Standardized Testing (IOWA)

When does testing happen?

• At CHA we conduct the Iowa Assessments for 1st through 5th grade, usually during the first week in April.

How can parents prepare students for the test?  

• The best preparation is talking to your child about the test a few days before, sharing that it is important to try their best to answer each question and not hurry through the test.  

• Getting a good night's sleep and a good breakfast is also helpful to ensure students aren't distracted by feeling hungry or tired while testing.   

What are the subtests on each day for the testing week?  

• This varies by grade. Each grade level will share their schedule in newsletters the week before testing 

• Friday is reserved for makeup testing.   

How much time will be allotted each day for the test?  

• Students will test between 8:35 and 11, which includes bathroom and snack breaks.  

• Some groups will finish the day's testing earlier and work quietly in their classrooms until 11.    

Will the students be taking the test on their laptops or using a bubble sheet?  

• All students will use a Surface to take the test online.   

Will guidance be provided by their homeroom teacher prior to the test?  

• All classes will take a 3-question practice test to get students familiar with the format of the test and to ensure everyone can log in and respond successfully before the real testing begins.  

• Teachers will also be monitoring the room during the test, encouraging students to answer each question and take their time.    

What are the makeup test policies? 

• Students who miss one full day of testing or less will be scheduled for makeup testing on Friday. 

• Students who miss more than one full day of testing will not complete makeup testing, but they will receive a score report for the tests they did complete.   

When will I find out my child’s results? 

• Individualized test reports, as well as grade level and school averages, will be sent home by the end of April in a sealed envelope in your child’s Friday Folder. 

How can I study for the Iowa Assessments? 

• At CHA, we do not “teach to the test,” but rather focus on instruction of standards and meeting students' needs through review and extension. While we do not practice specific questions just for test prep, we do include a spiral review of math concepts through IXL and Dimensions cumulative assessments and ELA concepts through IXL ELA and Into Reading module assessments.  Parents can also include spiral review of grade-level concepts at home using IXL for extra practice before the test. 

Listening/Word Analysis 

Word Analysis and Listening subtests are required in grades 1 and 2. Word Analysis evaluates phonics and decoding skills and identifying word parts, such as suffixes and prefixes.  

Word Analysis	Description
Level 7/Grade 1	This test assesses how well students know letter-sound relationships.
Level 8/Grade 2	This test assesses skills involving letter-sound relationships, common affixes, and the formation of compound words.

The Listening subtest requires students to answer a question after hearing 2-3 sentences read aloud to evaluate literal and inferential comprehension.   
Students are not given the question before hearing the passage and cannot hear the passage read a second time. It does not align to how we do any other types of testing at CHA, although it may help identify strengths/areas of opportunity related to focus, working memory, and listening comprehension. 

Listening	Description
Level 7/Grade 1  Level 8/Grade 2	Short scenarios are read aloud followed by one or more multiple-choice questions about the situations. The Listening test requires students to demonstrate both literal and inferential understanding.

 

English/Language Arts Subtests 

Vocabulary	Description
Level 7/Grade 1  Level 8/Grade 2	Evaluates understanding of vocabulary terms.
Level 9-11  Grade 3 & up	Each question presents a word in the context of a short phrase or sentence, and students select the answer that is closest in meaning.

Parent question: What is on the Language subtest (grades 1 and 2)? How does it differ from the Written Expression and Conventions of Writing subtests (grades 3-5)? 

The Language subtest for grades 1 and 2 convers topics in the following categories: Written Expression (usage, grammar, sentence structure, organization of paragraphs, and appropriate expressions), spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. Examples of Written Expression are choosing a new sentence to add to a paragraph or finding a grammatical error in a short passage. In grades 4 and above, Language is replaced by two scores- Written Expression and Conventions of Writing, which includes spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. 

Language	Description
Level 7/Grade 1  Level 8/Grade 2	The four test sections address spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and skill in written usage and expression.
Conventions of Writing
Level 9-11  Grade 3 & up	Spelling  Questions relate to identifying the correct spelling for grade-level words.  Punctuation   Questions relate to the use of end punctuation, commas, and other punctuation marks.   Capitalization  Questions relate to the capitalization of names, dates, places, and other words.
Written Expression
Level 9-11  Grade 3 & up	In the first part of this test, students must choose the best or most appropriate way to express ideas in a piece of writing, selecting the most effective or appropriate language.

Reading evaluates performance reading comprehension of literary and informational texts, as well as explicit meaning, implicit meaning, and main ideas. Starting in grade 3, the test also includes vocabulary and the author’s craft.  

