Grades 2-5 Spring Testing Update

Dear Families,

Ohio’s standardized tests known as the Cambium assessments are around the corner and all students in grades 3-5 are required to participate in state testing sessions. The tests are designed to measure how well students have mastered the content, knowledge, and skills according to Ohio’s Learning Standards in ELA, Math, and Science (5th grade only).

In grades 2 and 5, our district administers the Cognitive Abilities Test™ (CogAT®) and the Iowa Assessment™ (ITBS) to help identify students for academically gifted and talented programs. Both assessments are in a paper-pencil format. The assessments will be administered during dates listed below:

• CogAT: March 9th-12th
• ITBS: May 11th-14th

Please remember we see your child as more than a test number. Across the district, we use many forms of data to drive instruction, to differentiate, to connect with our students, and to find individual ways that engage, prepare, inspire, and challenge all learners. These state and vendor assessments are just one way and one data point we use in making decisions about your child’s learning.

As always, we encourage you to talk to your child’s teachers if you have any questions. The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) also provides many resources for students. These include explanations of test items, practice tests, reference sheets, and more. Teachers have been reviewing these resources with students, and you can access them as well at https://oh.portal.cambiumast.com/users/students-and-families.stml. ODE’s website also has information for families including when you will receive scores and what to expect for your child. You can find this information under the “Parents” tab on http://education.ohio.gov.

Your child's teacher will reach out to you to schedule in-person test sessions. State tests and gifted assessments are administered on site. Families must make arrangements for transportation to ensure their child’s presence at all required assessments and are expected to help the school comply with the district's responsibility to fulfill the state testing requirements.

CogAT appraises the cognitive development of students. The test measures students’ learned reasoning abilities in the three cognitive domains most closely related to success in school: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and nonverbal reasoning.

CogAT consists of the following:

• The Verbal Test assesses students’ abilities to use search, retrieval, and comparison processes that are essential for verbal reasoning.
• The Quantitative Test assesses students’ abilities to reason about patterns and relations using concepts that are essential in quantitative thinking.
• The Nonverbal Test assesses students’ abilities to reason with somewhat more novel questions that use spatial and figural content.

The ITBS Assessments help determine how students are performing on nationwide standards. These assessments measure achievement in Reading and Mathematics. Each test includes sample questions to help students become familiar with the content and format of the tests. Samples help students understand what to do—how to mark answers and move from question to question. For most tests, students read the questions and mark their answers by filling in a circle for each question. All test questions are multiple choice.

If your child is going to be absent for any reason on a testing day, please call the school office as soon as you know. Once your child returns to school, arrangements will be made to make-up the test(s) by the school counselor.

Your child's home building will communicate grade-level test schedules. All of the tests, including make-ups, must be scheduled within the district testing windows as listed below:

• ELA Window: April 5th-23rd
• Math/Science Window: April 13th-May 3rd

Schools have flexibility to give an entire test on one day. Or, they may choose to give a test in two parts on two separate days. See table below.

• Printed family reports for Ohio State Tests are due in district July 19, 2021. Results will be distributed in your home buildings in the fall 2021.
• CogAT Test Results will be available by the end of April 2021.
• ITBS Test Results will be available by the summer of 2021.

PreK-5 Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

Springfield Local Schools

Email: tarynmiley@springfield-schools.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/springfield-schools.org/slsteaching-and-learning
Phone: 419-867-5742
Twitter: @curriculum_sls