Iowa Department of Education

A variety of Summative Assessments (Assessments OF Learning) are used in the state of Iowa to meet federally and state mandated assessment requirements. These assessments are used to determine whether student subgroups, public schools, and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).  To learn more about the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) assessment requirements and about the assessment requirements identified by Chapter 12 of Iowa Code, see Statewide Assessment Requirements .

Statewide Assessment Data

Student achievement data is reported annually in the Annual Condition of Education Report and in the State Report Card . To view the data collected on student achievement, visit the Annual Condition of Education Report and in the State Report Card websites.

Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS)

School Districts in the state of Iowa administer the ITBS to all students in, at least, grades 3 through 8. The tests are aligned to the Iowa Core Curriculum and, at grades 3 through 8, assess the following:

Iowa Test of Educational Development (ITEDs)

School districts in the state of Iowa administer the ITEDs to all students in, at least, grade 11. The tests are aligned to the Iowa Core Curriculum and assess the following:

Iowa – English Language Development Assessment (I-ELDA)

In addition to the assessments required for all students, NCLB also requires assessments of English Language learners under the provision of Title III. Iowa ELDA is the English language proficiency assessment of listening, speaking, reading, and writing used to meet this requirement. English Language Learners (ELLs) need to be assessed every year until they achieve proficiency. This includes all students receiving ESL/bilingual/dual language services. The tests are aligned to the Iowa Core Curriculum.

For more information on the ELL program in Iowa visit the following website: http://www.iowa.gov/educate/content/view/683/898/

Iowa Alternate Assessment (IAA)

The Iowa Alternate Assessment is for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities whose academic performance is appropriately judged against alternate achievement standards. The Iowa Alternate Assessment measures student performance in Reading, Mathematics, and for some students, Science. The tests are aligned to the Iowa Core Content Standards and Benchmarks.

For more information on the Iowa Alternate Assessment visit the following website: http://www.iowa.gov/educate/content/view/461/926/

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

Federal law requires that all states receiving Title I funds participate in the NAEP reading and mathematics assessments at fourth and eighth grades. Beginning in 2003, all states participate in the NAEP project.  School districts within the state receiving Title I funding are chosen, at random, to participate. Students are randomly selected to participate and each student takes only a portion of the entire test. All students are included in the assessment with accommodations allowed for Students With Disabilities (SD) and Limited-English-Proficient (LEP) students.

For more information about the NAEP and the results of Iowa students having participated in the NAEP visit the following website:
http://www.iowa.gov/educate/content/view/677/647/

Iowa Collaborative Assessment Modules (ICAMs)

The ICAM is an affordable option for school districts to meet the assessment requirements of Iowa Code, Chapter 12. It is funded through collaborative efforts of the Department of Education, Area Education Agencies (AEA), and participating school districts. The modules, developed by Measured Progress, currently assess reading and mathematics at grades 4, 8, and 11. The multiple choice portion of the modules are scored by Pearson Education Measurement while the extended response portion is scored locally at the Area Education Agencies.

For additional information about participating in the ICAM, contact the local AEA, Paul Cahill at paul.cahill@iowa.gov, Tom Deeter at tom.deeter@iowa.gov, or Colleen Anderson at colleen.anderson@iowa.gov.

Other Summative Assessments

ACT

American College Testing (ACT) designed the ACT Assessments to measure high school students’ general educational development and ability to succeed at the college level. A composite ACT score measures overall educational development and is based on assessments for English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning. In 2006, 65% of Iowa high school graduates took the ACT and received an average composite score of 22.1, the third highest in the nation among states where 50% or more students took the test.

For more information on how Iowa students do on the ACT, visit the Education Statistics website to view The Annual Condition of Education Report: http://www.iowa.gov/educate/component/option,com_docman/task,cat_view/gid,646/Itemid,55/

SAT

The Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) is taken by approximately 4% of Iowa high school graduates. It measures critical reading and mathematics. Iowa students traditionally do well on the SAT with Iowa ranked second in the nation in 2006.

For more information on how Iowa students do on the SAT, visit the Education Statistics website to view The Annual Condition of Education Report: http://www.iowa.gov/educate/component/option,com_docman/task,cat_view/gid,646/Itemid,55/

Advanced Placement Exams

In Iowa, there were 9,833 AP exams taken by 6,607 students in 2006. The Advanced Placement (AP) Program, sponsored by the College Board, currently offers more than 35 courses in 20 subject areas. The AP courses are taught by highly-qualified high school teachers who use the AP Course Descriptions to guide them and AP examinations are offered once a year in May by the College Board. AP provides secondary school students the opportunity to take college-level courses in a high school setting.

For more information on how Iowa students do on the AP Exams, visit the Education Statistics website to view The Annual Condition of Education Report: http://www.iowa.gov/educate/component/option,com_docman/task,cat_view/gid,646/Itemid,55/