Within the Appleton Area School District a variety of different assessments are being administered to students in our pursuit of ensuring high-quality educational programming for each student. Each of these accountability measures provide valuable data that assist teachers with making instructional decisions that maximize student learning while also fulfilling state and federal accountability expectations. When viewed collectively, the various assessment data provides a comprehensive picture of a student’s growth and achievement.
Forward Exam:
The Exam is designed to gauge how well students are doing in relation to the Wisconsin Academic Standards. These standards outline what students should know and be able to do in order to be college and career ready. The Forward Exam is administered online in the spring of each school year at:
· grades 3-8 in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics,
· grades 4 and 8 in Science and,
· grades 4, 8, and 10 in Social Studies.
Accommodations and supports for students with disabilities and/or English language learners are built into the system so that the progress of students can be accurately measured.
The Forward Exam is a high quality, research-based, and affordable assessment that meets Wisconsin’s expectations. It is a customized assessment with innovative item types that includes test items reviewed and approved by Wisconsin educators.
Assessment of Reading Readiness:
Each pupil enrolled in
4-year-old kindergarten to 2nd grade in a school district or in a charter
school is required to be annually assessed for reading readiness. Each school board and the
operator of each charter school shall select the appropriate, valid, and reliable
assessment of literacy fundamentals to be used. The school board or operator
shall ensure that the assessment evaluates whether a pupil possesses phonemic
awareness and letter sound knowledge. The Appleton Area School District uses i-Ready for this assessment in grades K-2. Students in 4K will be given the PALS.
Civics Examination:
Beginning with the graduating class of 2016-17, a high school diploma may not be granted until all students have taken and passed, with a score of 65 or better, the assessment; students with an IEP do not have to pass but must take the exam. This exam may be taken until passed. This is a required examination that is locally formatted, administered, and scheduled. The 100 question examination must be identical to the U.S. citizenship test administered by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
ACT Aspire:
ACT Aspire is an online early high school assessment that assesses student readiness in English, math, science, reading and writing. Students in grades 9 and 10 will be assessed in spring.
ACT Plus Writing:
ACT Plus Writing consists of an essay test that measures writing skills and four multiple-choice tests: English, Math, Reading, and Science. The test will be administered to 11th grade students in the spring.
ACT WorkKeys:
ACT WorkKeys is an applied skills assessment system that helps student compare their skills to the skills real jobs require. Students will take three WorkKeys assessments: Locating Information, Reading for Information, and Applied Mathematics.” Eleventh grade students will take this assessment in the spring.
Parent resources from the Appleton Area School District can be found by clicking here.
Parent resources from the Appleton Area School District can be found by clicking here.
For additional information visit the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction website.
