State and Local Assessments

Hoven School District 53-2

Hoven Assessment Guide
South Dakota Office of Assessment
Review Your Child's Test
Parent Reporting Memo

Hoven School District Report Card

Note:

Every student who participates in state testing receives a score report. These can be printed by the request of a legal parent or guardian.  Test scores are considered part of a student's educational record and as a result, are only available to legal parents or guardians. 
If you did not receive a score report or have specific questions about your child’s scores and/or performance, please contact CEO April Hobert at 605-948-2252.  

Local Assessments

  • Accelerated Reader (AR) (August 2023-May 2024)

    Reading


    Delivered to students as books are read and completed


    AR is a computer program that helps teachers manage and monitor children’s independent reading practice. Your child chooses a book at his/her own level and reads it at his own pace. When finished, your child takes a short quiz on the computer. (Passing the quiz is an indication that your child understood what was read.) AR gives both children and teachers feedback based on the quiz results, which the teacher then uses to help your child set goals and direct ongoing reading practice.


    Children using AR choose their own books to read, rather than having one assigned to them. This makes reading a much more enjoyable experience as they can choose books that are interesting to them.


    Teachers and librarians help your child choose books at an appropriate reading level that are challenging without being frustrating, ensuring that your child can pass the quiz and experience success.


    Teachers determine your child’s reading level in one of three ways: a STAR Reading™ test, a grade equivalent score from a standardized test, or using their best professional judgment based on their knowledge of your child.
    According to research, children who read at least 20 minutes a day with a 90% comprehension rate (average percent correct) on AR quizzes see the greatest gains. Therefore, your child should have at least 20 minutes set aside for reading during each school day.


  • STAR Testing (August 2023-May 2024)


    Reading


    Delivered to students quarterly to determine academic progress prior to state testing


    STAR Reading is a computerized reading assessment that uses computer-adaptive technology. Questions continually adjust to your child’s responses. If the child’s response is correct, the difficulty level is increased. If the child misses a question, the difficulty level is reduced. The test uses multiple-choice questions and takes approximately 10 minutes.


    STAR Math is computer-based and adapts continuously to the answers that students supply. The test will adjust the difficulty level of every question depending on whether a student gets the answer to the previous question correct or incorrect. This means that students should be tested at their knowledge level, instead of being forced to answer questions that are too easy or too hard.


    This assessment should take around 20 minutes to complete.


    In addition to gauging the progress of students through the school year, the STAR Reading and Math assessments can be used to test a student's readiness for state tests. It can also be used to determine if a student should be placed in an accelerated reading or math program.


    The STAR assessments are scored on a scale that ranges from 0-1400. Each student's score is determined by the number of questions he or she answers correctly and the difficulty level of these questions. The score report sometimes compares a student's results to different standards.


    The scores are typically reported with a grade equivalent and a percentile rank that shows how students compare to other students on a national level. The report usually includes a breakdown of whether the student's scores were below average, average or above average. These scores can be shared with parents through an assessment report.


  • ACCESS and ACCESS Alt (for ELL students) State Assessments


    ACCESS Alt: TBA


    ACCESS 2.0: TBA


    ACCESS for ELL's 2.0 is a secure large-scale English language proficiency assessment administered to Kindergarten through 12th grade students who have been identified as English language learners (ELLs). It is given annually in to monitor students' progress in acquiring academic English. ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 is aligned with the WIDA English Language Development Standards and assesses each of the four language domains of Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. The assessment is available in both paper-based and online formats for Grades 1-12, while Kindergarten and Alternate ACCESS for ELLs are paper-based tests. 


  • SD English Language Arts and SD Math State Assessments


    Grades 3-8 and 11: March 25, 2024 - May 3, 2024​


    SD English Language Arts and SD Math State Assessments measure student achievement in relation to our state standards in the areas of English Language Arts and Mathematics. The online test uses adaptive testing technologies to the greatest extent possible to provide meaningful feedback and actionable data that teachers and other educators can use to help students succeed. In addition to providing overall scores in those two subjects, score reports will provide information on student performance in the following areas:

  • English: reading, writing, listening, and research

  • Math: concepts and procedures; problem-solving and modeling/data analysis; and communicating reasoning


  • SD English Language Arts Alternate and SD Math Alternate State Assessments


    Grades 3-8 and 11: March 11, 2024 - April 26, 2024​


    SD English Language Arts Alternate and SD Math Alternate State Assessments in the areas of English language arts and mathematics is an assessment developed for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The MSAA is based on alternate achievement standards which have been derived from and are connected to the state’s achievement standards. The overall goal of the MSAA is to make sure that all students achieve increasingly higher academic outcomes and leave high school ready for such post-high school options such as college, career, and community participation.  


