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Student Assessment
Inventory for School Districts
DISTRICT ASSESSMENT CONTEXT
Tests play a crical role in improving teaching and
learning. They provide consistent measures that allow
teachers, parents, and students themselves to monitor
student progress, understand specic strengths and
weaknesses, and set learning goals. They help teachers
idenfy who needs support, who needs enrichment, and
what changes in classroom instrucon are needed. They
inform teachers’ understanding of how eecvely they are
advancing student learning. And, they can provide meaningful
learning experiences for students. However, while tests are
valuable, each test takes me and resources that could be
used for other acvies in the school day. Thus, it is essenal
to ensure that every assessment is used for an important
purpose and leads to acons intended to improve
student learning.
In too many districts, there is simply too much tesng. In
addion to statewide assessments, districts oen require
many more districtwide assessments. Students must also
take classroom-based tests and quizzes that are core to the
instruconal process. Students take sll other tests for college
admissions, placement or scholarships. Over me, school
districts or individual schools may add assessments championed
by a specic district leader, embedded in new instruconal
materials, or in response to a specic need such as evaluang
teachers without ever taking a comprehensive look at what has
outlived its usefulness. As a result, districts may have a plethora
of diagnosc, formave, interim and summave assessments as
well as assessments for special populaons. However, districts
have signicant control over which tests to administer and the
amount of me devoted to tesng. For example, a recent study
looking at district-mandated tests (excluding tests for special
CC BY 4.0 Achieve 2014. Districts may use or adapt. If modied, please attribute Achieve and re-title.
Across the country, educators, parents and students are saying that there is too much tesng
in our schools and that tesng is taking valuable me away from teaching and learning. These
concerns are legimate and merit aenon. School district ocials have the opportunity to
respond to concerns about over-tesng by leading a conversaon among educators and the
broader community that directly addresses the amount of tesng – and points the way toward
a more coherent, educaonally-sound approach to assessment.
This Student Assessment Inventory for School Districts is a tool district leaders can use to take
stock of their assessments and assessment strategy, and do so from a student perspecve.
The tool supports a process by which districts evaluate the assessments students are taking,
determine the minimum tesng necessary to serve essenal diagnosc, instruconal and
accountability purposes, and work to ensure that every district-mandated test is of high quality,
is providing the informaon needed for specic school and district purposes, and is supported
by structures and rounes so that assessment results are actually used and acon steps taken
that will help students. We encourage local district leaders who use this inventory to discuss the
outcome with parents and the school board. What tests have been eliminated? How will the
remaining tests be used, and why are they important?
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is version of the Student Assessment Inventory for School Districts is current as of October 8, 2014.