Student assessments are an ongoing process and an integral part of instruction. They provide timely feedback to support students’ learning and help inform instructional and program decisions. We are prioritizing assessments at the start of the school year because it is important for educators to establish a baseline to understand where students are currently and to gauge growth for each student throughout the year.
New assessments include VDOE Fall Reading and Math Growth Assessments for grades 3-8 and a one-year expansion of TAG Universal Screeners for grades two and four. See more information regarding the VDOE Fall Growth Assessments. Additional specific ACPS administration details will be provided throughout the coming weeks.
The Learning Lab is revising the curriculum to account for the additional time and flexibility needed to administer the new assessments as well as make necessary adjustments to planned instruction once data from the assessments have been analyzed. Instructional staff will receive professional learning about using the data to inform instruction and strategies to facilitate student agency for their own learning. If a student misses an assessment due to an absence, schools will work with individual students and staff to ensure they are tested when they return to school.