Testing & Achievement

2024-25 ISD197 Testing Schedule with Length of Administration & Purpose

2024-25 State Testing Schedule by School
(Each school will set their own specific testing dates. Those dates will be added to the school's calendar once they are determined and links to them can be found in the document linked above.)

MDE Parent/Guardian Guide and Refusal for Student Participation in Statewide Testing Resources

In addition to statewide assessment data, District 197 also uses data from a variety of national tests

FAST™The Formative Assessment System for Teachers

This assessment combines Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) and Computer-Adaptive Testing (CAT) to transform the way teachers measure and monitor student progress in reading, math and social-emotional behavior.

• earlyReading is an evidence-based assessment used to screen and monitor student progress. It is administered to students in Fall, Winter and Spring. Students are tested in Kindergarten and grade 1. Administration time is 5 to 7 minutes per student by screening team. The earlyReading assessments are comprised of 12 sub-tests. Of those sub-tests, FastBridge recommends a composite of four specific sub-tests to be given per benchmark period. The composite varies from fall, winter, or spring, per grade level to best match reading skill development and reliably assess risk. Benchmark standards (i.e., “cut scores” or “targets”) are built into the system to assist in determining which students are at risk for academic failure, on target for success, or may need enrichment instruction. Reports for earlyReading will be shared with families during fall and winter conferences.

• aReading (Adaptive Reading) is a computer-administered adaptive measure of broad reading that is individualized for each student, but may be individually or group administered. Items tap a variety of skills including concepts of print, phonemic awareness, phonics, comprehension, and vocabulary. It measures decoding and word identification skills, and comprehension. It is administered to students in Fall, Winter and Spring from 15 to 30 minutes. Students are tested in Kindergarten and grades 1-8 and used for both screening and monitoring student progress. Grades K-4: Reports for aReading will be shared with families during fall and winter conferences. Grades 5-9: Parents can view results through Parent Portal in Infinite Campus. 

• CBMreading (Curriculum-Based Measurement for Reading) is uniquely designed to accommodate quick and easy assessments which provide useful data to monitor student progress and evaluate response to instruction. Administered to students in grade 1 in Winter and Spring for 5 to 7 minutes. It is administered to students in grades 2 to 4 in Fall, Winter and Spring for 5 to 7 minutes. FAST provides benchmark targets for performance to help identify students at-risk for academic failure. For grades K-4, reports for aReading will be shared with families during fall and winter conferences. Spring reports will be sent home with report cards.

• aMath Adaptive Math (aMath) is used by teachers to screen all students and to estimate annual growth. aMath data also helps educators quickly identify and inform instructional decisions for on-track and high-performers. It is administered to students in Fall, Winter and Spring in grades K-9. For grades K-4, reports for aMath will be shared with families during fall and winter conferences. For grades 5-9, parents can view results through Parent Portal in Infinite Campus. 

• More information

Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAt)

• Locally administered normative test used to measure students’ learned reasoning. abilities in the three areas most linked to academic success in school: Verbal, Quantitative and Nonverbal.
• Administered to students in grade 3 in November.
• Administered to students in grade 4, 5, 6 and 7  in November who are new to the district, meet the criteria of 90% or above on both Reading and Math FAST assessments in the Fall, or based on teacher recommendation.
• Results are mailed to parents/guardians in December.
• Assessment used as one leg of our identification process for Gifted and Talented services.
• CogAT FAQ
• More information

Kindergarten Math Assessment

• Each kindergarten assessment includes an individual interview and a written assessment of skills.
• The first is a baseline assessment designed to help teachers ascertain incoming kindergartners' math skills.
• The subsequent assessments are administered at two- or three-month intervals. These periodic assessments check for conceptual understanding, procedural fluency and application of coherent and rigorous standards; and are intended to provide a snapshot of each student's skills near the end of each quarter of the school year.
• Results are published on report cards.

