An assessment test is a little different from a Gifted & Talented screening test. For instance, assessment tests are used to measure a student’s proficiency in a given area regardless of grades. Many assessment tests double as an achievement test or a standardized test. If this all sounds squishy, remember that we have No Child Left Behind in effect since 2001. In other words, schools must show a minimum achievement in order to receive federal funding.
Curated Assessments for Training and Practice
Polemics Academy currently targets math in two assessment tests: The Iowa Assessments (you may know this as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, ITBS) and the Texas STAAR (State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness). ITBS is from a Common Core Math state; Texas STAAR is not common core based.
Iowa Math Trainer for ITBS for iPhone and iPad – Content is targeted towards 3rd grade but good for anyone in grade school.
STAAR Math for Grade School for iPhone and iPad – Content includes word problems, equation building, fractions, money counting and geometry.
Skip Down to see a List of Tests By State
Advantages
Teacher Feedback: State standardized tests allow inform teachers on how well students are doing in general and how well one student is doing compared to their peer group.
Student Feedback: …or measured progress, State tests are often administered at the end of each grade. This style of testing allows progress to be measured. The tests not only show proficiency at the next higher level at the end of a grade but also can be compared to previous year results.
Parental Feedback: Ever see the orange-yellow envelope come home and it has a bendy-metal clip and inside there is a report card on the test outcomes? Well that report is not only good for bragging rights, (“My daughter is in the 98% percentile for reading!”) it is actually to inform parents about the academics of their child. This percentile ranking is comparing the student against their peer group.
Governmental Feedback: State governments are the prime drivers in education policies and resourcing. Results on standardized tests show where the State as a whole is strong or weak, these measurements in turn inform policy and resourcing decisions
Disadvantages
Teaching to the Test: This is an often quoted issue with education. Especially under laws like No Child Left Behind which ties funding to performance on tests. “The teachers only teach to the test” the unsaid words after are that the student is free to forget the information after the test or there is valuable information not being taught because it is not on the test.
The Assembly Line: Standardized testing can seem to take the creativity out of school. Opponents of standard testing say that schools are creating assembly lines where students go in, study for a test, take a test, move on to the next and so on for K-12 years.
Test Anxiety: If you can believe that some students are just “bad test takers”. Then you may also believe some criticism is warranted to standardized tests. Objectively measuring a student’s proficiency in a topic and comparing the student to others in their cohort based not test scores alone do the “very smart but bad at testing” students.
Tests By State
Below is a list of States and their standard assessments. Where possible we added a link to practice exams for the specific tests.
Alabama | Alabama High School Graduation Exam
Alaska | Alaska Measures of Progress (AMP)
Arizona | Arizona’s Measurement of Educational Readiness to Inform Teaching (AzMERIT) | See AzMERIT Sample Tests
Arkansas | Augmented Benchmark Examinations | Arkansas uses Iowa Assessments, see Iowa.
California | California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) | See CAASPP Practice Exam
Colorado | Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) | See CMAS Sample Test
Connecticut | Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) | Connecticut Mastery Test | See Connecticut Math Blueprint
Delaware | Delaware Comprehensive Assessment System | See Delaware System of Student Assessments (DeSSA) for Online Practice Tests
District of Columbia | Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Career (PARCC) | See Practice Exams for PARCC
Florida | Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) | See Practice Materials for FSA
Georgia | Georgia Milestones: End of Grade Test (EOG) | See Study and Resource Guides
Hawaii | Hawaii State Assessment | See Practice Questions
Idaho | Idaho Standards Achievement Test (I-SAT) | Take a practice test online
Illinois | Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) | Prairie State Achievement Examination | See ISAT Archive Materials
Indiana | Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress-Plus (I-STEP+)
Iowa | Iowa Test of Basic Skills | Iowa Tests of Educational Development
Kansas | Kansas Mathematics Assessment
Kentucky | Commonwealth Accountability Testing System
Louisiana | Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP)
Maine | Maine Educational Assessment
Maryland | Maryland School Assessment
Massachusetts | Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS)
Michigan | Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP)
Minnesota | Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments – Series II
Mississippi | Mississippi Curriculum Test (MCT)
Missouri | Missouri Assessment Program (MAP)
Montana | Montana Comprehensive Assessment System (MontCAS)
Nebraska | UNKNOWN
Nevada | Nevada Proficiency Examination Program (NEAP)
New Hampshire | New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP)
New Jersey | Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College Careers
New Mexico | New Mexico Standards Based Assessment (NMSBA)
New York | New York State Examination (NYSE)
North Carolina | North Carolina End of Grade Tests (EOGs) | End of Course Test (EOCs)
North Dakota | North Dakota State Assessment
Ohio | Ohio State Test (OST)
Oklahoma | Oklahoma Core Curriculum Tests (OCCT)
Oregon | Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS)
Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) | Keystone Exam
Rhode Island | New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP)
South Carolina | Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (PASS)
South Dakota | South Dakota State Test of Educational Progress (DSTEP)
Tennessee | Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TN Ready)
Texas | State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR)
Utah | Student Assessment of Growth and Excellence (SAGE)
Vermont | Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC)
Virginia | Standards of Learning (SOL)
Washington | Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL)
West Virginia | West Virginia Educational Standards Test (WESTEST)
Wisconsin | Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination (WKCE)
Wyoming | Proficiency Assessments for Wyoming Students (PAWS)
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