Testing Information
Standardized tests help students, parents, and schools measure the progress we are making towards our stated goals. Hartford Public Schools is open in declaring the goals we expect our students to reach, described in our Strategic Operating Plan. We hold ourselves accountable to the community to continually move towards those goals.
| Grade(s) | Assessment | Testing Window |
| PK3-PK4 | DIAL-4 | September 12 – October 7 |
| K | Kindergarten Entrance Inventory | TBD (November) |
| K–3 | DIBELS Next | September 12 – 30 |
| 1 | MAP Reading and Mathematics | September 6 – 19 |
| Students in grades 2-10 new to the district | MAP Reading and Mathematics | September 6-19 |
| 4, 6, 8 & 10 | CT Physical Fitness Assessment-3 | September 26 – November 10 |
| 10 & 11 | School Day PSAT/NMSQT | October 19 |
| 12 | School Day SAT (Eligible Schools) | October 19 |
Please click here to get a printable copy of the District-mandated Assessments for the 2016-2017 school year.
Here are descriptions for each assessment listed:
DIAL-4
The Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning (DIAL-4) is an individually administered developmental screening test designed to identify young children in need of further diagnostic assessment. It screens all prekindergarten children in five areas of development: motor, concepts, language, self-help, and social development.
[/accordionitem] [accordionitem]PK-3 and PK-4 Reading Screen
The Prekindergarten Reading Screen is a screening test used to identify acquisition of early literacy skills in the areas of phonics, phoneme awareness and vocabulary.
[/accordionitem] [accordionitem]PK-4 Get Ready to Read Revised
The Get Ready to Read Revised tool is a screening test used to identify acquisition of early literacy skills in the areas of print knowledge and phonemic awareness.
[/accordionitem] [accordionitem]Fall Kindergarten Entrance Inventory
Connecticut’s Kindergarten Entrance Inventory provides a statewide snapshot of the most important skills that students need to demonstrate at the beginning of kindergarten. This instrument requires teachers to classify each of the students in his/her class(es) into one of three performance levels by six domains: Language, Literacy, Numeracy, Physical/Motor, Creative/Aesthetic and Personal/Social. In addition, the Fall Kindergarten Entrance Inventory provides kindergarten teachers with information about the level of skills and behaviors that students demonstrate at the beginning of kindergarten.
[/accordionitem] [accordionitem]DIBELS NEXT
The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS Next) are a set of procedures and measures for assessing the acquisition of early literacy skills. Assessments are designed to be short (one minute) fluency measures used to regularly monitor the development of early literacy and early reading skills. DIBELS are comprised of seven measures to function as indicators of phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle, accuracy and fluency with connected text, reading comprehension, and vocabulary. They were designed for use in identifying children experiencing difficulty in acquisition of basic early literacy skills in order to provide support early and prevent the occurrence of later reading difficulties.
Connecticut General Statutes (CGS Sec. 10-265g(b)) state that Priority School Districts, such as Hartford Public Schools, must evaluate the reading level of students enrolled in grades 1-3 three times per year to identify students who are most at risk of failing to read on grade level by the end of each grade and to provide immediate and ongoing intervention for identified students until they are reading at a level determined to be proficient. To comply with this requirement, the district administers the DIBELS Next assessment to students through grade 3.
[/accordionitem] [accordionitem]MAP
Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) are universal screening assessments used to monitor achievement and progress of all students and identify students in need of more support or other types of instruction. Individualized Common Core-aligned adaptive assessments reveal which skills and concepts a student has acquired and what they’re ready to learn next. MAP assessments are grade independent and pinpoint each student’s instructional level.
[/accordionitem] [accordionitem]Third Generation Connecticut Physical Fitness Assessment (CPFA3)
The CPFA3 program mirrors options in the President’s Challenge Physical Fitness Program and FitnessGram/ActivityGram. The assessment includes four health-related physical fitness tests designed to assess muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness. This mandated state assessment is administered annually in the fall to all students in grades 4, 6, 8 and 10.
[/accordionitem] [accordionitem]Connecticut Alternate Assessments (CTAA) for ELA and Mathematics
The Connecticut Alternate Assessments (CTAA) are individual assessments of ELA/literacy and mathematics aligned to the Connecticut Core Standards for eligible students with significant cognitive disabilities. These mandated state assessments are administered annually in the spring to students in grades 3-8 and 11.
[/accordionitem] [accordionitem]CMT/CAPT Skills Checklist Science
The CMT/CAPT Skills Checklist Science assessments help teachers individualize science instruction for eligible students with significant cognitive disabilities by providing information about their academic performance. These state mandated assessments are administered annually in the spring to students in grades 3-8 and 10.
[/accordionitem] [accordionitem]Connecticut Smarter Balanced Assessments for ELA and Mathematics
The Connecticut Smarter Balanced assessments are computer-based grade-level assessments of student achievement and growth on the Connecticut Core Standards for ELA/literacy and mathematics. These state mandated assessments are administered annually in the spring to students in grades 3-8.
[/accordionitem] [accordionitem]CMT Science
The Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) Science measures students’ understanding of scientific concepts from life science, physical science and Early science. There is also a major focus on scientific inquiry, literacy and numeracy skills applied to real-world issues. This state mandated assessment is administered annually in the spring to students in grades 5 and 8.
[/accordionitem] [accordionitem]CAPT Science
The Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) Science measures students’ understanding of scientific concepts from five major content strands: Energy Transformations, Chemical Structures and Properties, Global Interdependence, Cell Chemistry and Biotechnology, and Genetics, Evolution and Biodiversity. There is also a major focus on scientific inquiry, literacy and numeracy skills applied to real-world issues. This state mandated assessment is administered annually in the spring to students in grade 10.
[/accordionitem] [accordionitem]Redesigned School Day PSAT/NMSQT
The Redesigned PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a standardized test administered to all sophomores and juniors in the fall that measures how students are performing relative to college readiness benchmarks for evidence-based reading, writing and mathematics.
[/accordionitem] [accordionitem]Connecticut School Day SAT
The Connecticut School Day SAT is a state mandated assessment administered annually to most grade 11 students. The SAT is the nation’s most widely used college admission test and assesses how students are performing relative to college readiness benchmarks for reading and mathematics. Students who meet college readiness benchmarks on this test have about a 75% chance of earning at least a C in a related first semester college course.
[/accordionitem] [accordionitem]Redesigned School Day SAT for College-Bound Seniors
The Redesigned School Day SAT is administered to seniors at seven of our high schools. The SAT is the nation’s most widely used college admission test and assesses how students are performing relative to college readiness benchmarks for reading and mathematics. Students who meet college readiness benchmarks on this test have about a 75% chance of earning at least a C in a related first semester college course.
[/accordionitem] [accordionitem]AP Exams
Advanced Placement exams are tests that occur at the end of a year-long Advanced Placement (AP) courses.
[/accordionitem][/cq_vc_accordion]The SBAC, CAPT and CMT tests are state-wide, and are administered by the State of Connecticut’s Department of Education.
SAT Frequently Asked Questions for the 11th Grade Student
CMT Science Parent Brochure: Understanding the Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) Science – English; Spanish
CAPT Science Parent Brochure: Understanding the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) Science – English
Smarter Balanced Parent Guides – English
Connecticut SAT School Day Frequently Asked Questions for Families and Students – English; Spanish