WACHUSETT REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT Holden-Paxton-Princeton-Rutland-Sterling
Literacy Assessment: AIMSweb
AIMSweb is a web-based assessment, data management, and reporting system that provides the framework for Response to Intervention (RTI) in the areas related to reading fluency. AIMSweb assessments are universal screenings and progress monitoring tools that are brief and validated by nationwide data analysis.
Conducting the Assessments
AIMSweb screenings are administered three times each year in grades K-4 (optional at grade 5). Administrations occur during the fall, winter, and spring. See the Assessment Program for administration dates and grade level benchmarks.
The resources to the right provide self-training support to guide teachers through the administration process and sample probes. All AIMSweb assessments will be administered online. The District will no longer support paper-based administration for screenings or progress monitoring. This administration format will significantly reduce data entry time for teachers and drastically reduce wasteful paper use. The video to the right provides explicit guidance on administering the probes online via the AIMSweb portal at www.aimsweb.com.
Online AIMSweb Administration
Mathematics Assessment: Universal Screenings
WRSD Mathematics Screenings are administered three times each year beginning in the 2012-2013 school year. These universal screenings will be administered during the fall, winter, and spring and will provide data to inform the RTI process and instructional planning in the classroom.
Conducting the Assessments
In Kindergarten and grade one, math screenings include three distinct tools: Missing Numbers, Number Identification, and Quantity Discrimination. In grades K-1, all three probes must be administered during the fall, winter, and spring administrations. See the Assessment Program for screening windows. Teachers will need to administer each screening individually with students while conferring during Math Workshop. Scores will be recorded in PowerSchool for each administration.
In grades 2-5, screenings include multiple choice items that allow students to demonstrate basic, grade-appropriate skills that are foundational to broader standards. One probe must be administered during the fall, winter, and spring administrations. See the Assessment Program for screening windows. Teachers may administer this screening in a whole class format using either paper-based methods or by importing the screening into ExamView for use with "clickers." Using clickers to administer this assessment will save teachers time in inputting data and reduce paper use. Scores for this screening will be recorded in PowerSchool for each administration, or simple exported to Excel if clickers are used.
This guide provides instruction on administering and scoring Letter Naming Fluency (LNF), Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF), and Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) probes.
This guide provides instruction on administering and scoring R-CBM, or oral reading fluency probes containing meaningful, connected text.
Literacy Assessment: Sight Words
The District assessment program includes annual inventory of sight word knowledge and progress in grades K-3. Dates for sight word assessment will be scheduled at he discretion of the teacher.
Literacy Assessment: Reader Response
Reading response allows regular and differentiated support of independent reading and small-group instruction. Data from these assessments make it possible to plan appropriate instruction for each individual. Reading response tools can help us assess the critical comprehension skills and strategies inherent in independent reading.
Literacy Assessment: Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA)
This comprehensive assessment allows educators to effectively determine each student’s independent (or instructional) reading level with an evaluation of three components of reading: reading engagement, oral reading fluency, and comprehension.
View a DRA Administration
Literacy Assessment: Reading Benchmark Conference (RBC)
WRSD Reading Benchmark Assessment Conferences provide an informal monitoring tool to determine progress between formal assessment periods. These assessment checkpoints inform instruction by determining areas of need when all skills and strategies are applied to the authentic task of reading. Results aid teachers in determining what interventions are necessary in the context of Response to Intervention (RTI).
Literacy Assessment: Writing Benchmark Assessment Rubrics
Writing Benchmark Assessment Rubrics enable teachers to identify student strengths and weaknesses throughout the year within three major writing genres (two in Kindergarten) and plan appropriate instruction to elevate the student to proficiency.
WIDA Assessment: ACCESS for ELLs
The ACCESS for ELLs is directly aligned to the WIDA ELP standards. This assessment addresses all four domains of language acquisition including listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Find our more about ACCESS assessment in the Commonwealth.
