State Standard Assessments

Wisconsin Student Assessment System (WSAS)

The Wisconsin Student Assessment System (WSAS) is a comprehensive statewide program designed to provide information about what students know in core academic areas and whether they can apply what they know. The Federal No Child Left Behind Act required all states to test all students in reading and mathematics in grades 3 through 8 and once in high school. Student performance on these assessments is reported in proficiency categories and used for accountability determination at the school, district and state levels.

DPI is moving ahead with new assessments beginning in the 2015-16 school year. We are in the process of reviewing Proposals for an ELA & Mathematics Assessment for Grades 3-8 and Science Assessment for Grades 4, 8, & 10, and also separate Proposals for a Social Studies assessment in grades 4, 8, and 10. As a result we will no longer be requiring the administration of the fall WKCE and WAA-SwD. More details concerning these new assessments will be forthcoming as the process develops.

Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS)

The Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) is a research based screening, diagnostic, and progress monitoring tool. Wisconsin teachers use PALS to identify students at risk of developing reading difficulties, diagnose students’ knowledge of literacy fundamentals, monitor progress, and plan instruction that targets students’ needs. Student data collected from PALS provides a direct means of matching literacy instruction to specific literacy needs. For more information, please visit Wisconsin DPI’s PALS page.

ACT Aspire

ACT Aspire assesses student readiness in English, math, reading, science, and writing. ACT Aspire is an online assessment in Wisconsin except for students who require accommodations through Braille, Large Print or American Sign Language who will take ACT Aspire in a paper and pencil format.  For more information, please visit Wisconsin DPI’s ACT Aspire page.

ACT and ACT WorkKeys

The ACT Plus Writing consists of four multiple-choice tests: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science; and a 30-minute essay test that measures writing skills. ACT Plus Writing will be a paper and pencil test in Wisconsin for the 2015 administration. ACT WorkKeys is an applied skills assessment system that helps students compare their skills to the skills real jobs require.  Wisconsin students will take three WorkKeys assessments: Locating Information, Reading for Information, and Applied Mathematics. ACT WorkKeys will be a paper and pencil test in Wisconsin for the 2015 administration. For more information, please visit Wisconsin DPI’s ACT page.

ACCESS for ELLs

ACCESS for ELLs® stands for Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners and is designed to measure English language proficiency. It is a large-scale test that addresses the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Consortium’s English Language Proficiency Standards that form the core of Wisconsin’s approach to instructing and testing English language learners. For more information, please visit Wisconsin DPI’s ACCESS for ELLs page.

WISCONSIN Forward EXAM

The Wisconsin Forward Exam is designed to gauge how well students are doing in relation to the Wisconsin Academic Standards.  These standards outline what students should know and be able to do in order to be college and career ready. The Forward Exam is administered online in the spring of each school year at:

• Grades 3-8 in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics,

• Grades 4 and 8 in Science and,

• Grades 4, 8, and 10 in Social Studies

Accommodations and supports for students with disabilities and/or English language learners are built into the system so that the progress of students can be accurately measured.

The Forward Exam is a high quality, research-based, and affordable online assessment that meets Wisconsin’s expectations. It is a customized assessment with innovative item types that includes test items reviewed and approved by Wisconsin educators.

Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM)

The DLM™ assessment measures the academic progress of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities in the subject areas of ELA and Mathematics at grades 3-11, Science at grades 4 and 8-11, and in Social Studies at grades 4, 8, and 10.  This is an online assessment delivered via the computer; however, some students may need their teacher to present the items to them.  The teacher will then enter the student’s response into the online platform.

The DLM system is designed to map a student’s learning throughout the year. The system will also use items and tasks that are embedded in day-to-day instruction. Instruction for these students is based upon the Wisconsin Essential Elements and aligns with the Wisconsin Academic Standards. This gives teachers the opportunity to see what students know during the year when teachers still have time to change instruction to better support student learning.

i-Ready Diagnostic

i-Ready Diagnostic is the heart of the i-Ready Assessment suite. It’s designed with teachers in mind, to work on its own or with other i-Ready programs. The Grades K–12 Diagnostic manifests our core belief that all students can grow and achieve grade-level expectations. Use it to help educators see where students are, set high—but achievable—expectations for growth, and connect the right instructional tools to help them get there.