  • South Dakota Science and South Dakota Science Alt State Assessments


    Grades 5, 8 and 11: March 25, 2024 - May 3, 2024​


    The South Dakota Science Assessment measures student achievement in relation to our new state standards that were adopted in May 2015.  As the test is organized around new standards, this spring will be a field test of new items and content organization.  This means that reporting, if any, will be limited since standards for comparison cannot be determined until after testing is complete.  Any results will be raw scores with no levels of achievement. The test will be given on the computer. 


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  • ACT-NCRC (National Career Readiness Certificate) (August 2023-May 2024)


    Grade 11 or 12, schools work with CTE and Dept. of Labor to schedule


    The South Dakota Department of Education (DOE) and the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation (DLR) offer juniors and seniors the opportunity to participate in the ACT® National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) program.


    The NCRC is an industry-recognized, portable credential certifying essential skills needed for workplace success. To earn certification, students must attain at least the lowest certification level on three ACT® WorkKeys assessments: Applied Mathematics, Reading for Information and Locating Information. This vital initiative is part of the Department of Education’s goal to ensure that, “All students graduate college, career, and life-ready.”


    DLR staff will assist in assessing the students on-site at local schools and the cost of one test per student is covered by the State. School staff need to supply the space and one computer per student, as this is a computer-based test. Students are allowed 55 minutes each for the three assessments.


    The number of students assessed is a local decision, and the initial cost is covered by the State. The assessments are a great way to support existing class curricula, and schools may incorporate this assessment into specific classes. Schools can also offer the assessments to the general junior and senior student population to verify their real-world workplace skills.


    The NCRC is also incorporated into the College and Career Readiness (CCR) indicator for the School Performance Index (SPI). Additional information describing the CCR indicator and SPI points can be found in the ESSA State Plan.

    This initiative can help students demonstrate they are ready for the workplace as they enter the workforce immediately after graduation or pursue further post-secondary education.


  • ASVAB (August 2023-May 2024)
    Grade 11 or 12, schools work with local military recruiter


    The ASVAB is a series of tests developed by the Department of Defense and is used by the U.S. Army to determine whether you have the mental aptitude to enlist. The ASVAB also helps determine which Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) you qualify for. The ASVAB is required to enlist in the U.S. Army and is valid for two years. The ASVAB may be given in a computerized version at a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) or in a paper version at various Military Entrance Test (MET) sites around the country or at high schools and colleges. 


    ASVAB TEST AREAS

  • Arithmetic Reasoning - measures ability to solve basic arithmetic word problems

  • Word Knowledge - measures ability to understand the meaning of words through synonyms

  • Paragraph Comprehension - measures ability to obtain information from written material

  • Mathematics Knowledge - measures knowledge of mathematical concepts and applications

  • Electronics Information - measures knowledge of electrical current, circuits, devices and electronic systems

  • Auto and Shop Information - measures knowledge of automotive maintenance and repair, and wood and metal shop practices

  • Mechanical Comprehension - measures knowledge of the principles of mechanical devices, structural support and properties of materials

  • Assembling Objects - measures ability with spatial relationships



    ASVAB SCORES


    The AFQT score is the most important ASVAB score, because it determines if you can enlist in the U.S. Army. However, the U.S. Army also converts the ASVAB test scores into 10 other composite score areas known as "line scores" that determine what MOS an individual may qualify for. Listed below are the parts of the ASVAB that affect your AFQT test scores and each of the ten line scores.

  • Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) - Paragraph Comprehension, Word Knowledge, Mathematics Knowledge, and Arithmetic Reasoning.

  • Clerical (CL) – Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Arithmetic Reasoning and Mathematics Knowledge.

  • Combat (CO) - Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Auto & Shop and Mechanical Comprehension.

  • Electronics (EL) – General Science, Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge and Electronic Information.

  • Field Artillery (FA) - Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge and Mechanical Comprehension.

  • General Maintenance (GM) – General Science, Auto & Shop, Mathematics Knowledge and Electronics Information.

  • General Technical (GT) - Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension and Arithmetic Reasoning (AR).

  • Mechanical Maintenance (MM) – Auto & Shop, Mechanical Comprehension and Electronic Information.

  • Operators and Food (OF) - Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Auto & Shop and Mechanical Comprehension.

  • Surveillance and Communications (SC) - Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Arithmetic Reasoning, Auto & Shop and Mechanical Comprehension.

  • Skilled Technical (ST) - Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, General Science, Mechanical Comprehension and Mathematics Knowledge.


  • NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress)​


    The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called "the Nation's Report Card," is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subjects. Its two major goals are to measure student achievement and to report changes in student performance over time. The NAEP for Math and Reading will be administered to many South Dakota students in 2019. The NAEP is given to a sampling of students across the nation. The results of the NAEP are given for the entire nation and for individual states. Results are also given for specific groups of students, e.g. gender, racial and ethnic groups, and National School Lunch Program eligibility. Results are not available for schools or individual students.

The NAEP is given to many South Dakota students in reading and mathematics at grades 4, 8, and 12 every two years. National and state results are reported to the public. Several other subjects are tested in different years with only national-level results reported.