the students to respond to a writing prompt. In addition to the on-demand writing prompt, students in the 4th, 7th, and 12th grade are to submit a writing portfolio. The over-riding goal of the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System (CATS) is for all schools in Kentucky to reach 100 or Proficiency by 2014. The Long-Term Accountability model adopted by KBE is a growth model with schools serving as their own baseline. All students and thus all schools are expected to demonstrate improvement within the system. Each school has a precise target to meet or exceed in each biennium. The following shows the precise weight of the CATS accountability index: 

EPAS

AN OVERVIEW OF ACT'S EDUCATIONAL PLANNING AND

ASSESSMENT SYSTEM (EPAS) AND WORKKEYS

From the Kentucky Department of Education:

...SB 130 requires all Kentucky public school students to take the Educational Planning

and Assessment System (EPAS) tests from ACT, Inc., including EXPLORE for eighth graders, PLAN for tenth graders, and the ACT for eleventh graders, beginning in the 2007-08 School year. The law also calls for ACT scores to be recorded on high school

transcripts and for ACT, Inc., to supply an individual report for each student based on the results of each of these tests. These reports will provide teachers and parents with important and helpful feedback about the academic progress being made by students. These reports will also help identify students with academic deficiencies and provide guidance in developing individual, accelerated learning plans designed to correct these deficiencies. The feedback will also help challenge students by urging them to take accelerated courses, with an emphasis on Advanced Placement Programs.

ACT's three EPAS programs - EXPLORE ® , PLAN ® and The ACT ® - are based on a common content continuum in each of the four areas tested (English, mathematics, reading, and science). Each includes noncognitive measures and surveys that allow students to build relationships between their academic development, their backgrounds, and their plans. All of the assessments are multiple choice tests administered under standardized conditions. The tests in each of the EPAS assessment programs are designed to be developmentally and conceptually linked, while addressing the level of difficulty and content appropriate to the respective grades. To reflect that continuity, the test names (English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science) are the same across the three programs. The EPAS programs are, therefore, extremely helpful for measuring students' achievement over time, for gauging students' readiness for the transition to the next level of learning, and for school program evaluation.

• EXPLORE is designed to help eighth graders explore a broad range of options for their future. The EXPLORE program is a curriculum based assessment that assesses academic progress, provides an early indicator of college readiness, helps students understand and begin to explore the wide range of career options open to them, and assists them in developing a high school coursework plan that prepares them to achieve their post high school goals. EXPLORE is given to all eighth grade students during the Fall assessment window.

The student site for EXPLORE test takers is www.actstudent.org/explore/

• PLAN helps tenth graders build a foundation for future academic and

career success and provides information needed to address school districts' high   priority issues. It is a comprehensive guidance resource that helps students measure their current academic development, explore career/training options, and make plans for the remaining years of high school and post graduation years.  PLAN can help all students-those who are college bound as well as those who are likely to enter the workforce directly after high school. As a "preACT" test, PLAN is a powerful predictor of success on the ACT. PLAN testing focuses attention on both career preparation and improving academic achievement. PLAN is given to all tenth grade students during the Fall assessment window.

  The student site for PLAN test takers is www.actstudent.org/plan/

• The ACT tests assess eleventh graders general educational development and their ability to complete college level work. The ACT program is a comprehensive system for collecting and reporting information about students planning to enter postsecondary education. It consists of four major components:
  • Tests of Educational Development

The multiple choice tests cover four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science. The tests emphasize reasoning, analysis, problem solving, and the integration of learning from various sources, as well as the application of these proficiencies to the kinds of tasks college students are expected to perform.

•  
  • Course/Grade Information Section

This component provides 30 self reported high school grades in English, mathematics, natural sciences, social studies, language, and the arts. The courses include those that customarily form the core of a college preparatory curriculum and are frequently required for admission to college.

•  
  • Student Profile Section

The SPS contains information reported by students, in such categories as educational plans, interests, and needs: financial aid; demographic background information, and extracurricular activities.

•  
  • The ACT Interest Inventory

This 72item survey reports scores that parallel six interest and occupational types. The Interest Inventory helps students identify majors consistent with their interests.

Students are encouraged to view www.actstudent.org/testprep/index.html for helpful information on planning for and taking the ACT.  Students can actually take practice ACT tests at the following: www.actstudent.org/sampletest/index.html  

• ACT's WorkKeys ® system helps high school students prepare for successful transitions by providing them with information about their own employability skill levels and the skill levels required in various jobs. WorkKeys provides students, parents, and schools feedback on academic needs to be addressed prior to high school graduation so that students enter the work world with the foundational skills needed in any field they choose. Students may complete once during grades 10, 11, or 12 the battery of three objective multiple choice

WorkKeys assessments described below.  Students who score at specified levels on all three assessments may qualify for a National Career Readiness Certificate. Students can document their skills by sharing their WorkKeys scores or certificates with employers. WorkKeys may be administered either during the Fall assessment window (November) or the Winter assessment window (February). The three WorkKeys tests to be administered to Kentucky students are:

•  
  • Reading for Information: Measures the skills people use when they read and use written text in order to do a job. The written texts include memos, letters, directions, signs, notices, bulletins, policies, and regulations.
  • Applied Mathematics: Measures the skills people use when they apply mathematical reasoning, critical thinking, and problem solving techniques to work related problems.
  • Locating Information: Measures the skills people use with workplace graphics. Examinees are asked to find information in a graphic or insert information into a graphic. They also must compare, summarize, and analyze information found in related graphics.