How do we know if they learned it?

Results of student assessments are used by all stakeholders to make program, staffing, professional development, instructional, financial, and personal decisions. They are an important component of both the Collecting/Analyzing Student data step and the On-going Data Collection step in the Iowa Professional Development Model.

District Assessments

Summative Assessment

Summative Assessments are assessments of learning and are given at a point in time to measure and monitor student learning. They provide feedback to educators, students, parents, and community members and are used to make adjustments in instructional programs, report student progress, identify and place students, and grade students.

State-wide and district-wide summative assessments are mandated by Iowa Code (Chapter 12) and used for district accreditation and federal reporting, as defined by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) legislation.

Formative Assessment

Formative Assessment is an assessment for learning. It is a process used by teachers and students as part of instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students’ achievement of core content. Formative assessment practices provide students with clear learning targets, examples, and models of strong and weak work, regular descriptive feedback, and the ability to self-assess, track learning, and set goals. (Adapted from Council of Chief State School Officers, FAST SCASS)

District Progress Reporting

Iowa School Performance Profile

  • Iowa School Performance Profiles Fact Sheet
  • School Accountability Under ESSA Fact Sheet
  • Common Question: Iowa School Performance Profiles
  • School Improvement Needs Assessment

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Conferences are held twice each school year at all levels. The high school holds its spring conferences later in the year than the other buildings. Typically, fall conferences are in early November and spring conferences are in early February for grades EC-8, while the high school’s spring conferences are in March.

PowerSchool Gradebook

Families have access to online grades within family PowerSchool accounts, allowing for real-time insight into student progress.

Report Cards

Progress reports are made available to families twice annually. EC-8 student progress reporting is completed at the end of the first and third trimester. High school report cards are provided at the end of the first and second semesters. Midterm reports are also provided at this level.

Facilitator of Assessment and Instruction – Dana Bockman