Benchmark+Assessments

= **Benchmark Assessments ** = =Benchmark assessments measure student progress over a period of time. Benchmark assessments are administered several times throughout the school year to give teachers feedback on how their students are performing. These tests are designed to help student learning by providing regular updates on students’ progress towards achievement of learning objectives. Benchmark assessments can help educators make informed decisions about curriculum and instruction at the classroom, school and district level. Below is a list of assessments purchased or used by Bristol Township to monitor student progress. =

**1. 4Sight ** assessments are benchmark assessment tools designed to help prepare students for high stakes standardized testing. Bristol Township School District has purchased this assessment package to help us predict our students' reading and mathematics achievement at four critical stages throughout the school year. The tests follow a format comparable to the PSSA tests. Data derived from these tests will be used to target weaknesses and focus instruction to address these weaknesses.

For more information on this assessment package, go to: []

**2. Assess2Know ** this is a purchased assessment program usually used by the teaching staff in a school, a district or on a grade level for benchmark assessments and end of year assessments. Instructors can use the data derived from these assessment to plan for intervention and remediation. Questions on these assessments are directly aligned with state standards and assessments developed by Access2Know are available for Mathematics, Language and Science.

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**3. WIDA **, formally known as the World Class Instructional Design and Assessment is a battery of tests required for all English Language Learners in Pennsylvania Schools. WIDA assesses the academic English Language proficiency (ELP) standards for all non native speakers. There are five separate content areas 1) social and instructional language, 2) English Language Arts, 3) Math, 4) Science and 5)Social Studies. Within each grade level, there are four domains tested: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. All ELL students at Truman High School will take these tests each February to measure their English Language Proficiency. Students’ proficiency will be graded according to 6 levels: Entering, Beginning, Developing, Expanding, Bridging and Reaching. Students are able to place out of the WIDA assessments when full English Language fluency is attained.

For more information on the WIDA assessments please visit: []

4. **TRAILS – Tools for Real-time Assessment of Information Literacy.** This is a free online assessment tool developed by the Kent State University. This program offers free access to assessments for information literacy skills. This product can be invaluable to school librarians who have limited instructional time with students, particularly at the secondary level. TRAILS offers online multiple choice tests for grade 3, 6 9 and 12 on the following information literacy skills: <span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">Developing Topics; Identifying Potential Sources; Developing, Using, and Revising Search Strategies; Evaluating Sources and Information; and Using Information Responsibly, Ethically, and Legally. This can be used by librarians to determine the strengths and weaknesses of students regarding information literacy skills. There are two main assessments to measure general knowledge and understanding and to measure application of knowledge. Using the same test in pre and post instruction testing gives a more accurate benchmark of student progress. Useful as a benchmark assessment tool to gauge student progress, it can also be used as a diagnostic tool to help plan instruction.

<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; margin: 4.55pt 0in;">For more information about TRAILS and to register for an account go to: <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; margin: 4.55pt 0in;">[]