Assessment

What is Assessment?

Assessment refers to the methods or tools that educators use to evaluate academic readiness, learning progress, skill acquisition, and/or educational needs of students. Assessment, teaching, and learning are inextricably linked, as each informs the others.

State/Commercially-Developed Standardized Assessments & Local/Classroom Assessments

The Southampton Township School District believes in the use of data-driven instruction. We actively gather data from assessments to strengthen our understanding of student learning. This data drives how teachers differentiate in the classroom, use intervention/enrichment time, and plan for instruction.
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:7C-6.6, beginning in the fall of 2016, school districts must by October 1st of each year provide parents and guardians certain information on any state assessment or commercially-developed standardized assessment that will be administered in that school year. Below is a list and description of our assessments. (Please see schedule by click on the arrow below.)
The New Jersey Student Learning Assessments (NJSLA) are standardized assessments required by the state of New Jersey and administered to students in grades 3-8. These assessments allow the New Jersey Department of Education to monitor and publicly report students' progress toward meeting grade level standards in specified subjects, and they allow school districts to determine areas of strength and needed improvement in regards to the student body. Please click on the arrow below for more information regarding NJSLA administration.
An alternate assessment is given to students with the most significant intellectual disabilities in ELA, Math, and Science. This alternate assessment, Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM), is given in place of the NJSLA to identified students. Please click on the arrow below for the district administration schedule for DLM.

District Planned Standardized & Local/Classroom Assessments Schedule

Assessment Name & Skill(s) Assessed	Administration Window(s)	Grades Covered	When Results Are Available	Links to More Information
Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment – Reading Fluency & Comprehension	September/October, January/February, April/May October/November January/February April/May	Grades 1-5 Grade K	immediately after each assessment window closes; shared via conferences & report cards	F&P Website
Growth Measure Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) Math Growth Measure HMH ELA	September/October, January/February, & April/May February/March, April/May November/December, February/March, April/May	Grade 1-8 Grade K Grades 1-8	7-10 days after each assessment window closes; shared upon request
BRIGANCE Screen 3 – Kindergarten Readiness Skills	Spring before student’s Kindergarten year	Grades PreK & K	7-10 days after assessment window closes; given to parent w/teacher notification letter.
Kindergarten Language Screening Test (KLST-2) – Speech & Language Skills	Spring before student’s Kindergarten year	Grades PreK & K	7-10 days after assessment window closes; no written report; shared w/parent at time of assessment.
NJSLA-Science (state-mandated)	May	Grades 5 & 8	September following the spring test administration
NJSLA –ELA and NJSLA-M (state-mandated)	May	Grades 3-8	September following the spring test administration	NJSLA Parent Information NJSLA Tutorials NJSLA Practice Tests
DLM – Reading, Math, & Science (state-mandated)	Nov/Dec April/May	Grades 3-8; IEP-driven alternative proficiency assessment to the NJSLA	September following the spring test administration	NJDOE Website for DLM
W-APT (WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test) – English Language Proficiency (state-mandated)	Flexible - when a new student enters the district who may be designated ELL.	Incoming students who might be designated as English Language Learners	Immediately after scoring the assessment; shared upon request	WIDA-APT Website
WIDA Access for ELLs 2.0 (state-mandated)	February/March	ELL Students	September following the spring test administration	Access for ELLS Website
Child Study Team (CST) Testing (federal and state-mandated)	On-going	All Grades	As per code
Graded Classroom Assessments – Tests, quizzes, presentations, portfolios, rubrics	On-going	All Grades	Sent home & shared at parent/teacher conferences, meetings, etc.
Non-Graded Classroom Assessments – Informal observation, discussion, checklists, etc.	On-Going	All Grades	Used by teacher to inform instruction; shared upon request and/or at conferences, meetings, etc.

New Jersey Student Learning Assessments (NJSLA) FAQ

New Jersey Student Learning Assessments

FAQ

What is the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment?

The State of New Jersey has ended its membership in the interstate consortium that produced the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessments. While the online platform will remain the same, the state’s mathematics and English Learning Assessments will no longer be called PARCC.

The Statewide assessments for ELA and mathematics will be called:

New Jersey Student Learning Assessment - ELA (NJSLA-ELA)
New Jersey State Learning Assessment - Mathematics (NJSLA-M)

What is New Jersey Student Learning Assessment – Science (NJSLA-S)?

In 2018, students in grades 5, 8, and 11 took the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment -Science. The NJSLA-S replaced the NJASK Science assessment and moved from 4th grade to 5th. Similar to the NJSLA -ELA and Math, the NJSLA-S is a computer-based assessment. The spring 2018 administration of the NJSLA was a field test, and the spring 2019 administration was a baseline year.

May my child opt-out of state testing?

Per state guidelines, there is no provision to opt-out of the NJSLA. The New Jersey Department of Education has provided schools with the following guidance:

(a) The Commissioner, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:7C-1 et seq., and 18A:7E-2 and 3, may implement assessment of student achievement in the State’s public schools in any grade(s) and by such assessments as he or she deems appropriate. The Commissioner shall report to the State Board the results of such assessments.

… all students at grade levels three through 12, and at any other grade(s) designated by the Commissioner pursuant to (a) above, shall take all appropriate Statewide assessments as scheduled. N.J.A.C. 6A:8, STANDARDS AND ASSESSMENT

What is the time frame for testing?

English Language Arts (NJSLA-ELA)

	Unit 1	Unit 2	Total test time
Grade 3	75 mins	75 mins	2 hrs 30 mins
Grades 4-5	90 mins	90 mins	3 hours
Grades 6-11	90 mins	90 mins	3 hours

Mathematics (NJSLA-M)

	Unit 1	Unit 2	Unit 3	Total Test Time
Grades 3-5	60 mins	60 mins	60 mins	3 hours
Grades 6-8	60 mins	60 mins	60 mins	3 hours

Science (NJSLA-S)

Unit 1

Unit 2

Unit 3

Unit 4

Total Test Time

Grades 5 and 8

45 mins

mins

3 hours

Will students have opportunities to practice the tests?

Classroom teachers have introduced sample items and practice tests in class. Students will also be given an opportunity to complete practice assessments in class. Parents will also have access to testing information on the NJDOE website.

What types of accommodations will be allowed for students with disabilities and English Language Learners for the state assessments?

The NJSLA Accessibility Features and Accommodations Manual is a comprehensive policy document which provides guidance and support to ensure that students with disabilities and Dual Language Learners are provided appropriate access to the NJSLA assessment.

Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) FAQ

Dynamic Learning Maps

FAQ

What is DLM?

DLM stands for Dynamic Learning Maps. DLM assessments are administered to students with many types of significant cognitive disabilities in the areas of Math, ELA, and Science. These assessments replace the NJSLA and are delivered as "testlets" - short, instructionally relevant groups of items that share a common theme.

What information does the DLM provide?

By analyzing the data from the DLM, districts can better uncover reasons a student may be struggling with a particular concept and also see the direction for that student to continue to expand their knowledge and skills. The Essential Elements (EEs) provided provide specific statement about what students should know and be able to do. "They are linked to grade-level specific expectations described in college - and career-readiness standards for students in the general population, and they provide a bridge between those standards and academic expectations for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities".

How is the DLM administered?

All students are assessed in the spring (please see district schedule below), with all students in the same grade level being tested on the same EEs. The assessments, given as "testlets", are short and take about 10-15 minutes for a student to complete. It is a completely individualized set of tests designed so students can show what they know and can do.