Assessment

One of the key insights I've gained from my discussions with parents, the Center for Talent Development (CTD) team, and the SAA staff is the collaborative potential of our standardized assessment program, NWEA MAP. These assessments, conducted twice a year in grades 2-8 (and once a year in the spring for grade 1), provide a wealth of data that serve as a roadmap for our instructional decisions in the differentiated program for gifted learners. 

This school year, we are investing resources to provide the necessary training for all staff members. This training will focus on helping staff understand, interpret, and utilize the data they receive from the assessments to effectively plan instruction. Additionally, we have created a Data and Assessment Team to create individual student performance portfolios for every student to longitudinally monitor student progress, see performance trends, and make instructional and curriculum adjustments based on the data we receive.

Also, new this year, we are adding a school-wide writing assessment, which will be given twice per year within the MAP testing window. This SAA-specific writing assessment will ask students to respond to a timed, 20-minute, universal writing prompt. Student responses will be scanned and added to their Performance Portfolios. These writing samples will build a picture of writing development from when a child starts at SAA through graduation.  

I am thrilled about this opportunity to develop our school's understanding of writing growth over time. The writing samples will be scored according to a standard writing rubric, which, along with the results, will be shared with the parents and discussed with the students. These samples will help us create writing norms within SAA and help our teachers understand writing development across the school so they can scaffold and differentiate for each student along the writing continuum.

We are committed to sharing the deeper results of these assessments with parents, ensuring that we are all on the same page regarding our students' progress. This transparency is not just a practice, but a testament to our shared responsibility in our students' educational journey.

Conrad