ACCESS for ELLs
State Mandated Assessment
Administered to Grades K through 8

ACCESS for ELLs (Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners) is a secure large-scale English language proficiency assessment given to Kindergarten through 12th graders who have been identified as English language learners (ELLs). It is given annually starting in January in WIDA Consortium member states to monitor students’ progress in acquiring academic English. The estimated average time it takes to complete the assessment is 3-4 hours.

CogAt
District Assessment
Administered to Grades 2 and 5

The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) measures students’ learned reasoning abilities in the three areas most linked to academic success in school: Verbal, Quantitative and Nonverbal. Although its primary goal is to assess students’ reasoning abilities, CogAT can also provide predicted achievement scores when administered with The Iowa Tests.

While CogAT is well-suited to help educators make important student placement decisions, such as selecting students for Gifted and Talented programs, exclusive features such as the Ability Profile Score can be used to expand the educational opportunities of all students.

The CogAT is administered in March and the estimated average time it takes to complete the assessment is 2-3 hours.

DLM-AA
State Mandated Assessment
Administered to Grades 3 through 8

The DLM-AA (Dynamic Learning Maps Alternate Assessment) is intended for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The assessment offers an innovative way for these students to demonstrate their learning throughout the school year. The DLM-AA is taken in the spring and the results are used for school performance ratings. The estimated average time it takes to complete the assessment is 4-5 hours.

EDL2
District Assessment
Administered to Grades K through 5

Research-based and widely field tested, the Evaluacion del desarrollo de la lectura, Segunda Edicion K – 6 (EDL2), helps students become independent successful readers by giving educators the right mix of tools needed to assess accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. EDL2 helps educators in dual language, bilingual, and immersion classrooms identify each student’s reading ability, document progress, and implement effective reading instruction.

FitnessGram
State Mandated Assessment
Administered to Grades 3 through 8

Fitnessgram provides accurate assessment reports unique to each student according to their age, gender, and level of health-related fitness based on multiple components rather than jus­t a single measure. These reports use the criterion-referenced Healthy Fitness Zone® standards, which research has shown to accurately measure the level of physical fitness necessary for good health. The results of these fitness assessments guide instruction.

Students are assessed in the fall and in the spring. The estimated average time it takes to complete the assessment is 1-2 hours.

IAR
State Mandated Assessment
Administered to Grades 3 through 8

The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) is the state assessment and accountability measure for Illinois students enrolled in a public school district. IAR assesses the New Illinois Learning Standards Incorporating the Common Core and is administered to students in English Language Arts and Mathematics. IAR is administered in the spring and the results of the assessment are used for school performance ratings. The estimated average time it takes to complete the assessment is 8 hours.

Illinois 5Essentials Survey
State Mandated Survey
Administered in Grades 4 through 8

5Essentials is an evidence-based system designed to drive improvement in schools. This survey gathers information from students (grades 4 through 8), parents, and school staff. The student portion of the survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.

ISIP
District Assessment
Administered to Grades K through 5

Istation Indicators of Progress (ISIP) is a computer-adaptive assessment for English language learners (ELLs). Used for developing readers from pre-K through 5th grade, Istation blends age-appropriate content with rich, lively animations and characters that draw kids in, engage their interest, and motivate them to participate. The results of this assessment guide student instruction.

ELL students are assessed in the fall, winter and spring. The estimated average time it takes to complete the assessment is 1-2 hours.

KIDS
State Mandated Assessment
Administered to Grade K

The Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) is an observational tool designed to help teachers and administrators better understand the developmental readiness of children entering kindergarten.  KIDS is core to the Illinois State Board of Education’s (ISBE) goal that every child in Illinois deserves to attend a school wherein all kindergarteners are assessed for readiness. KIDS focuses on the knowledge, skills, and behaviors that most impact long-term student success. This assessment takes place within the first forty days of the Kindergarten school year.

KIDS focuses on the knowledge, skills, and behaviors across four key domains that most impact long-term student success. The domains are: Approaches to Learning and Self-Regulation; Social and Emotional Development; Language and Literacy Development; and Cognition: Math.

MAP
District Assessment
Administered to Grades K through 8

Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), a district assessment, creates a personalized assessment experience. Each student takes a reading assessment and a mathematics assessment. MAP assessments produce a Rasch Unit (RIT) score. These assessments measure growth and inform how educators differentiate instruction. Students are assessed in the fall, winter and spring. The estimated average time it takes to complete each of the assessments is about 1 hour.

PSAT 8/9
District 88 Placement Assessment
Administered to Grade 8

Students in eighth grade take the PSAT 8/9, an assessment designed for 8th and 9th grade students. The results provide information on the current and future college readiness of incoming District 88 students as well as their high school placement. The assessment is taken on a Saturday in the fall and the estimated average time it takes to complete the assessment is 2 1/2 hours.