The Ardmore City Schools staff and administration believe that it is not enough that we teach children—we must also know that children have learned that which is taught. To determine what students have learned, each school uses a variety of assessments, both informal and formal.
PreK and Kindergarten
Upon enrollment at Will Rogers Elementary, your child will be assessed by his or her classroom teacher with the Brigance Inventory of Early Development. The results of this assessment will be shared with you, and together, you and your child’s teacher will discuss the proper placement for your child. At the end of the school year, your child will be given the Brigance again. The results of this and the first test will be discussed with you, and you will be able to see the progress that has been achieved by your child.
At the beginning, middle and end of the school year, your child will be assessed for phonological awareness, letter recognition, and oral language skills. The screening instruments used are the Phonological Awareness Skill Test (PAST) and the Literacy First Phonics Assessment.
The goal in May is for your child to have mastered the skills sequence for PreK and kindergarten and be ready to move on to first grade. Maybe he or she will already be reading, recognizing some words by sight, and decoding new words.
Grades One, Two and Three
The screening instruments used for grades one through three are the Literacy First assessments approved by the State Board of Education on July 7, 2005, and listed below:
- Phonological Awareness Skill Test (PAST)
- Literacy First Phonics Assessment
- Curriculum Based Measurement (CBM) Oral Reading Fluency
- Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS).
These assessments, other Literacy First assessments, and BEAR spelling will be used throughout the school year to monitor progress.
Multiple, ongoing assessments will be used by each teacher to determine the successful acquisition of reading skills. These may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Teacher observation and student performance in class
- Literacy First Phonological Awareness, Phonics, BEAR Spelling Inventory, and Fluency Assessments
- Anecdotal records
- Conferences
- Audio tapes or video records
- Student work samples from guided and independent practice
- Writing samples
- Checklists and rating scales
Formal assessments will include:
- Phonological Awareness Skill Test (PAST)
- Literacy First Phonics Assessment
- Curriculum Based Measurement (CBM) Oral Reading Fluency Report cards
- Unit and chapter tests
- Saxon phonics assessments
- Literacy First Phonological Awareness, Phonics, and BEAR Spelling Inventory, and Fluency Assessments
- Oklahoma Reading Inventory
- S.T.A.R. Early Literacy Test
- S.T.A.R.
Grades Two and Six
Students in grade two six are assessed with the Otis Lennon School Ability Test, a group intelligence test. The results are used each year for placement in Ardmore’s Gifted/Talented program and to identify students for the State Department of Education Gifted/Talented Child Count. These tests are administered in January each year.
Grades Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, and Eight
Beginning in grade three, students are assessed in April on their mastery of the state’s core curriculum in the following areas:
- Grade Three Reading, Mathematics, Art, Music
- Grade Four Reading, Mathematics, Art, Music
- Grade Five Writing, Reading, Mathematics
- Science, Social Studies, Art, Music
- Grade Six Reading, Mathematics, Art, Music
- Grade Seven Reading, Mathematics, Geography, Art, Music
- Grade Eight Writing, Reading, Mathematics
- Science, Social Studies, Art, Music
As a part of the No Child Left Behind accountability measures, each student’s scores on the reading and mathematics tests are used to help determine the school’s and the district’s Academic Performance Index.
The writing assessment requires the students to write on a particular subject and is scored for writing mechanics, creativity and how well the student addressed the topic.
High School End of Instruction Tests
The Oklahoma State Department of Education requires that students be tested after completion of the following courses:
- Algebra I
- English II
- Biology I
- U.S. History
These tests are administered at the end of April and the first week of May each year. Students taking any of these courses at Ardmore Middle School will be tested at the middle school.
Scores from the Algebra I and the English II tests are used to determine the school’s and the district’s Academic Performance Index.
PSAT, ACT and SAT
The PSAT, ACT and SAT are given at Ardmore High School according to the national schedule for each test. The PSAT is the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholar program. Both the ACT and the SAT are college entrance exams; each accredited college or university requires certain scores for admittance.
Please contact the school guidance counselors for information concerning test dates, test preparation, and university standards.
BENCHMARK ASSESSMENTS
Students in grades three through eight are given benchmark tests in reading and mathematics at the end of each nine weeks period as are middle school and high school students taking Algebra I and English II. These tests cover the objectives that were taught that quarter and give each teacher valuable information concerning student mastery of those objectives.
With this information, the teacher can determine students or groups of students who will need to be retaught the material, those needing some extra practice, and those who are ready to move on to more challenging material or new concepts.