2017-18 Assessments  

Below are the 2017-18 assessment calendars for each level of our school district:  elementary, middle and high school.  These documents provide assessment dates, notes for families, and links to more information.  

As you view each of the calendars, please note that they are coded as follows . . . 

State required (green)
These assessments are mandated by the State of Wisconsin. They are:

• administered to all students in Wisconsin public schools
• used to determine what students know and can apply in different areas of study (math, science, language arts, etc.)
• used for the statewide school and district report cards
   
• Locally, we use them to guide curriculum development and instruction

DASD School and District Report Cards

WISEdash:  statistics about Wisconsin public schools

Read more about recent state assessment results below.
 

District administered (purple) 
These assessments are used locally by DASD.  They are:

• a means of understanding where our students are performing in that moment
• typically very short (30 minutes or less) and done multiple times during a school year - like a doctor checking "vitals" each time you go to the doctor's office
• used immediately by teachers as a way to know exactly where students are for upcoming work in the classroom

More information:

• Every Child a Graduate:  College and Career Ready
  Wisconsin initiatives in Standards & Instruction, Assessment & Data Systems, and School & Educator Effectiveness, and how each is aligned with the DeForest Area School District. 

• Adjusted schedules at the high school:  You will notice on the high school calendar that schedules have been adjusted for specific assessment dates.
  These include:
  • No school for students in grades 9, 10, and 12 on February 27.  Students in grade 11 will report to school at the normal 8:00 am for the ACT test.
  • Late start (11:30) for students in grades 9, 10, 12 on February 28. Students in grade 11 will report to school at the normal 8:00 am for the Work Keys test.
  • Late start (11:30) for students in grades 11 and 12 on April 17 & 18.  Students in grade 9 and 10 will report to school at the normal 8:00 am for the ACT Aspire assessment.  

These adjustments are intended to provide an environment condusive to effective test taking, and make adequate computers available.

• History of State Assessments 

Forward Exam, ACT, and DLM  Assessment Data

The most recent Wisconsin School Assessment System exam data is from 2015-16 and includes:

1. Wisconsin Forward Exam

   1. Grades 3-8; measures performance in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics

   2. Grades 4 and 8; measures performance in Science

   3. Grades 4, 8, and 10; measures performance in Social Studies

2. ACT: grade 11; measures performance in ELA, mathematics, and science (same college admissions exam taken by students nationwide)

3. Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM): grades 3-11; alternate assessment in ELA, mathematics, science, and social studies for students with severe cognitive disabilities

DASD students scored above the state average on the Forward, ACT, and DLM exams.  Our staff use this data as one piece of information to examine student growth and achievement.  Goals for continuous improvement are established using a variety of data, with WSAS exam results as one piece.