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Columbus Public Schools

ENGAGING ALL LEARNERS TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS

Achievement & Assessments

Achievement & Assessments

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Grade Level Assessments

Columbus Public Schools use both formative and summative assessments. Tests are either created by teachers and aligned with the curriculum or developed by outside educational organizations and aligned with state and national standards.

Formative Assessments

  • Assessment for learning
  • Given before and during instruction to provide feedback on what students know and can do
  • Given often throughout the learning process and instruction
  • Provide information for beneficial changes in instruction

Summative Assessments

  • Assessment of learning
  • Given at end of instructional time (unit, term, semester)
  • Assess a student's mastery of a topic and student is given a score

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MAP Growth

MAP Growth is a series of adaptive tests that are given to students in grades K - 8 in the areas of Math and Reading. In the fall and winter all students take MAP Growth. Only students in kindergarten through 2nd grade take MAP Growth in the spring. In the spring, students in grades Kindergarten to 2nd grade. 

The MAP Growth data is used by students, parents/guardians, teachers and administrators. The data is used to identify the student's areas of strength and focus to close educational gaps.

Teachers and administrators use the MAP Growth data to adjust lessons and provide needed intervention.

Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System (NSCAS)

NSCAS Summative is a series of tests that promote accountability to meet state and federal requirements. NSCAS tests are given annually to students in grades 3-8 in the spring to measure learning standards in English Language Arts, math. Only students in grades 5-8 take the science assessment.

The data from these assessments provide:

  • Growth and feedback to students and parents
  • Measurement program success and effectiveness
  • Information for curriculum development and revision

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PreACT

PreACT is given to all students in grades 9 and 10 in the spring semester. This test is used to help students determine their strengths and needed improvements for the future American College Test (ACT).

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NSCAS American College Test (ACT)

Eleventh-grade students participate in the NSCAS ACT each spring. Students participate in ACT English, Reading, Writing, Math and Science. Although ACT writing is optional for Saturday administrations, the ACT writing is required for state testing for all 11th-grade students. Each student can arrive with a combed ELA (English Language Arts) score.

CHS provides John Baylor ACT test prep to 11th graders to help prepare them.

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NSCAS Act Scale Scores

Performance Level

 Math ELA Science

ACT Benchmark (College Career Ready)

 22-36 20-36 23-36
On Track 18-21 18-19 19-22
Developing 1-17 1-17 1-18

 

ACT Benchmark

  • Students are equipped to enroll and succeed in a credit-bearing first-year course at a two-year or four-year institution, trade school, or technical school. 
  • Students have at least a 50% chance of getting a B or better and a 75% chance of getting C or better in a first-year related content course.

On Track

  • Students are approaching the ACT College Readiness Benchmark and are likely to be able to access credit-bearing first-year related content courses at some Nebraska postsecondary institutions without remediation.

Developing

  • Students are likely to need developmental courses before being able to access credit bearing first-year courses in the majority Nebraska postsecondary institutions.