Student Assessment
STAAR/TELPAS
STAAR
The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) tests include annual exams in the following areas:
- reading and mathematics, grades 3–8;
- science at grades 5 and 8;
- social studies at grade 8; and
- end-of-course (EOC) assessments for English I, English II, Algebra I, biology and U.S history.
TELPAS
The Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) tests measure the progress that limited English proficient (LEP) students make in learning the English language.
Grades K–1: includes holistically rated listening, speaking, reading, and writing assessments based on ongoing classroom observations and student interactions.
Grades 2–12: includes online, multiple-choice reading tests, holistically rated student writing samples, and holistically rated listening and speaking assessments. The listening and speaking assessments are based on ongoing classroom observations and student interactions.
Test Results
Parents can access their child’s STAAR & TELPAS results online at TexasAssessment.gov. A unique access code is required to view the scores. Parents can get the unique access code to view their child’s scores by logging into Parent Self Serve and select Testing.
Follow these 3 easy steps to learn more about your child’s testing performance, including how questions were answered, and how you can provide additional support at home.
- Log into TexasAssessment.gov
- Input your child’s Unique Access Code
- Input child’s Date of Birth
Testing Dates & Registration
| Assessment Date(s) | Assessment |
|---|---|
| February 17-February 28 | TELPAS/Alt Window (Makeup 3/3-3/14) |
|
March 24-April 18 |
STAAR Alt 2 Window |
Elementary STAAR Assessments
| Assessment Date(s) | Assessment |
|---|---|
| April 15 | 3-5 Reading (Makeup by 4/18) |
| April 22 | 5 Science (Makeup by 4/25) |
| April 29
|
3-5 Math (Makeup by 5/2) |
Middle School STAAR Assessments
| Assessment Date(s) | Assessment |
|---|---|
| April 15 | 6-8 Reading (Makeup by 4/18) |
| April 22 | 8 Science, Biology EOC (Makeup by 4/25) |
| April 23 | 8 Social Studies (Makeup by 4/25) |
| April 29 | 6-8 Math, Algebra I EOC (Makeup by 5/2) |
High School EOC Assessments
| Assessment Date(s) | Assessment |
|---|---|
| April 15 | English II EOC (Makeup by 4/18) |
| April 16 | English I EOC (Makeup by 4/18) |
| April 22 | Biology EOC (Makeup by 4/25) |
| April 23 | US History EOC (Makeup by 4/25) |
| April 29 | Algebra I EOC (Makeup by 5/2) |
High School EOC Assessments
| Assessment Date(s) | Assessment |
|---|---|
| June 24-26 | Summer Retester: EOCs |
MAP
Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Growth
The Measures of Academic Progress or MAP tests are achievement measures in mathematics, reading, language usage, and science that are delivered to students on the computer. Unlike fixed-form paper and pencil tests with a set group of items, the MAP test adjusts to each student’s performance, allowing an appropriate test to be developed for that student. Because of this technology, the MAP testing system is able to accommodate and accurately assess students at a variety of achievement levels.
MAP RIT Scale
After each MAP test, students receive a RIT score. Think of the score as a student’s height. The score reflects the student’s academic knowledge, skills, and abilities like inches reflect height. The RIT (Rasch Unit) scale is a stable, equal-interval scale, like feet and inches. Equal-interval means that a change of 10 RIT points indicates the same thing regardless of whether a student is at the top, bottom, or middle of the scale, and a RIT score has the same meaning regardless of grade level or age of the student. Scores over time can be compared to tell how much growth a student has made, similar to measuring height with a ruler.
MAP assessments use the RIT scale to create a grade-independent RIT score, which indicates the level of question difficulty a given student is capable of answering correctly about 50% of the time. RIT scores help educators understand what every child is ready to learn. MAP tests produce scores that make it possible to monitor student growth from year to year.
For additional information and resources for parents, visit NWEA’s Family Toolkit in English or Spanish.
Family Guide to MAP Growth:
A Parent’s Guide to Literacy and Lexile Measures:
CREDIT BY EXAM
General Information
Our district administers Credit-by-Exams (CBE) to students currently enrolled in Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD a minimum of four times throughout the year during each of the following testing windows: July 1 – September 30; October 1 – December 31; January 1 – March 31; April 1 – June 30. Opportunities to test occur at least once during each test window.