MINNESOTA COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENTS (MCA)

• Tests level of proficiency of the MN Academic Standards for the student’s grade level
• Levels of proficiency are Exceeds Academic Standards, Meets Academic Standards, Partially Meets Academic Standards and Does Not Meet Academic Standards
• State test used to assess school performance as required under federal No Child Left Behind legislation and used in identifying if schools are making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) 
• Tests are administered in Reading, Math and Science (reading in March, math in April, science in May)
• Reading given to students in grades 3-8, 10  
• Math given to students in grades 3-8, 11 
• Science given to students in grades 5, 8 and high school biology
• Results are mailed to families no later than conferences 
• Minnesota Department of Education information

ACCESS FOR ELL’S (Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners)  

• English language proficiency assessment given to Kindergarten through 12th graders who have been identified as English language learners (ELLs)
• Administered annually in February and March
• Results are mailed to families no later than conferences 
• More information

NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress)
This assessment will ONLY be administered at the Heritage ESTEM Middle School: Up to 55 students in 13 year olds will participate in the Long Term Trend (LTT) assessments in mathematics and reading. Please note that the students will only take one subject. For more information, please click here.

The ACT is a nationally administered standardized test that helps colleges evaluate candidates. The ACT consists of curriculum-based tests of educational development in English, Math, Reading, and Science which are designed to measure the skills needed for success in first-year college coursework. Minnesota Statute 120B.30 requires all districts to provide a nationally normed college entrance exam for students. 

School District 197 provides a sequence of assessments to measure college readiness beginning in 9th grade and culminating with the ACT in a student’s junior year.  Generally, students take the ACT their junior year of high school. Many college-bound students will take the ACT two or more times since the student’s highest score is considered for admission.

School District 197 administers the PreACT 8/9 assessment in 9th Grade. The results from this assessment are used to predict ACT results in English, Reading, Math, and Science. In grade 10, students take the pre-ACT; this assessment provides information to students on areas of strength and areas for growth prior to them taking the ACT in grade 11. In the spring of 11th Grade, all School District 197 students are required to be offered the ACT per MN statute 120B.30. Students have access to practice ACT tests through Naviance. Students are encouraged to complete practice tests prior to taking the ACT. Community Education also offers ACT prep classes.

The ACT can be taken at additional times, if a student chooses. Additional attempts of the ACT are at the student/ family’s expense. The ACT is administered on Saturdays throughout the year at various locations throughout the state of Minnesota. Two Rivers is not a site for Saturday administration. To find national test dates and testing locations, visit ACT's website. 

About PreACT 8/9

• Pre-ACT 8/9 is administered to students in 9th grade in the spring.
• The test is a multiple-choice, paper and pencil assessment.
• Provides both current achievement and predicted PreACT and ACT test score ranges on the familiar 1-36 ACT score.
• The test provides Item Response and Detailed Results to help identify specific areas of strength and weakness.
• Results are reviewed with counselors.
• More information

About Pre-ACT

• Pre-ACT is administered to students in 10th grade in the spring.
• The test is a multiple-choice, online assessment.
• Provides both current achievement and predicted ACT test score ranges on the familiar 1-36 ACT score scale.
• The test provides Item Response and Detailed Results to help identify specific areas of strength and weakness.
• Results are reviewed with counselors.
• More information

Preparing for the ACT

Students have access to a practice ACT in their Naviance account. Students likely completed a practice test during the fall of their Junior year, but they can complete one again.  If students have forgotten how to log in to Naviance, see this video. If students have forgotten how to access the practice test, see this video.

Educators, parents, students, and others can report suspected incidents of cheating or other improper or unethical behavior on statewide assessments to MDE using and online Test Security Line, sending an email, or calling MDE.

Before contacting MDE, individuals are encouraged to first raise their concerns about test security to their building administration.

MDE Statewide Testing Website for Students & Families
Email: mde.testing@state.mn.us
Phone: 651-582-8674