Testing Information

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

AP Exams

Advanced Placement exams are tests that occur at the end of a year-long Advanced Placement (AP) courses.