Department of Special Education: District-Wide Assessments
As you know, District 41 is continuously improving our assessment practices so that we have the information on student learning we need to make the best instructional decisions possible. Different assessments both of ability and academic knowledge are administered on a district-wide basis.
Ability Assessments
- Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test®
The Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT) is a language free test, which measures non-verbal reasoning ability. In District 41, it is administered to kindergarten students and students in the ELL programs. It is especially useful for children with minimal English language skills. The NNAT has four parts. Pattern Completion items require the student to decide which shapes complete a visual pattern. Reasoning by Analogy items require the student to recognize logical relationships between things. Serial Reasoning items require the student to discover a specific sequence in which things change. Spatial Visualization items require the student to recognize how two or more things will look when combined. The tests at each level contain 38 items and are easily administered in about 30 minutes. It is designed to be a fair, effective test for use with a wide variety of students, regardless of their educational experiences, cultural background, or what language they speak.
- CogAT
The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) is a group-administered ability test to be used with Grades 1-8. The CogAT is a norm-referenced test which yields scores in three ability areas, Verbal, Quantitative, and Nonverbal. The CogAT is used to assess the pattern and level of students' development in reasoning and problem solving with verbal, quantitative, and spatial symbols. Thus, an individual's score on the CogAT primarily reflects her or his ability to discover relationships and to demonstrate flexibility in thinking. This helps us to understand a child's potential relative to achievement.
Academic Assessments
- ISAT
The Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) measures individual student achievement relative to the Illinois Learning Standards. This test is administered in the spring. The results give parents, teachers, and schools one measure of student learning and school performance. Students in grades 3 through 8 take the ISAT in reading and mathematics. Students in grades 4 and 7 take the ISAT in science. Writing will become part of state assessment according to the following schedule.
- Spring 2007: Grades 5, 8
- Spring 2008: Grades 5, 6, 8
- Spring 2009: Grades 3, 5, 6, 8
- Illinois Alternate Assessment
The Illinois Alternate Assessment (IAA) is the yardstick the state uses to measure the learning of students with significant cognitive disabilities. Students with severe disabilities take the IAA if participation in the state's regular assessment - the Illinois Standards Achievement Test is not appropriate. Rather than a pencil-and-paper format, the IAA uses a portfolio of student work collected over the course of the school year. Presently, the Illinois State Board of Education is developing a standardized test that will eventually replace portfolio collection for students presently being assessed using a portfolio assessment.
In 2006, students in grades 3, 5, 6, and 8 took the IAA in reading and mathematics. Students in grades 4 and 7 took the IAA in reading, mathematics, and science. In 2007, the IAA portfolio will still be in place for the same content areas and grade levels as 2006. Writing will be tested in 2007 in grades 5 and 8.
- ACCESS
ACCESS is given to all English Language Learners (ELL) identified as Limited English Proficient, and will serve as the state-approved English Language Proficiency test.
- Preschool screening
Preschool screening is an opportunity offered each month by Glen Ellyn District 41 for children from ages 2 years-9 months through 5 years. This brief assessment takes about 45-60 minutes and looks at children's development in a variety of areas, including speech & language, fine & gross motor and pre-academic concepts. Hearing and vision are screened and parents complete a questionnaire about self-help and social skills. Parents receive a summary of results by mail, with an indication if follow-up assessment is indicated for areas of concern.
Curriculum Based Measurement
Curriculum Based Measurement (CBM) is an assessment method used to determine how students are progressing in basic academic skills such as reading comprehension and fluency, math computation, and writing. CBM is useful because it provides measurable data that is collected during specific scheduled intervals and then graphed to determine a student's rate of progress in the academic area being assessed. Using this data, teachers and specialists can monitor the student's rate of progress and change instructional methods or tools if the child is not making sufficient progress.
In District 41, the special education teacher or the school psychologist administers and scores the CBM. The student is given a probe, (a brief, timed sample) which takes from one to four minutes to administer. Depending on the area being measured, this can be given in a whole class, small group or individual setting. This probe is administered using standardized conditions or, in other words, the same directions are read in the same manner to every student and every time the probe is used. The probes are scored based on fluency, or speed, and accuracy. The results are then graphed using a computerized program.
When a student is assessed for the first time, multiple probes are given to determine the student's baseline rate. This baseline is then used along with research-based norm tables and formulas to predict the expected rate of growth. Once the baseline and growth rate are determined, the teacher then administers, scores and graphs progress monitoring probes at specific, scheduled intervals. After a duration of at least three intervals, the data points on the graph will begin to show a trend line. This trend line is then compared to the original growth rate. If the two lines match up then the instructional methods are working, if the trend line shows significant negative deviation from the expected rate of growth, the instructional methods can be adjusted to better serve the needs of the student.
Liz Pearce 12/05