
Assessments

2026-2027 Assessment Calendar
Fall
| Date | Assessment | Grade Levels |
|---|---|---|
| August 24 - September 11, 2026 |
NWEA Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) Reading & Math EL/DL/BL & NEWCOMERS Accessibility and Accommodations Options |
Grades 3 - 8 Dual Language Grades 2, 5 Span Bilingual Grades 6-8 Parent Reports Sent: 10/9/2026 |
| August 24 - September 11, 2026 |
Students Take the Full Reading & Math Battery Reading (***English & Spanish SORF) Math (English) Trimester 1:
|
Grade 2
|
| August 24 - September 11, 2026 |
AIMSWEB PLUS (If <30% on NWEA) AIMSWEB math battery in Spanish for students who score <30% in NWEA in Math |
Grades 3-8 Dual Language Grades 2, 5 Span Bilingual Grades 6-8 (as needed) |
|
August 24 - September 11, 2026
|
Early Literacy & Early Numeracy K Literacy: Letter Naming Fluency, Letter Word Sound Fluency K Numeracy: Number Naming Fluency, Quantity Total Fluency, Concepts & Applications 1 Literacy: Nonsense Word Fluency, Word Reading Fluency, Oral Reading Fluency 1 Numeracy: Math Fact Fluency 1 Digit, Number Comparison Fluency, Concepts and Applications |
|
| August 24 - September 11, 2026 |
EDL2 Spanish Reading Assessment: Dual Benchmark Program Assessments: Initial Screener, Weekly, and Unit Evaluations |
DL Grades 2, 5 SLA Grades K and 1 |
|
August 21 -October, 2026 |
Kindergarten Development Survey (KIDS) |
Kindergarten |
|
September 22 - October 2, 2026 |
Panorama SEL Survey (student/teacher) Panorama Window for Primary Buildings: September 23 - October 2, 2026 |
Grades K-8 |
|
October 7, 2026 (Springman) October 8, 2026 (Attea) |
PreACT8 | Grade 8 |
|
October 5-29, 2026 |
Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) |
Grade 5 |
|
September - November 2026 |
Teaching Strategies Gold |
All Preschool |
Winter
| Date | Assessment | Grade Levels |
|---|---|---|
| December 1-16, 2026 |
NWEA Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) EL/DL/BL & NEWCOMERS Accessibility and Accommodations Options |
Grades 3-8 Dual Language Grades 2, 5 Spanish Bilingual Grades 6-8 Parent Reports Sent: 1/8/27 |
| January 5-22, 2027 |
Early Literacy & Early Numeracy K Literacy: Letter Naming Fluency, Letter Word Sound Fluency K Numeracy: Number Naming Fluency, Quantity Total Fluency, Concepts and Applications 1 Literacy: Words Reading Fluency, Oral Reading Fluency 1 Numeracy: Math Fact Fluency 1 Digit, Number Comparison Fluency, Concepts and Applications |
Grades K - 1 (All Students) |
| January 5-22, 2027 |
Students Take the Full Reading & Math Battery Reading (***English & Spanish SORF) Math (English) Trimester 2:
|
Grade 2
|
|
January 5-22, 2027 |
AIMSWEB PLUS (If <25% on NWEA) AIMSWEB math battery in Spanish for students who score <30% in NWEA |
Grades 3 - 8 Dual Language Grade 5 Spanish Bilingual Grades 6-8 (as needed) |
| January 5-22, 2027 |
EDL2 Spanish Reading Assessment: Dual Benchmark Program Assessments: Initial Screener, Weekly, and Unit Evaluations |
DL Grades 2 and 5 SLA Grades K and 1 |
|
State Dependent: January 2027 (earliest) - March 2027 (latest) |
Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners (ACCESS) |
Grades K-8 Students who qualify for EL services |
|
January 11-22, 2027 |
Panorama SEL Survey (student/teacher) |
Grades K-8 |
|
January - February 2027 |
Teaching Strategies Gold Documentation Window: 11/24/26 - 2/19/27 Assessment Window: 2/19 - 2/26 Checkpoint Due Date: 2/26 |
All Preschool |
|
March 2027 |
Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) |
Grades 5 and 8 |
|
March - April 2027 |
Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) | Grades 3-8 |
|
March - May 2027 |
Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) |
Grades 3-8 |
Spring
| Date | Assessment | Grade Levels |
|---|---|---|
|
May 10-21, 2027 |
NWEA Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) Reading in Spanish and English |
Grades 3- 7 Dual Language Grades 2, 5 Spanish Bilingual Grades 6-7 |
|
May 3-21, 2027 |
AIMSWEB PLUS (If <25% on NWEA) AIMSWEB math battery in Spanish for students who score <30% in NWEA |
Grades 3 - 8 Special Education Students with Reading/Math Goals Dual Language Grades 2, 5 Spanish Bilingual Grades 6-8 (as needed) |
|
May 3-21, 2027 |
Students Take the Full Reading & Math Battery Reading (***English & Spanish SORF) Math (English) Trimester 3:
|
Grade 2 Special Education Students with Reading/Math Goals |
|
May 3-21, 2027 |
Early Literacy & Early Numeracy K Literacy: Letter Naming Fluency, Letter Word Sound Fluency K Numeracy: Number Naming Fluency, Quantity Total Fluency, Concepts and Applications 1 Literacy: Words Reading Fluency, Oral Reading Fluency 1 Numeracy: Math Fact Fluency 1 Digit, Number Comparison Fluency, Concepts and Applications |
Grades K - 1 (All Students) |
|
April 26 - May 7, 2027 |
Panorama SEL Survey (student/teacher) |
Grade K-8 |
|
March - May 2027 |
Teaching Strategies Gold |
All Preschool |
|
May 10-21, 2027 |
EDL2 Spanish Reading Assessment: Dual Benchmark Program Assessments: Initial Screener, Weekly, and Unit Evaluations |
DL Grades 2, 5 SLA Grades K and 1 |
State Assessments
- ACCESS
- Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM)
- Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR)
- Illinois Science Assessment (ISA)
- Kindergarten Individual Readiness Survey (KIDS)
ACCESS
Administered to all eligible English Language Learners yearly in winter.
