Addison School District 4 Assessments

One of the goals of Addison School District 4 is to ensure the success of our students. In order to measure student growth and progress, regular assessment of student learning takes place throughout the school year. Assessing the students in a variety of ways at different times during the year helps us understand how students are learning. When the test data shows that a student does not understand a

concept, the teacher then has the opportunity to modify the way they teach in order to fill in the student’s learning gap.

Often, we think of assessment as the major tests that happen once or twice a year, but it is much more than that. We believe that many different approaches to assessment are important, and that the results need to be used to guide instruction. Given the different uses for assessment, it is critical that educators select the appropriate type of test. Below you will find information on the various assessments the Addison School District 4 students take throughout the school year.

Why Do We Test?

This is the most fundamental question in determining if students are learning, and it has various answers. Testing—or assessment-- is used to:

• Measure student achievement
• Inform instructional decisions
• Evaluate the effectiveness of instructional practices and programs
• Monitor educational systems for public accountability

The purpose of testing is to deliver accurate and reliable information that can be used by teachers and schools as they strive to create better students. There are no shortcuts to improving student achievement and creating a world-class workforce.

Why So Many Tests?

Multiple sources are necessary to tell educators what students know and can do. Due to the fact that tests provide different information, no one test can tell us all we need to know about one student’s progress. Therefore, using multiple assessments provides us a foundation to valid, reliable, fair information about student achievement.