Naperville 203
Community Unit School District
Types of Assessment
Assessment is essential not only to guide the development of individual students but also to monitor and continuously improve the quality of our programs. There are different types of tests, including:
| Formal Assessments | Informal Assessments |
| Classroom tests District tests Portfolios Standardized test |
Observations Anecdotal notes Student conferences Informal conversations |
Below is a list of state standardized tests and local assessments used by the District. To learn more about the type of exam and the goals of the assessment tool, click on the name and follow the link.
| Acronym | Name |
| CogAT | Cognitive Abilities Test |
| DLM | Dynamic Learning Maps |
| IOWA | Iowa Assessments |
| IAR | Illinois Assessment of Readiness |
| ISA | Illinois Science Assessment |
| NWEA MAP | NWEA MAP Growth |
| PSAT/NMSQT |
Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) |
| ACT | ACT Testing |
District 203 Local Assessments
Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)
CogAT measures general thinking and problem-solving skills and indicates how well the student uses these skills to solve verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal problems. It provides a picture of the student’s strength and weakness.
Verbal Battery: The Verbal Battery is comprised of three subtests (Verbal Analogies, Verbal Classification, and Sentence Completion) that appraise deductive and inductive reasoning skills as well as flexibility, fluency and adaptability in working with verbal materials and solving verbal problems. Successful performance on these tests requires that students have a variety of verbal strategies that they can use effectively. This cluster of verbal reasoning ability plays an important role in developing skills in reading comprehension, critical thinking, writing, and other types of verbal learning tasks.
Nonverbal Battery: The Nonverbal Battery presents the most novel problems to students. The items on these subtests (Figure Matrices, Paper Folding, and Figure Classification ) use only geometric shapes and figures that have little direct relationship to formal school instruction. The subtests require no reading and no outside fund of knowledge. To perform successfully, students must have well-developed strategies for dealing with novel materials. Students must be flexible in using these strategies and be accurate in implementing them. All three subtests appraise general inductive reasoning skills as well as flexibility and fluency in using and adapting cognitive strategies.
Quantitative Battery: The Quantitative battery is comprised of three subtests (Number Analogies, Number Puzzles, and Number Series) that appraise deductive and inductive reasoning skills as well as flexibility and fluency in working with quantitative symbols and concepts. The equation building test also appraises the ability to organize, structure, and give meaning to an unordered set of numerals and mathematical symbols. Successful performance on these subtests requires that students have a variety of strategies for working with quantitative materials. The reasoning skills appraised by this battery are significantly related to high-level problem solving, not only in mathematics but also in other disciplines.
DLM
The Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) is a required state assessment for students in grades 3-11 with significant cognitive disabilities. The DLM is designed to assess the Essential Elements that reflect developmentally appropriate knowledge and skills identified in the Illinois Learning Standards.
To test the student’s ability in the areas of reading, vocabulary and math. The IOWA Assessments measure student achievement and growth. It gives you information on how your child performs against a national sample of students in the same grade.
Components of the Test:
| Reading | Administered in two parts, this test contains passages that vary in length from a few lines to a full page. Both literary passages (e.g., fiction, folk tales, essays, and poetry) and informational passages (e.g., expository science and social studies materials, procedural texts, and general nonfiction) are included. Many of the passages are excerpts from previously published works. A significant number of questions may require students to draw inferences or to generalize about what they have read. |
| Vocabulary | Each question presents a word in the context of a short phrase or sentence, and students select the answer that is the closest synonym for that word. Approximately equal numbers of nouns, verbs, and modifiers are included. Target words represent general vocabulary content rather than the specialized vocabulary used in various subject-matter areas. |
| Math | Administered in two parts. Students must demonstrate an understanding of Mathematics concepts, relationships, visual representations, and problem-solving. The questions deal with number sense and operations, algebraic patterns and connections, data analysis, probability, statistics, geometry, and measurement. |
Reading the IOWA Assessments Results
National Percentile Rank (NPR) – The NPR indicates the percent of students in the same grade who obtained a lower grade than your student. NPR scores from 75-99 are in the above-average range. NPR scores from 1-24 are in the below-average range. Scores from 25-74 are in the low average to high average range.
IAR
The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) is a required state assessment and accountability measure for Illinois students enrolled in public school districts. IAR assesses the Illinois Learning Standards and are administered online in English Language Arts and Mathematics to students in grades 3-8. For additional information, please refer to the Illinois Assessment of Readiness Score Report Interpretation Guide for Parents.
The Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) is a required state assessment administered to students in grades 5 and 8. It measures how well students understand key science concepts and skills based on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which focus on science content, scientific practices, and real-world problem solving. Please refer to the following Illinois Science Assessment Score Report Interpretation Guide for additional information.
NWEA MAP Growth is an online, adaptive assessment designed to evaluate individual student reading and mathematics achievement and growth. This assessment is administered three times per year to students in kindergarten through eighth grade and is aligned with the Illinois English Language Arts and Mathematics Learning Standards.
NWEA MAP Reading Fluency
NWEA MAP Reading Fluency is an online assessment that helps teachers understand how well students in grades K-5 are developing early reading skills. It assesses listening comprehension, phonics, word recognition, and oral reading fluency.
- NWEA MAP Growth Practice Test (Session name: GROW, Session Password: GROW)
PSAT/NMSQT
The PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) is a standardized test administered to high school students in the fall of the 11th grade. It facilitates practice for the SAT, giving students a low-pressure way to familiarize themselves with the types of questions and timing of the test. In addition, there are scholarship opportunities with possible qualification for the National Merit Scholarship Program. College Board - PSAT NMSQT
The ACT is a required standardized test administered to eleventh graders and is required for high school graduation in Illinois. It assesses skills in four main areas: English, math, reading, and science. In addition, the ACT also includes an essay. The ACT is designed to show how ready a student is for college-level work. Colleges can use scores for admissions, scholarships, and course placement.
- PreACT Secure is administered to tenth graders and is required in Illinois. PreACT Secure assesses skills in 4 main areas: English, Math, Reading and Science.
- PreACT 9 Secure is administered to ninth-grade students and is required in the state of Illinois. PreACT 9 Secure assesses skills in 4 main areas: English, Math, Reading and Science.