Standardized Assessment Practices

Standardized Assessment Practices

In order to monitor student progress and to measure the effectiveness of our programming, several standardized assessments are administered to all students. These include locally identified assessments as well as the state-required assessment. Locally identified assessments that are given to all students are called “Universal Assessments”. They are called universal because all students take them in the designated grade levels. They are primarily administered at the beginning and end of the school year as they are designed to document growth over the course of the year.

The following chart summarizes these tools by grade level:

Grade	Assessment	Dates	What is Assessed?
K-2	K-2 NWEA MAP Growth - Reading & Math Early Learning Assessment	Fall Window Grades 1 & 2 Winter Window Grades K-2 Spring Window Grades K-2	(For Teacher use RTI purposes) NWEA offers MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) Growth assessments that provide both reading and math assessments built specifically for early learners. These early reading and math assessments serve as our universal screening. We use the results to inform classroom instruction, identify students in need of additional support or enrichment, and monitor student growth. Universal screening is an initial step in recognizing the students who are performing above or below grade-level standards. The assessments are nationally normed, computer adaptive, and provide immediate information on individual student strengths and areas of need.
3-10	NWEA MAP Growth / Through Test for Reading & Math	Fall Window Grades 3-10 Winter Window (Grades 3-5) Spring Window Grades 3-10	(For Teacher use RTI purposes and State Accountability Data) NWEA MAP Growth / Through Test assessments provide reading, and math assessments that are nationally normed. These reading and math assessments serve as our universal screener and state-level achievement test. The NWEA MAP Growth assessments create a personalized assessment experience by adapting questions to student ability and accurately measuring performance. The results help to identify where a student is in their learning. We use the results to inform classroom instruction, identify students in need of additional support or enrichment, and monitor student growth. Universal screening is an initial step in recognizing students who are performing above or below grade-level standards. The assessments provide immediate information on individual student strengths and areas of need.

5, 8, 11	MEA Science	Late Spring	State assessments, known as the Maine Educational Assessments (MEA), measure the progress of Maine’s students toward the content standards adopted for Maine students.
7th or 8th	Orleans-Hanna Algebra Readiness Test	Spring	Help determine if a student is ready to take Algebra
10th & 11th	PSAT: Reading, Math, Writing & Language (Essay is optional)	Fall	Practice for the SAT
11th	SAT: Reading, Math, Writing & Language (Essay is optional)	Spring	Offered to students in Grade 11 as desired.
10 - 12	Advanced Placement (optional)	May	AP courses are rigorous, college-level classes in a variety of subjects that give students an opportunity to gain the skills and experience colleges recognize.
2-7th 10th & 11th	PAAP (Personalized Alternate Assessment Portfolio)	During the teaching year	Offered at grades 2-7 and 2nd and 3rd-year high school for reading and mathematics; at grades 5, 8, and 3rd-year high school for science; and at grades 4, 7, and 3rd-year high school for writing. PAAPs will be completed (during the ìteaching yearî beginning with Grade 2 in Reading and Math) in conjunction with agreed-upon accommodations through the IEP process.
K-12	WIDA ACCESS for ELLs	December - February	For all K-12 Enrolled English Language Learners is an assessment for English Language Proficiency. All K-12 English language learners (ELLs) in Maine, including recently arrived ELLs, must be assessed for English language proficiency by participating in the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs during the testing window of December to February of each school year.
4, 8, & 11	NAEP		This assessment is administered every 2 years in February to a percentage of randomly selected students at selected statewide sites in grades 4, 8, and 11 in the areas of reading, math, and science. Scores are reported at the state level only - not individually by students, schools, or districts.

All Maine schools participate in the Maine Comprehensive Assessment System (MeCAS), which provides information about the academic progress of students, schools, and the state as a whole. National and international assessments help us interpret the success of Maine’s students in comparison to students in other states and nations. State assessments, known as the Maine Educational Assessments (MEA), measure the progress of Maine’s students toward the content standards adopted for Maine students. Along with other local assessment instruments and/or teacher-developed classroom assessments, the MEA can help educators and parents to understand where every public school student is and where they may need additional support to become college and career-ready by graduation.

The MEA in English Language Arts and Math is administered annually in grades 3-8 and 10. The Science MEA is administered in grades 5, 8, and 11. 11th graders may participate in the SAT. Alternative assessments are provided for students with significant cognitive disabilities, including the PAAP and MSAA. MEA ACCESS for ELLs is administered to students identified as English learners which measures language acquisition. For more information about Maine’s assessment system, visit http://maine.gov/doe/assessment.

High School Students also take other college and career readiness assessments. The PSAT serves as a predictor of SAT achievement, provides criteria for merit scholarships, and helps students with their college search process. Similarly, some students take the ACT, another college, and career readiness assessment. All of these may be submitted for consideration in college applications. Also, students enrolled in advanced placement courses take the Advanced Placement exam for the given course in May. Typically, scores of 3 or better, when submitted to colleges, earn college-level credit.

The Gorham School Department utilizes all assessment data to help inform our practices at the district, school, classroom, and individual levels for our students. We encourage students and parents to participate fully in our assessment program.

NWEA Transition to Through-Year Assessment Model

2022 and Beyond...

During the 2022-23 school year, the state of Maine will be transitioning from using the NWEA MAP Growth Assessment in Mathematics, Reading and Language to the NWEA Through-Year Assessment in Math and Reading.

The fall, winter (optional 6-10), and spring administrations will continue to provide RIT scores for all grade levels assessed to measure student growth over time (meaning proficiency targets will not change). In addition, the spring assessment will provide a measure of a student's on-grade proficiency as required by the ESSA federal guidelines.

Comparability: NWEA MAP “Through” test items will be pulled from the current MAP “Growth” Tests, with the addition of some Grade Level specific questions. All will have the same RIT comparisons so will continue to be comparable to our ongoing growth/summative data.

Fall 2022-2023:

NWEA MAP Growth ME Reading and Math Assessment will continue to be administered
NWEA Language Test will no longer be administered
Grades 1-10 will participate (state is now requiring grade 10 vs grade 11)

Winter:

NWEA Map Growth ME Reading and Math will continue to be administered for K-5
NWEA Map Growth ME Reading and Math will continue to be optional for 6-10

Spring:

NWEA Map Growth ME Reading and Math will continue to be administered: K-2 + 9th
NWEA adaptive Through-year assessment will be administered: Grades 3-8
NWEA fixed-form (not adaptive) Through-year assessment for 2023 ONLY, then changing to adaptive, Through-year assessment in future: Grade 10

2022-2023 MDOE Assessment Calendar 2022-2023 Gorham K-5 Assessment Timeline

Expanded Rationale: In the spring of 2023, the Maine DOE will begin implementing a flexible, innovative assessment that is similar to the MAP Growth assessment model for math and reading in grades 3-8 and the second year of high school. This assessment will also serve as our federally required, statewide assessment. The assessments will be adaptive each year for grades 3-8, and fixed form (not adaptive) in the second year of high school. The first administration will occur during the spring 2023 assessment administration window, with a full transition to a through-year (a required fall assessment and optional winter implementation) model in the 2023-24 school year. Growth will then be measured based on fall-to-spring performance within the same cohort of students. Assessment items will include well-vetted, adaptive MAP Growth items along with specific grade-level items, producing a valid RIT score that is nationally comparable and will provide a measure of consistency over time in addition to Maine-specific grade-level performance levels.