Reading	Description
Level 7/Grade 1  Level 8/Grade 2	Reading 1 asks students to complete sentences about a story to demonstrate reading comprehension.   Reading 2 asks students to make inferences or generalize about what they have read.
Level 9-11  Grade 3 & up	Both literary passages and informational passages are included. Many questions may require students to draw inferences or to generalize about what they have read.

 

Mathematics Subtests 

Mathematics has two parts completed on different days. Students can use a provided online calculator on the mathematics tests. 

Mathematics	Description
Level 7/Grade 1  Level 8/Grade 2	In Part 1, students are required to demonstrate their understanding of number sense and operations, algebraic patterns and connections, geometry, and measurement.  In Part 2, some questions require interpretation of data presented in graphs or tables.  Level 8 adds brief word problems to both parts.
Level 9-11  Grade 3 & up	Students must demonstrate an understanding of mathematics concepts, relationships, visual representations, and problem solving. The questions address number sense and operations, algebraic patterns and connections, data analysis/probability/statistics, geometry, and measurement.

 

Computation is a test of students’ ability to perform the four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division). Calculators may not be used on this subtest. 

Computation	Description
Level 7/Grade 1  Level 8/Grade 2	Students solve problems using addition and subtraction of whole numbers. Part 1 is read aloud; part 2 must be completed independently.
Level 9-11  Grade 3 & up	Most problems require the use of one arithmetic operation— addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division- to solve problems using whole numbers, fractions, decimals.

 

Other Subtests 

The Science subtest covers Life Science, Earth and Space Science, and Physical Science. While these are the same three areas covered by the Next Generation Science Standards we use in Washington State, the specific topics on the test and our curriculum may not align.  

Science	Description
Level 7/Grade 1  Level 8/Grade 2	The knowledge and skills measured by the science questions come from the areas of life science, earth and space science, and physical science. Science inquiry methods are also addressed.
Level 9-11  Grade 3 & up	This test emphasizes the methods and processes used in scientific inquiry related to concepts in life science, Earth and space science, and physical science. Students are required to explain, infer, and hypothesize.

Similarly, the Social Studies subtest is not aligned to our state’s curriculum standards but instead creates questions from various standards and curriculum nationwide.  

Social Studies	Description
Level 7/Grade 1  Level 8/Grade 2	The content of the questions is taken from the areas of geography, history, economics, and civics and government.
Level 9-11  Grade 3 & up	The test measures various aspects of history, geography, economics, and civics and government.

What is the End in Mind for the Iowa Assessments? 

• We feel it is our responsibility to students to prepare them for the world in which they live and learn, including exposure to a variety of evaluation formats. These include multiple-choice and open-ended assessments, performance tasks, and, once a year, standardized testing using the Iowa Assessments for students in grades 1-5.  

• The Iowa Assessments is a nationally administered standardized test given over the course of a week in April. The results show individual performance and compare it to nationwide averages for students in the same grade. By reviewing present and past test results, schools and families can evaluate the year-over-year growth of each student. By comparing individual and school/national test results, schools and families can evaluate a student’s proficiency compared to peers of the same age. 

• Specific information about testing, including the test topics, test format, and days and times of test depends on grade level. Generally, testing is conducted over four mornings, with students taking 2-3 tests each day. For most grades, topics include Science, Social Studies, Vocabulary, Word Analysis, Reading, Computation, Language, Mathematics, and Listening. The test is taken online.  

• Standardized tests do not measure all aspects of your child's learning and do provide different information than what can be collected by the school. When all these measures are evaluated together, they paint a more complete picture of student strengths, challenges, and progress.  

• Standardized tests must, by definition, be administered under uniform conditions. There are detailed expectations for seating arrangements, time allotted for each subtest, and what the teacher is allowed to say and not say. Minimizing outside factors that could influence performance enables educators to make more objective comparisons of students across the country. Results can be described as how each student performs on this specific test under these specific conditions. 

Standardized Tests Vs. Summative Assessments in School 

• Standardized tests play a different role than classroom assessments. They are an objective measure of how students are progressing along in their understanding compared to their peers nationwide, and often identify students needing academic intervention. 

• Standardized tests must be consistent for all test-takers, which means students cannot ask clarifying questions, take breaks, get more time, move at their own pace, ask for directions or questions to be repeated, or other normal behaviors in classrooms.  

Parent question: My child’s Iowa Assessments score on the social science and science section is relatively low. I was surprised since he/she seems very interested in these two topics and his/her assignments were graded highly by the teacher.  

