• Assessment in Westside Community Schools

    Westside Community Schools implements content standards outlined by the Nebraska Department of Education. Student achievement of the standards is measured at all grade levels and in all courses through a comprehensive assessment system. 

    The purpose of Westside’s assessment system is to gather evidence about student learning. Westside uses multiple assessment measures as a part of this process. The cornerstone to any sound assessment system is formative, or ongoing, assessments for learning. The district provides guidance and support to teachers to ensure students have opportunities to demonstrate learning on an ongoing basis, allowing students to learn from mistakes. In addition to formative measures the assessment system includes district, state, and national norm-referenced assessments. The results of state and national assessments are used to inform the public about student achievement relative to academic content standards.  In addition to academic assessments, Westside assesses school processes and programs, demographics, perceptions, and values. All measures must be considered together to help us know whether we are reaching every student.

    More information about Westside’s assessment system can be found in Board Policy 5200.

    National Norm-Referenced Tests

    National norm-referenced tests compare Westside’s students to a national sample of students.  Westside administers FastBridge assessments grades K-6, MAPGrowth grades 3-8, PreACT grade 10, and ACT in grade 11.

    Statewide Tests

    NSCAS Assessments (Grades 3-8, 11)

    All public school students in grades 3-8 in the state of Nebraska participate in Nebraska Student Centered Assessment System (NSCAS) tests in the spring of each school year.  An alternate version of the assessment is administered to students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Federal guidelines allow up to 1 percent of the student population to take the alternate test. 

    • NSCAS English Language Arts (NSCAS-ELA) grades 3-8
    • NSCAS Mathematics (NSCAS-M) grades 3-8
    • NSCAS Science (NSCAS-S) grade 5 & 8
    • NSCAS ACT (ELA, Math, Science) grade 11 

    Statewide tests measure state curriculum standards, and they can provide families with information about a student’s knowledge of grade-level standards. Students may use results of the ACT for admissions and scholarship consideration when applying to college; the results can also guide course selection and help students plan future academic or career pathways. NSCAS data at all levels enable teachers and schools to monitor academic progress across student groups and inform instructional strategies. The data also support state and federal accountability mandates.

    English Learner Assessments (Grades K–12)

    English Learners complete the English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century (ELPA21) to measure progress toward English proficiency in the winter of each school year. The results provide insights into a student’s English proficiency. These results inform decisions about placement in EL services and support, as well as planning for instruction at both individual and group levels.

    Nebraska Education Profile (NEP) Report

    Westside submits assessment results for all national, state, and district tests to the state of Nebraska.  This data is compiled in the NEP Report. The NEP provides information and data about Nebraska public schools and student performance by district and school in the content areas of English language arts, mathematics, and science. Additionally, the achievement levels are broken down by demographic groups, including gender, race and ethnicity, poverty, special education, and English Language Learner. The NEP is intended to help inform the public and school officials about school district performance and to provide data needed for sound decision-making by education leaders. Explore Westside’s NEP report here.

    District Assessments

    District assessments are designed to measure student learning in reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. These assessments measure progress toward the mastery of academic content standards. District assessments, including course-specific assessments, provide valuable information about whether students are meeting academic expectations and are also used to inform decisions about instruction.

    Classroom Assessments

    Classroom assessments are part of daily instruction.  Teachers use classroom assessments to make decisions about student learning day to day.  For example, students may have a conference with the teacher to receive feedback about their writing or answer a question to show if they understand the concepts in a particular lesson.

    Westside’s assessments are held to standards of quality, including reliability, validity, and the absence of bias.  All students are given an opportunity to learn the content of the assessments through daily learning experiences and quality instruction in Westside’s classrooms. The data from the assessments is used to monitor learning trends, to inform school improvement work, and refine instructional practices.