Assessment time is near; DOE’s interim assessments help students prepare
Every spring brings warm weather outside and summative assessments in K-12 classrooms across the state.
In South Dakota, public school students in grades 3-8 and 11 participate in annual summative testing in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics. Students in 5th, 8th, and 11th grades test in science as well. The assessments are aligned to the state content standards so that students test on content that they have been exposed to in the classroom.
Matt Gill is the administrator of the Department of Education’s (DOE) Office of Assessment and Accountability. He and his team oversee testing in public schools in South Dakota. They work with schools to provide support before, during, and after the assessments.
“Summative testing is a snapshot of what’s happening in a school – how students are doing based on the standards,” said Gill. “It’s a good tool for accountability purposes.”
Although the springtime summative assessments are used in the State Report Card, Gill says that one of the most useful tools his office provides is interim assessment support. Interim assessments are also aligned to South Dakota standards and are provided free of charge to school districts. Though not required, Gill highly recommends them.
“Interim assessments allow students to practice using the system and the platform,” Gill said. “It helps students get used to the embedded calculator. For students who need supports for an assessment, it gives them practice.”
Teachers can use data from interim assessments to finetune their lessons. “Interim assessments are aligned to the depth and breadth of the standards. Summative assessments are too, but with interim assessments, a teacher can take the results and address areas where students didn’t do so well.”
The results of summative assessments can also be useful to teachers. “We can create a three-year target level for a school,” said Gill. “That shows you which areas, logistically, a school needs to focus on for the next few years – it helps to determine areas of focus for a classroom.”
Scores from summative assessments are published on the State Report Card. That data can give people an idea of trends in education in the state, which can be useful in understanding ways students are thriving, and areas where they may need more support. “It’s one measurement,” said Gill. “It’s not the only measurement that tells the success of a school, but it is an important part of that.”
Testing windows open in March
The assessment window for the South Dakota English Language Arts (ELA) and Math Alternate Assessments opens March 10. ELA, Math, Science, and Science Alternate Assessments will open March 24.
For more information about the testing window and annual summative testing, visit the Department of Education’s Office of Assessment webpage.
The Office of Assessment and Accountability’s assessment team stands ready year-round to help educators with assessments, whether it be preparation for testing, support during testing, or assistance in interpreting results. Educators can find help by visiting the office’s webpage or by contacting Matt Gill.