Every year, Delaware districts and charter schools administer a statewide mathematics assessment for students in grades 3-8 and once in high school (using the SAT). These assessments, alongside other recurring tests, create a balanced assessment system aimed at supporting student growth.
Importance of Student Assessments
Student assessments, commonly known as tests, play a crucial role in education. They provide valuable information for educators, students, families, policymakers, and communities:
- For students and families: The state assessment helps identify student strengths and areas for improvement based on state standards.
- For communities and policymakers: Assessment results help evaluate educational priorities, allocate resources, and set goals for schools and students.
While state assessments are essential, they’re just one piece of the puzzle. Other methods of tracking progress include grades, assignments, and district-wide tests.
General Overview
Delaware teachers played a significant role in developing Smarter’s science assessment, part of a comprehensive system that includes:
- Summative tests: For accountability purposes.
- Embedded classroom assessments: Short and administered at the discretion of each teacher to provide information on learning in real time.
- End-of-Unit Assessments: Administered by teachers after the completion of each instructional unit.
Test Details
- Students tested: All students in grades 5, 8 and high school biology.
- Test overview: Students apply their knowledge of science – in writing or by performing a task – to grade-level appropriate situations in order to solve unique, real-life problems.
- Test Specifications: the DeSSA Science Assessment blueprint is composed of item clusters and standalone (or discrete) items. These general guidelines provide descriptions of common elements of the summative assessments.
- Achievement Level Descriptors (ALDs): Achievement Level Descriptors describe a student’s degree of success on an assessment (i.e. well below standard, below standard, on standard, beyond standard). The Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) created ALDs for science to assist with the standard-setting process for its DeSSA Science Assessment. ALDs can assist with score interpretation on student reports and assist teachers with understanding expectations for the progression of student learning and performance at each level of achievement during and after instruction.
- Alternate options: An alternate assessment is available for students with significant disabilities.
- State/District Scores: Accessible through the Delaware Open Data Portal.
- Test provider: Pearson Assessments and WestEd
- Test delivery: Cambium Assessments