• While our curriculum is aligned to CCSS and NGSS, the Iowa Assessments is a test of basic skills sampled from a wide range of different state and national standards. Since math and ELA standards are more similar state to state, the Iowa Assessments subtests in these areas cover many of the same skills as our curriculum. Social studies does not have a set of national standards; each state has set their own, so this subtest is much more generalized. 

• Classroom performance is one data point; standardized tests are another. Discrepancies may occur due to the significant differences in the two methods of evaluation. Students may score lower on standardized tests due to unfamiliarity with the online portal, stress due to the timed format, no opportunity to ask for clarification, and the length of time for focus. 

• The Iowa Assessments is a review of all topics for the entire year, whereas class assignments are completed during/following in-depth studies of concepts/skills. We would expect higher scores immediately after the instructional unit. 

• The format and experience of the Iowa Assessments are different than what we normally do in class. The way the questions are worded, the delivery of instructions, the way answers are given, and the length of the test may all be unfamiliar factors. For example, instead of making a capitalization correction on the actual word, as would be done in class, students may be asked to identify the line in the sample that has the capitalization error. 

Iowa Assessments vs. SSAT 

Parent question: Can you help me understand the difference between the SSAT and the Iowa Assessments? 

• While both are standardized tests, the content is quite different and are designed with different ends in mind. 

  • The Iowa Assessments is a test of basic skills, designed to ensure students are meeting expectations for their grade level. While CHA has higher expectations, many American public schools aim for scores of 50% and typically are not required to provide academic intervention unless students are two standard deviations from the norm (11% and below).  

  • The SSAT is an admissions exam, designed with a “sky’s the limit” approach. Like the SAT, test questions go well beyond what is actually taught in schools in an effort to determine exactly how far above expectations exceptional candidates may be. Students could miss many questions on this type of test and still have a score showing they are proficient in math for their grade. 

Understanding Standardized Test Scores  

• The test measures your child’s performance against students across the country to form normative comparisons. This year’s scores are compared to nation-wide norms from 2017. Riverside Insights updates this data set every few years; we are expecting a new data set to be available in the next year or two. 

Parent question: What does the GE category mean, beyond Grade Equivalent?  

• “Grade equivalent” is determined by where the average student in each grade performs, nation-wide. If Student A has a GE score of 5.2, this means they are performing at the same level as a 5th grader, 2 months into the school year, taking the same test as Student A. 

• Grade equivalent does not indicate that the student is necessarily ready for instruction at the GE level.  Riverside Insights, the publisher of the Iowa Assessments, recommends using the GE score to evaluate a child’s growth from year to year. 

Parent question: Is the NPR a ranking of students? 

• The NPR score compares your child’s performance against students nation-wide using the most recent data set, which is currently 2017 scores.  

• We do not rank students within our school, but we do provide the average grade equivalent, stanine, and national percentage ranking for each grade level for the current year and past years.  

• The NPR score is your child’s relative standing in comparison with students across the country. A score of 50% means your child is ranked in the 50th percentile in the topic evaluated, not that he/she knew 50% of the questions asked. 

Parent question: Can I have a copy of the test to review with my student? 

• Unfortunately, no. Standardized testing loses its validity when specific information about questions is known, so test booklets and online test questions/choices are strictly confidential. Only the results are shared with families and schools.

• The student profile narrative for your child shows a summary of their strengths and weaknesses across the given subtests, which can be used to identify what you may want to review with your child. 

Identifying Areas of Need 

Parent question: Should I be concerned if my student's score (86%) is slightly lower than the grade-level average?  

• While the Iowa Assessments score is a valuable data point, it is not the only data point. Grade-level averages indicate how the school performed as a whole and to help identify outliers, which may occur due to content knowledge or barriers in the testing process. Parents should consider other data from benchmark assessments, classwork, and previous standardized testing and discuss any concerns with their child’s teacher to determine if additional support is needed. 

• It is not necessarily concerning if your child performs below the class average- by definition, the class has students performing above and below this number. In the example, the child is slightly below their CHA peers on this test but still outperforming 86% of students nationwide.  

How Will These Scores Be Used or Shared? 

Parent question: Will middle schools see my student's first-grade Iowa Assessments scores? 

• Iowa Assessments scores become part of each student’s school records and are shared as part of the application process to secondary schools. When students apply for admission to 5th or 6th grade, their more recent scores are more reliable indicators of their current academic performance and of more interest to admissions teams than their earlier Iowa Assessments scores. 

You can view our Iowa Assessments Scores for 2o22, 2023 and 2024 here. Please use the Year over Year Interpretation Guide to better understand what the scores mean.