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Illinois Alternate Assessment (IAA)
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, even with accommodations. The test is a performance-based assessment that uses on-demand tasks, which are aligned to the Illinois Learning Standards. Students will be tested in reading, mathematics, science and writing at the appropriate grades.
Illinois Snapshot of Early Literacy (ISEL)
Kindergarten students take the Illinois Snapshot of Early Literacy (ISEL) test in both fall and spring. The test is used to help identify students who may be in need of extra reading support. The test gives teachers feedback on areas such as alphabet recognition, listening comprehension, phonemic awareness, and concepts of word and print. The ISEL test is aligned with the goals of the Illinois Reading Initiative and reflects National Standards for Reading and the Illinois Learning Standards.
Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT)
& Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
The Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) measures individual student achievement relative to the Illinois Learning Standards. The results give parents, teachers, and schools one measure of student learning and school performance. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires all states to measure each public school's and district's achievement and establish annual achievement targets for the state. The overarching goal is for all students to meet or exceed standards in reading and mathematics by 2014. Each year, the state will calculate a school or district's Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) to determine if students are improving their performance based on the established annual targets. Through links on this website, you can review the federal law and regulations regarding AYP.
Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)
View the MAP Brochure.
MAP tests are untimed achievement tests taken on computers that measure a student's general knowledge in math and reading. MAP tests are aligned to Illinois State Standards and will allow the district to look beyond the ISATs for student progress toward state goals.
MAP tests measure a student's individual progress or growth in school each year. The tests are tailored to each student's achievement level. The testing software acts to instantly analyze the student's response to each test item. It then determines the appropriate difficulty level to present throughout the remainder of the test so that students take a test that is just right for them — not too hard or too easy— for a more accurate picture of their achievement level.
Student scores are linked to the Des Cartes learning continuum, a tool that gives samples of student work at each level. This information may then become a resource for teachers to use in planning instruction.
What do MAP tests cover?
Each MAP test is made up of goals aligned to the Illinois Learning Standards. Goals for math include computation, number sense, geometry, measurement, algebra, data analysis/probability, and problem solving. Goals for reading include word analysis/vocabulary, literature and comprehension.
Do all students take the same test?
All students take a math and reading test. However, each student takes a test that is dynamically developed for him or her as the test is being administered. As a student answers questions correctly, the questions become more difficult. If the student answers incorrectly, the questions become easier.
Why use a dynamically developed test?
The most accurate picture of student achievement is obtained when a student is appropriately challenged at his or her achievement level.
Some terms used in testing:
Measures of Academic Progress (MAP): computer-administered tests that result in a RIT Scale score.
RIT Scale score: a measure of individual achievement. It shows a student's current achievement level along the learning continuum. The RIT Scale was developed by Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA). The score is unrelated to the age or grade of the student but reflects the level at which the student is currently performing.
Percentile scores: are used to compare a student to a larger group of students in the same grade. Percentile means a student scores as well as or better than that percent of students taking the test in his or her grade. NWEA-MAP tests are normed frequently using a sample consisting of several million children throughout the United States.
Norm-referenced tests: compare student performance to that of other students nationwide. Norm-referenced tests show where students stand in relation to their peers, not to a defined standard of achievement.
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