Middle School English Language Arts Instructional Guide

District-Wide, Standards-Based Assessments & RISE Testing

Questions to Guide PLC Data Analysis:

What is the rationale for having a District-Wide, Standards-Based Assessment? Common Formative Assessments offer a method for evaluating student understanding and progress across classrooms and grade-level sites. By administering the same assessment to all students, educators can ensure consistency in measuring learning outcomes, enabling meaningful comparisons and collaboration among teachers. These assessments provide valuable data that inform instructional planning, allowing teachers to tailor their approaches to meet the diverse needs of their students. What is a DISTRICT-WIDE, STANDARDS-BASED ASSESSMENT? District-Wide, Standards-Based Assessments, or DWSBAs, formatively assess where students are in relation to targeted standards and provide critical feedback for teachers and students. In Canyons, 6 th -8 th grade students will take the DWSBAs on the RISE platform unless otherwise indicated. Teachers can effectively use DWSBA data for PLCs at site-based and district levels by accessing the RISE platform reporting feature. Results are based on the Utah Rise Writing Rubrics. How do I use the RISE Platform? Directions for administering an assessment through the RISE platform can be found in the Test Administration Manual (TAM). For a step-by-step guide on accessing and administering the RISE Benchmark, see the following: ELA DWSBA How-to. How should the DWSBA Writing Assessment be administered? The recommended time for the ELA Writing DWSBA is approximately 60-90 minutes. Use professional discretion to evaluate if more or less time needs to be given. Modeling and scaffolding for learners, such as guided practice, should be done during regular instruction and not during the assessment. In these instances, one might use an alternative RISE Benchmark Assessment to do a guided write with your students. Accommodations for ML or students on an IEP should be maintained as they normally would in accordance with the law and best practice.

1.What do we want

students to know or be able to do?

2.How will we know if students have mastered the standards of focus? 3.How will we respond for students who have not yet learned? 4.How will we respond for students who have already demonstrated mastery, or are ready todomore? 5.How can students use this data to assess their own

understanding and set learning goals?

Testing Windows for RISE Benchmark Assessments

Grades

Fall

Winter, 2024

Winter, 2025

Common Formative Assessment Window

RISE Benchmark Window Winter 1 - Argumentative 1

RISE Benchmark Window

6-8

Determined by Site-Based PLC

Winter 2 - Informative 1

Sept. 16th - Oct. 24th

Nov. 4th - Dec. 13th

Feb. 10th - March 7th

Last Updated May 30th, 2024 Middle School ELA, Page 29