Types of Assessment

District Assessments

District-Supported Use of Formative Assessment

District Administered Universal Screening Assessments

District Administered Diagnostic Assessments

District Administered Progress Monitoring

Progress monitoring assessment is used to regularly and frequently assess students in specific areas and it is intended to inform instruction and interventions for needs of a class, small group, or individual student. The student’s, or group of students’, current progress is assessed and a goal aligned to relevant standards and objectives is created. Progress toward the goal is measured regularly to determine the rate of learning and decisions are based on the data to make necessary changes in curriculum, instruction, or environment to match the learner's needs.

District Administered Interim Assessments (Benchmark Assessments)

Benchmark (Interim) assessments are used to evaluate a students’ knowledge and skills relative to a specific set of academic goals within a limited time frame and are designed to inform decisions at the classroom level and beyond. Many times the timing of the assessments is determined by the district which may impact classroom use of the results. The results of a benchmark (interim) assessment are meaningfully aggregated and reported at a level beyond the classroom. Benchmark (Interim) assessments are used to predict a student’s ability to succeed on a large-scale summative assessment, evaluate a particular educational program or pedagogy, or diagnose gaps in student’s learning. 

Characteristics of Benchmark (Interim) Assessments Include: 

• Administered at regular intervals (at least once before any summative assessment), 
• Aligned to Michigan approved standards, 
• Complement Michigan’s Summative Assessment System, 
• Rates of improvement are specified,   
• Provide information on pupil achievement with regard to learning the content required in a given year or grade span. 

Some thoughts to consider for proper Benchmark (Interim) assessment: 

• Predictive measures of performance on summative tests, 
• Progress monitors to determine growth across the school year, 
• Pacing measures to examine coverage of curriculum, 
• Instructional examinations of course or unit coverage,  
• Informative testlets to determine instructional effectiveness. 

District Administered Summative Assessments

Summative assessments are given one time at the end of a specific period of learning such as a unit, a semester, a course, or a school year. The data gathered from summative assessments is used to gauge students’ performance against a defined set of content standards. 

Some Characteristics of Summative Assessments are:

• Evaluate student learning and achievement at the end of an academic period,
• Based on a comprehensive set of standards,
• Possibility to be used with Student Learning Objectives.

State Assessments

State-wide Summative Assessments are delivered once a year and are State or federally mandated.  These assessments are intended to provide feedback on school and district accountability.  These will assist with showing student proficiency, sub-group achievement, and how buildings/districts are performing compared to others across the state.

Some Characteristics of State Summative Assessments are:

• Delivered once a year,
• Aligned to State standards,
• Used for Accountability and School/District performance.