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Progress Monitoring & Assessment

Assessment of student learning is a critical component to measure student progress, determine differentiated learning experiences for students, and plan supports.  To progress monitor and assess, teachers will:   

  • Design common assessments in alignment and collaboration with a PLC guided by Lead4ward frequency distribution charts, questions of STAAR quality from Euphoria/TEKS Resource question banks, and based upon student needs as noted on common assessments and level-up charts.

  • Use authentic experiences and student work to measure and check student understanding. 

  • Use different assessment modalities including a variety of products, processes and performances to measure student learning.

  • Include ongoing formative assessment with teacher and peer feedback.

  • Determine and document student progress using Level-Up Charts and refine instruction.

  • Follow SISD grading per board policy EIA (Local).. 

  • Monitor Student Engagement using direct teacher face-to-face interaction, email, phone, or virtual meeting, completion of assignments to show progress, and completion of assigned assessments. 

  • Common assessment rubric - is used to to ensure all common assessments have the following characteristics:

    • Content that is focused on appropriate grade level and content material

    • Challenge students to make progress towards their goal

    • Integrity of the testing arrangement and environment

Progress monitoring and assessment are critical components of the instructional framework because it helps support the design of instruction to meet the needs of all learners in their optimum learning environment. Assessment should empower and grow all learners by utilizing fluid feedback and reflective practice to determine where students are and where they are going in the teaching and learning process. It should promote student ownership of learning and allow for appropriate and timely feedback for teachers and students to set individualized goals as they progress toward proficiency in the district curriculum. 

  • Pre-K thru 5th grade students will utilize Istation to track individual growth in math and reading. Istation offers formative assessments. New diagnostic testing data is gathered in Istation at the beginning of each month, but students can use Istation anytime as an intervention or learning tool, even at home as it helps create a more seamless school-to-home connection. The Istation program has an adaptive curriculum and adjusts itself automatically to the needs of each student, as well as, allowing the teacher to adjust content as needed using provided teacher resources including intervention lessons. Teachers will use Istation results for their individual classes and students to identify specific needs and plan instructional actions. Parents/Guardians will receive their child’s personalized data profiles showing current Istation results each six weeks with their report card in order to provide up to date and relevant information on how their child is progressing through the content and skills they are learning in their optimum learning environment. Combined with good teacher led and facilitated instruction in the classroom, Istation has shown proven results and provides teachers support through professional development.

  • Sweetwater ISD will use a district wide system of common assessments to track student growth. Teachers and/or Principals will design common assessments using Eduphoria! Aware in alignment and collaboration with a PLC guided by the TEKS taught during the grading period, Lead4ward frequency distribution charts, questions of STAAR quality from Euphoria/TEKS Resource question banks, and based upon student needs as noted on common assessments and level-up charts. 

    Content areas tested will occur in all core content areas following the District Testing Calendar.  This calendar can be subject to change based upon student or district needs. If there are changes to the established testing calendar those changes will be communicated by the district and any campus affected by the change.


    Naming the common assessment and setting up the passing standards correctly is very important. Teachers will follow the following guidelines for naming common assessments and aligning thresholds to the scores for approaches, meets, and masters grade level.

     

    • Follow the Guide for Creating a Team Test to build each common assessment
    • Set the passing standard for all Assessments at the Raw Score Conversion Table for STAAR according to Lead4ward.

  • Grading promotes student ownership of learning through the formative assessment cycle and includes teacher feedback, self- and peer assessment, and goal setting.  Classroom teachers will collaborate in professional learning communities to identify which standards will be graded in each unit. Approved grading guidelines for each grade level or course will be communicated to students and their parents by the classroom teacher. These guidelines establish: The minimum number of assignments, projects, and examinations required for each grading period; How the student’s mastery of concepts and achievement will be communicated (i.e., letter grades, numerical averages, checklist of required skills, etc.); Circumstances under which a student will be allowed to redo an assignment or retake an examination the student originally failed; and Procedures for a student to follow after an absence.Teachers will monitor and track student engagement time and progress daily.  Individualized intervention and/or enrichment activities will be assigned to students based on the student’s need to ensure they are making progress. Campus administrative teams will review teacher lesson plans to ensure alignment to TEKS, district scope and sequence, and alignment to meet the optimum learning environment for every student. Efficiency of programs and instruction will be monitored through common assessments and Level-up charts for individual students. Instructional planning and adjustments will occur on data days to be reflective of student needs.

