Assessment Calendar for 2020-21
During the 2020-21 school year, District 401 will administer the following assessments. Some of these tests are required by the Illinois State Board of Education, some by the District itself and some are optional.
Please note that most of the dates listed below are windows within which tests will be administered. More specific information about testing dates will be communicated to students and parents during the school year. To see a Google Doc containing a live version of the 2020-21 Assessment Calendar, please click here.
STATE & DISTRICT ASSESSMENTS |
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WHAT? |
WHEN? |
PURPOSE? |
REQUIRED |
FOR WHICH STUDENTS? |
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Jan. 13 to |
Language proficiency test for English Learners (ELs). Used to measure growth in English proficiency and the ability to access the curriculum in English. |
State |
Grades K-12, |
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TBD |
Designed to measure skills that are most important for success in postsecondary education and that are acquired in secondary education. |
Optional, |
Grade 11 |
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Fall 2020: |
Provides information on student progress toward fluent reading. Used to differentiate instruction. |
District |
Grades K-8 |
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May 2021 |
AP courses have a college-level curriculum and rigor. Students can earn college credit by passing an AP class and by their score on the AP Exam. |
State & District |
AP students |
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April 2021 |
Assists in understanding how students learn, remember and problem solve. CogAT is used to gain an understanding of students as learners. |
District |
Grades 2 & 5 |
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| March 10 to May 5, 2021 |
Serves as the alternate state assessment for students not taking the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (see IAR below). | State | SPED grades 3-8 & 11; also current grade 12 students without a valid grade 11 or 12 score or qualifying exemption | |
|
TBD |
Serves as the Illinois state standards test in reading and math. IAR is used as a piece of information about students, groups and cohorts, as well as for setting goals and evaluating curriculum. |
State |
Grades 3-8 |
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January to |
Tests physical fitness levels in an effort to meet State Goal 20, where students achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical fitness. Only results from grades 5, 7 and 10 are reported. |
State |
Grades 5, |
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March 1 to |
Designed to measure the Next Generation Science Standards. Used to help students understand their progress toward NGSS and to evaluate curriculum. |
State |
Grades 5, |
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August to |
Uses teacher observations and recordings of student behaviors for a better understanding of developmental readiness. |
State |
Kindergarten |
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April 13-15, 2021 |
Part of the SAT Suite of Assessments. Measures college and career readiness as well as AP potential. Also used to understand individual, group and cohort growth and to evaluate curriculum. |
State |
Grades 8 & 9 |
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|
April 13-15, 2021 |
Part of the SAT Suite of Assessments. Measures college and career readiness as well as AP potential. Also used to understand individual, group and cohort growth and to evaluate curriculum. |
State |
Grade 10 |
|
| Oct. 14, 17 or 29, 2020* *The 29th replaces the former date of Oct. 28 |
Part of the SAT Suite of Assessments. Measures college and career readiness as well as AP potential. Also used to understand individual, group and cohort growth and to evaluate curriculum. | Optional, offered by District | Grade 9 | |
| April 13, 2021 | Part of the SAT Suite of Assessments (see PSATs above) and serves as a college entrance exam. | State | Grade 11 | |
|
Pre-test by Sept. 17, 2020; post-test by May 21, 2021 |
Used for Second Step summative knowledge assessment. (Second Step is the District's SEL curriculum for students in grades PK-8.) |
District |
Grades 1-5 |
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Pre-test Aug. 31 to Sept. 11, 2020; post-test dates TBD by grade-level teams |
Used to demonstrate a change in a student's knowledge or skills, as evidenced by results on two or more assessments and between two or more points in time. |
State |
Grades PK-12 |
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