Benchmark Assessments

Each year school districts around the nation worry about how their students will perform on end of year high stakes standardized tests. While classroom activities and assessments throughout the school year may indicate how well students have understood course content it does not always provide a reliable indication of how well students have mastered state standards. This is why teachers and administrators scratch their heads each year wondering why some students perform well during the year and then score poorly on the state test.

Why is there not always a direct correlation between performance in the classroom and performance on the TEST?

Of course, there are many variables that could impact a student’s performance on end of year exams, but one of the most important is how well daily classroom practice and assessment is matched with the objectives to be measured on the state-generated exam. If the course curriculum and/or instructional strategies do not assess the appropriate objectives then even students who perform well on a daily basis may not be prepared for success on the end of year exam. They have been prepared for success on local assessments, but not for state assessments.

How can you have more predictable results on testing performance in your district?

One of the keys to predictability on end of course exams is the administration of benchmark-style assessments throughout the school year. When waiting until the end of the year to measure student performance it is too late to do anything meaningful with the results. Of course, a district can look for trends and areas of strengths and weaknesses among the testing population, but how much more effective would it be to know these, especially the weaknesses, prior to taking the test? Results from a benchmark assessment allow for teachers to create immediate interventions for those students who are not mastering the objectives and, if a significant number of students perform poorly, to make changes to the curriculum itself.

How can Achievement Link help you?

Achievement Link can create benchmark assessments that are customized by state and course. We use a team of experienced, content-area specialists to create test items that are matched specifically to your state’s standards and that match the rigor of standardized tests throughout the nation. By allowing an outside company like Achievement Link to create your assessments, you can get a truly objective snapshot of where your students are at any given point in the school year.