Each year, our students receive a variety of assessments in order to determine where they are functioning academically, and to measure their progress as the year progresses. The assessments may include performance assessments (formative and summative), standardized tests, normed referenced tests, and teacher made skills tests. The standardized tests include the Dibels at Kindergarten, and the New Mexico Standards Based Assessment, or SBA, and measures reading, math, writing, language arts and science at grades 3-6. The normed referenced test is the NWEA. The NWEA is a short-cycle assessment given three times per year. It is standards-based, and measures progress in Reading and Math for grades K-6. A more informal reading assessment that may also be administered is the DRA, or Diagnostic Reading Assessment, which measures comprehension and fluency in all grade levels. The results of the assessments are used to both help the teachers drive the instruction by fine-tuning their curriculum, and to better address student needs on an individual basis.

In addition, we want our students to understand why assessments are given and help them become an active participant in their progress and growth over time. During each grading period, we want our parent conferences to be student-led. This allows our students to understand what their skill-level is and what areas they need to work on in order to make progress towards their goals. At AKCS, we want students to become responsible for their learning. We view them as essential partners in their education!