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Assessment
Two assessment walls — literacy and mathematics — give teachers a detailed visual of the progress each child makes over time. As students learn and then complete formative and summative assessments, teachers map the results on each wall with brightly colored “tickets” to provide a ready guide for the ways in which they must adjust their instructional strategies to meet the needs of different learners.
The Spokane School District advocates Data Driven Dialogue as a technique that makes it possible to modify instructional strategies by leveraging assessment data. Together, principals, instructional coaches and teachers review test results, predict the next results, review again, and pin-point triangulating data that reveals where a student is strong or struggling in math and reading. At the highest level, the district assessment system looks like this:
Formative Assessments — Assessments for learning
- District developed – about every 3 weeks
- Intentional classroom practice: What did my students learn today and how do I know? What misconceptions might they have? What can I do about that “in the moment”?
Summative Assessments — Assessments of learning
- End of Unit Assessments
- Trimester assessments in math, reading and writing
Math Assessment System
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Student Group
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Cycle
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MSP (Measurement of Student Progress)/mathematics
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Grades 3-6
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Once per SY
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MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) test
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All grade 6 students
Grades 3-6 students with IEPs
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3 times per school year
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SASL (Spokane Assessment of Student Learning)
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Grades 2-6
Grades 1-6
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3 times per school year
3 times per school year
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End of unit assessments
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Grades 1-6
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8 or 9 throughout the school year
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Common grade level formative assessments supplied by the district
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K-6
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Ongoing
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6/9 grids
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K-6
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Every day
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Daily qualitative (anecdotal) feedback
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K-6
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Every day
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Reading Assessment System
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Student Group
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Cycle
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MSP (Measurement of Student Progress)/reading
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Grades 3-6
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Once per school year
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MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) test
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All grade 6 students
Grades 3-6 students with IEPs
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3 times per school year
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Trimester reading assessments
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Grade 2
Grades 3-6
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1 time per school year
3 times per school year
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District Common Unit Assessments
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8 or 9 throughout the school year
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Pearson’s DRA2
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K-6
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3 times per school year (at standard)
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One-day writings
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Grades 1-6
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Primary — 2 times per school year
Intermediate — 3 times per school
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Running Records to evaluate reading skills and comprehension
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K-2
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Ongoing
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Richard Gentry’s MONSTER test (brief developmental spelling test)
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K-2
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10 minute write and dictation
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Students at DRA 8 and below
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3 times per year
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KOLLA (Kindergarten Oral Language and Literacy Assessment), WA Kids
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Kindergarten
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3 times per year
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Daily qualitative (anecdotal) feedback
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K-6
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Daily
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