ACCESS is given annually and measures students’ progress towards academic English proficiency in four domains: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Information from this assessment is used to determine levels and areas of language support. It is also used as a summary tool for school accountability in the State of Illinois.
Students take ACCESS on their iPads on the WIDA app.
Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM)
Administered to 3-8 students with significant cognitive abilities yearly in spring.
The Dynamic Learning Maps assessments are for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities for whom general state assessments are not appropriate, even with accommodations. DLM assessments offer these students a way to show what they know and can do in English language arts, mathematics, and science.
Students take this assessment on their iPads on the KITE app.
Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR)
Administered to 3-8 grade students yearly in spring.
The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) is the state assessment and accountability measure for Illinois students enrolled in a public school district. IAR assesses the Illinois Learning Standards Incorporating the Common Core and is administered to students in English Language Arts and Mathematics.
Students take this assessment on their iPads on the TestNav app.
Illinois Science Assessment (ISA)
Administered to 5th and 8th grade students yearly in spring.
|
In compliance with federal testing requirements, Illinois administers a science assessment to students enrolled in a public school district in grades 5, 8 and 11. The assessment is administered in an online format and is aligned to the Illinois Learning Standards for Science incorporating the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which were adopted in 2014. Students take this assessment on their iPads on the ISBE Teach app. |
Kindergarten Individual Readiness Survey (KIDS)
Administered to all kindergarten students yearly in fall.
The Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) is an observational tool designed to help teachers and administrators better understand the developmental readiness of children entering kindergarten. KIDS is core to the Illinois State Board of Education’s (ISBE) goal that every child in Illinois deserves to attend a school wherein all kindergarteners are assessed for readiness. KIDS focuses on the knowledge, skills, and behaviors that most impact long-term student success. This assessment takes place within the first forty days of the Kindergarten school year.
KIDS focuses on the knowledge, skills, and behaviors across four key domains that most impact long-term student success. The domains are: Approaches to Learning and Self-Regulation; Social and Emotional Development; Language and Literacy Development; and Cognition: Math.
District-Level Assessments
- AIMSWeb Plus
- Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)
- Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) Measures of Progress (MAP)
- Panorama SEL Questionnaire
AIMSWeb Plus
A benchmark assessment given in the fall, winter and spring to students in K-2.
AIMSWEB is a benchmark and progress monitoring assessment in reading and mathematics used to evaluate math and literacy skills.
AIMS is one of the many tools that District 34 uses to determine students’ instructional levels as well as to monitor the progress they are making throughout the school year and from year to year at the primary level.
Students are given AIMSWeb benchmark assessments in kindergarten and first grade one-on-one with an instructor and on their iPads on the TestNav app in second grade.
Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)
Administered to 2nd grade students in spring and 5th grade students in fall.
The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) is a standardized test designed to measure learned reasoning and problem solving skills. These abilities, acquired both in and out of school, are important because children use them on a daily basis to learn and solve problems. Students take CogAT on their iPads on the Data Manager app.
CogAT is used to aid in placement for advanced math and reading programming.
Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) Measures of Progress (MAP)
A benchmark assessment given in the fall, winter and spring to 3-8th grade students.
NWEA MAP is a normed referenced achievement test in reading and mathematics to reveal precisely which academic skills and concepts the student has acquired and what they’re ready to learn.
Computer adaptive MAP assessments are grade independent and adapt to each student’s instructional level. Every item on a MAP assessment is anchored to a vertically aligned equal interval scale, called the RIT scale for Rasch UnIT—a stable measurement, like inches on a ruler, that covers all grades. RIT scores serve as an essential data point in a student’s learning plan; educators can see their precise learning level and respond accordingly.
MAP is one of the many tools that District 34 uses to determine students’ instructional levels as well as to monitor the progress they are making throughout the school year and from year to year.
Students take NWEA on their iPads on the NWEA app.
Panorama SEL Questionnaire
Administered to all students K-8 in fall, winter and spring.
The Panorama Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Questionnaire measures student mindsets, behaviors, and attitudes that might be related to success in school and beyond the classroom. These surveys are designed to help educators understand the social-emotional competencies of their students and how they are supported in classrooms and schools. In K-2 teachers fill out the survey and in 3-8 students fill out the survey.
