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    Student Assessment

     
    The Sitka School District uses a variety of assessments to guide instruction and measure student achievement. The table below is a summary of standardized assessments currently in use, in addition to those used as part of classroom instruction. Any questions on assessment may be directed to the District Test Coordinator.
     
     
    Alaska law requires Alaska schools to assess all students as described below, but parents may refuse to have their children participate. For information on assessment refusal, see Board Policy 6020 and the associated Administrative Regulation 6020. 
     

    Assessment Name

    Given to

    Subject

    Purpose

    Required by

    Additional Details

    MAP Growth

    All students K-11

    Reading, Language Usage, Math

    Inform Instruction, measure individual growth

    Not required

    MAP Growth is a nationally normed, adaptive, computer-based assessment given up to three times a year. Teachers receive detailed information on student learning so they can develop instruction that meets student needs and identify students who need extra support. Contact schools for scheduling and reporting information. Learn more about the MAP Growth at https://www.nwea.org/map-growth/.

    MAP Reading Fluency and/or DIBELS/Acadience

    K-3

    Reading and pre-reading skills

    Inform Instruction

    Not required

    MAP Reading Fluency and DIBELS/Acadience are nationally normed early literacy assessments that have been shown to be predictive of success in reading in later grades. Results are shared with report cards at parent teacher conferences. Learn more at https://www.nwea.org/map-reading-fluency/ or https://acadiencelearning.org/dibelsnextsurvey.html

    Performance Evaluation for Alaska Schools (PEAKS)

    3-9

    English Language Arts and Math

    Measure Proficiency

    Federal ESSA law, State regulation 4 AAC 06.737(a)

    The PEAKS is given in April each year and results are mailed home to parents the following fall. The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development has lots of information on the PEAKS assessment at https://education.alaska.gov/assessments/peaks.

     

    Alaska Science Assessment (ASA)

    4, 8, 10

    Science

    Measure Proficiency

    Federal ESSA law, State regulation 4 AAC 06.737(a)

    The ASA is given in April each year and results are mailed home to parents the following fall. The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development has lots of information on the PEAKS assessment at https://education.alaska.gov/assessments/peaks.

     

    Alternate Assessments using Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM)

    Students with sever cognitive impairment

    English Language Arts and Math in grades 3-9 and Science in grades 4, 8, and 10

    Measure Proficiency

    Federal ESSA law, State regulation 4 AAC 06.775(b)

    Learn more at https://education.alaska.gov/sped/alternate

     

    ACCESS for ELLs

    English Learners

    Academic English Language

    Measure proficiency and progress in English language acquisition

    Federal ESSA law, State regulation 4 AAC 34.055

    Given to EL students annually in February through March, the WIDA Consortium’s ACCESS for ELLs assesses each of the four language domains of Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. Results are mailed home the following fall along with required eligibility notifications. Learn more at https://education.alaska.gov/assessments/elp

    Alaska Developmental Profile

    Students in Kindergarten and first graders who did not attend kindergarten

    Early childhood development

    Inform statewide policy

    State regulation 4 AAC 06.712

    The Alaska Developmental Profile is Alaska's Kindergarten entry assessment. It is used to provide a snapshot on children’s development in terms of where they are when they enter Kindergarten. Students are assessed by teacher observation and individual results are not reported. DEED publishes a report in spring. Learn more at https://education.alaska.gov/assessments/developmental

    National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

    A “representative sample” of Alaska’s 4th and 8th graders

    Reading and Math

    Compare Alaska achievement with that in other states

    State regulation 4 AAC 06.710

    Learn more at https://education.alaska.gov/assessments/naep