Assessment
Director of Instructional Services
PCSD Assessment Information
In order to understand the PCSD assessment system, make sure to review the Assessment System tab.
PCSD Policies for Taking State and District Assessments
Let us know if you have any questions about our policies for taking state and district assessments. We are happy to answer any of your questions!
Assessment Foundations
PCSD Assessment Foundations
Plattsmouth Community School District makes assessments decision based on the district mission statement as well as on a thoughtful description of beliefs, roles, and quality criteria.
Beliefs
PCSD Assessment Beliefs
- Assessment practices support effective instruction and learning opportunities.
- Teachers are responsible for thorough and effective content preparation, practice with testing formats, instruction in test-taking strategies, and the development of effective assessments. They are responsible for asking for clarification if testing procedures or unclear.
- Conscientious administration and handling of assessment materials is a professional responsibility.
- Students should have had multiple opportunities to learn and review the content, become familiar with a variety of assessment forms, and learn test-taking strategies through authentic and relevant learning activities designed to encourage meta-cognition, self-awareness, and knowledge of testing structures and patterns.
- Students, teachers, and parents should be encouraged to see assessments as providing important information upon which future-learning opportunities will be designed.
Roles
Assessment Roles
District and Administration
- Develops standards-based, developmentally appropriate, and aligned curriculum in major content areas.
- Supports students, parents, and teachers in the learning process.
Teacher
- Provides effective content instruction thoroughly and thoughtfully throughout the year.
- Helps students learn about and use different testing-taking formats throughout the year.
- Helps students and parents understand how assessments are used to make instructional decisions.
Student
- Does his/her best to learn the content throughout the year.
- Puts forth his/her best effort when taking the assessment.
Parent
- Explains to his/her student the value of getting a good education and the importance of assessments.
- Helps his/her student as they learn the content.
- Make sure his/her student is well-rested and well-fed when he/she comes to school the day of the test
Quality Criteria
PCSD Assessment Quality Criteria
District Writing Tests - Guidelines & Procedures
Purpose
We believe that assessments provide information that can help answer these four questions:
- What do we want students to know and be able to do?
- How do we know when they know it?
- What do we do when they don’t?
- What do we do when they do?
State Quality Criteria
- Criterion 1: The Assessments Match the Standards
Each assessment is aligned to standards.
The identified standard actually is reflected in the assessment. - Criterion 2: Students Have an Opportunity to Learn
Evidence is provided that teachers teach the content needed for students to be successful.
Evidence is provided that the assessment samples the learning sufficiently enough to provide valid and reliable results. - Criterion 3: The Assessments are Free of Bias and Sensitive Situations
Bias and sensitive situations do not distract learners. - Criterion 4: The Assessments are Set at the Appropriate Level
- Criterion 5: There is Consistency In Scoring
Procedures put in place to ensure validity and reliability. - Criterion 6: The Mastery Levels are Appropriately Set
Predictions or other reliable methods are used to determine mastery levels.
Academic Assessments
Plattsmouth Community School District's Assessment System
Academic assessment at PCSD is not just about testing. It is about consistently figuring out what students know and don't know and using that information to increase learning. Assessment is guided by beliefs as well as quality assurance documents and procedures. Parents, students, and educators have have different roles in the assessment process.
PCSD uses a balanced approach to academic assessment that includes national, state, and local assessments.
National Assessments
National assessments are designed to sort students into high, medium, and low ability level groups. PCSD uses four of these tests to see how our students compare to other students nationally.
- NWEA: These adaptive tests are used with K-11th grade student's to identify their reading and mathematics achievement and growth. Science is assessed in grade 5-11.
- Teaching Strategies Gold: This assessment tracks social, emotional, and academic achievement for 0-5 years old in PCSD. Scores are reported to Head Start and the Nebraska Department of Education.
- DRA2: This is a comprehensive reading assessment given in grades K-4 to determine reading group placements and to monitor reading skills.
- Renaissance STAR Testing: STAR provides a quick overview of what students know and monitors their progress towards learning goals. This assessment is used with all students in grade K-2.
Local Assessments
Local Assessments are designed to ensure that students understand all district and state standards and essentials. When appropriate, these assessments come with the core programs the district adopts. When those assessments are not available or certain standards are not assessed, teachers construct local assessments using Nebraska and PCSD quality criteria.
State Assessments
For information about Nebraska assessments go to the Nebraska Assessment System tab.
Nebraska Assessment System: NSCAS
Nebraska Student Centered Assessment System (NSCAS)
Nebraska looks at assessment as a system that includes instructional support, ways to monitor what students know, and a through-year test showing if a student is meeting state standards.
NSCAS 3-8
Reading Test: NSCAS ELA (grades 3-8)
The reading test is NSCAS-ELA (English Language Arts).
This test asks students to really look at and think about what they read.
There are multiple ways to answer questions in the test. It is not just multiple choice.
In this test, students read one or more passages to find answers.
Math Test: NSCAS Math (grades 3-8)
The NSCAS-Math test focuses on understanding an applying mathematical knowledge.
There are multiple ways to answer questions in the test. It is not just multiple choice.
In this test, students can reach problems, used charts and graphs, and use other evidence to solve problems and show what they know.
Science Test: NSCAS Science (grades 5 and 8)
Nebraska had new science standards and a new assessment that was designed to go beyond just knowing the facts of science.
Computer Adaptive
NSCAS tests are computer adaptive. Here is a video explaining how this works!
What is a Computer Adaptive Test?
How is NSCAS different than the NWEA MAP Growth tests?
Comparison Chart- NSCAS and MAP Growth
Other NSCAS Assessments
NSCAS Alternate Assessments (grades 3-8)
NSCAS Alternate Assessments parallel the NSCAS Assessments given in Math, English Language Art and Science. These assessments are specialized to be used with designated students.
NSCAS ELPA21
ELPA21 is for supporting English Learners. The test has a screener that is used to determine if the student is in need of English Learner support. The regular ELPA21 assessment is used with students who qualify for the English Learner program. These assessments align to state standards. The test focuses on each student's ability to read, write, speak, and listen in English. The tests are given K-12th grade to students who have not met standards in those four categories. Once the student has shown proficiency, they no longer need to take the test. There is an Alternate version of this assessment as well.
NSCAS ACT
The state of Nebraska is having all 11th graders will take the ACT test. The test will be given in April each year. Nebraska has also paid for the PreACT test to be taken by sophomores.