  • SAT/ACT (Scholastic Aptitude Test and American College Test). Many colleges require either the American College Test (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) for admission. These assessments are usually taken at the end of the junior year. Students are encouraged to talk with the school counselor early during their junior year to learn about these assessments and determine the appropriate examination to take. The Preliminary SAT (PSAT) and ACT-Aspire are the corresponding preparatory and readiness assessments for the SAT and ACT. These assessments may qualify a student to receive a performance acknowledgment on the student’s transcript under the foundation graduation program and may qualify as a substitute for an end-of-course testing requirement in certain circumstances. A student’s performance at a certain level on the SAT or ACT also makes the student eligible for automatic admission to a Texas public institution of higher education.

     

    TSI (Texas Success Initiative) Assessment. Prior to enrollment in a Texas public college or university, most students must take a standardized test called the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) assessment. The TSI assesses the reading, mathematics, and writing skills that freshmen-level students need to perform effectively as undergraduates in Texas public colleges and universities. This assessment may also be required before a student enrolls in a dual credit course offered through the district. Achieving certain benchmark scores on this assessment may also waive certain end-of-course assessment requirements in limited circumstances.

     

    STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness). In addition to routine tests and other measures of achievement, students at certain grade levels are required to take the state assessment, called STAAR, in the following subjects: Mathematics, annually in grades 3–8; Reading, annually in grades 3–8; and Science in grades 5 and 8; Social Studies in grade 8. STAAR Alternate 2 is available for eligible students receiving special education services who meet certain state-established criteria as determined by the student’s ARD committee. STAAR Spanish is available for eligible students for whom a Spanish version of STAAR is the most appropriate measure of their academic progress. If a student in grades 3–8 does not perform satisfactorily on the state assessment, the district will provide accelerated instruction for the student. A student who does not attend accelerated instruction may violate school attendance requirements. For a student who does not perform satisfactorily on the math or reading assessment in grades 3, 5, or 8, the district will establish an accelerated learning committee (ALC), which includes the student’s parent, to develop an educational plan for accelerated instruction to enable the student to perform at the appropriate grade level by the conclusion of the next school year. The district will document the educational plan in writing and provide a copy to the student’s parent. The parent of a student in grades 3, 5, or 8 who fails to perform satisfactorily on the math or reading assessment may: Request that the district consider assigning the student to a particular classroom teacher in the applicable subject area, if more than one classroom teacher is available. 

    For a middle-school student who does not perform satisfactorily on a state-mandated examination, a school official will prepare a personal graduation plan (PGP).School officials will also develop a PGP for a middle-school student who is determined by the district to be unlikely to earn a high school diploma within five years of high school enrollment. The plan will, among other items; Identify the student’s educational goals, address the parent’s educational expectations for the student, and outline an intensive instruction program for the student. For a student receiving special education services, the student’s IEP may serve as the student’s PGP and would therefore be developed by the student’s ARD committee.

    Summary Look at STAAR 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23

     

    Standardized Testing for a Student Enrolled Above Grade Level. If a student in grades 3–8 is enrolled in a class or course intended for students above his or her current grade level in which the student will be administered a state-mandated assessment, the student will be required to take an applicable state-mandated assessment only for the course in which he or she is enrolled, unless otherwise required to do so by federal law. A student in grades 3–8 shall be assessed at least once in high school with the ACT or the SAT if the student completes the high school end-of-course assessments in mathematics, reading/language arts, or science prior to high school.

     

    Standardized Testing for a Student in Special Programs. Certain students—some with disabilities and some classified as Emergent Bilinguals—may be eligible for exemptions, accommodations, or deferred testing. For more information, see the principal, school counselor, or special education director.

     

    High School Courses End-of-Course (EOC) Assessments. STAAR end-of-course (EOC) assessments are administered for the following courses: Algebra I, English I, English II, Biology, and U.S. History. Satisfactory performance on the applicable assessments is required for graduation, unless waived or substituted as allowed by state law and rules. There are three testing windows during the year in which a student may take an EOC assessment. The windows occur in the fall, spring, and summer months. If a student does not meet satisfactory performance, the student will have opportunities to retake the assessment. STAAR Alternate 2 is available for eligible students receiving special education services who meet certain criteria established by the state as determined by the student’s ARD committee. An admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee for a student receiving special education services will determine whether successful performance on the EOC assessments will be required for graduation within the parameters identified in state rules and the student’s personal graduation plan (PGP). If a student does not perform satisfactorily on an EOC, the district will provide accelerated instruction. Failure of a student to attend accelerated instruction may result in violations of required school attendance.

     

    Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery Test. A student in grades 10–12 will be offered an opportunity to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test and consult with a military recruiter. The test shall be offered on November 17th at 8:00 am at Sweetwater High School. Contact the campus principal for information about this opportunity.

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