CBE for acceleration is available to students in Kindergarten – Grade 12. Students attempting CBE for acceleration must score 80% or above to earn credit for grade level/subject area coursework. CBE for credit recovery is available to high school students who have received prior instruction evident by a grade recorded on his/her transcript. Students attempting CBE for credit recovery must score 70% or above to earn high school credit.
Final results are typically mailed to parents/guardians and made available to counselors within 3-4 weeks after testing. No information on the final results will be provided over the telephone or by email. Parents should pay close attention to application deadlines and testing dates.
Additional information on Credit-by-Exams in Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD:
- Current Guidelines
- Registration & Testing Dates
- Study Guides & Resources
Current Guidelines
There is no charge for CBE for acceleration or credit recovery. If a parent requests an alternative examination, the district may administer and recognize results of a test purchased by the parent or student from Texas Tech University or the University of Texas at Austin.
Testing Guidelines
Students may take a specific grade level/subject area CBE only once during each testing window.
- A child who is five years old at the beginning of the school year can be assigned initially to grade 1 rather than kindergarten based on qualifying CBE scores earned on district administration of readiness and achievement tests taken prior to the second Monday of September.
- Elementary students in grades 1-5 may accelerate one grade level based on qualifying CBE scores earned in all four tested subject areas prior to the second Monday of September.
- Secondary students (grades 6-12) must take CBE for each semester in order to earn one (1) year course credit in a tested subject area.
- Scores from End-of-Course (STAAR) exams cannot be used for purposes of CBE credit.
Kindergarten – grade 8 students who do not earn CBE credit for acceleration in a specific grade level/subject area before the beginning of the school year must satisfactorily complete the grade level/subject area course in which the student would ordinarily be required to enroll in accordance with the school district’s prescribed sequence.
Qualifying CBE scores earned for high school credit will appear on a student transcript but will not be computed for determining class rank. Scores below 80% on CBE for acceleration or 70% on CBE for credit recovery will not be recorded on student transcripts. A student may attempt to earn CBE for a specific high school course only two (2) times. Students who do not earn course credit must retest within a different testing window.
Registration & Testing Dates
Students interested in taking a Credit-by-Exam (CBE) for acceleration or credit recovery should contact their home campus counselor to register for upcoming test administration. Confirmation of CBE registration will occur through email approximately 2 weeks in advance of scheduled test date. Students will be required to provide an email that is checked regularly.
Our district administers Credit-by-Exams (CBE) to students currently enrolled in Carrollton Farmers Branch ISD a minimum of four times throughout the year. Future CBE registration deadlines and testing dates will be published after school board approval of the upcoming academic school year calendar.
Students are encouraged to review the grade level and content area study guides available on the Texas Tech or University of Texas websites. Some high school CBE require completion of assignments in advance of testing date. Avant World Language CBE are completed online requiring reading, listening, speaking, and writing components.
Final results are typically mailed to parents/guardians and made available to counselors within 3-4 weeks after testing. No information on the final results will be provided over the telephone or by email. Parents should pay close attention to application deadlines and testing dates.
Study Guides & Resources
Students are encouraged to review the course study guides on the Texas Tech and University of Texas websites prior to testing. Some CBE require completion of assignments in advance of the testing date or other items that will need to be brought to testing. Please read carefully as this information is not always listed in the top section of the study guide. For example, English CBE tests typically require students to complete pre-reading activities in order to be successful on the test; History and Art CBE tests may require student work completed in advance and requirement for students to bring self-addressed stamped envelope. Study Guides & Tutorial Help:
https://highschool.utexas.edu/cbe_study_guides
https://www.depts.ttu.edu/k12/current-students/forms/cbe-review-sheets/.
https://tea.texas.gov/curriculum/teks/
All Avant World Language CBE are administered online. Students will be provided a headset during testing. Most languages require students to complete four sections: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The reading and listening questions will be in multiple choice format. However, in order to demonstrate a high mastery level of language skills, students are strongly encouraged to elaborate as much as possible on the writing/speaking sections in order to increase their chances for earning multiple years of high school credit. Sample tests are available at https://avantassessment.com/sample-tests
PSAT/NMSQT
The PSAT/NMSQT is administered to 10th and 11th grade students during mid-October. For students in their third year of high school, it is used as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
It is administered free of charge to students enrolled in the district and to homeschool students who reside within the district.
Homeschool students wishing to test in CFBISD should contact their feeder campus high school’s registrar a minimum of 20 days prior to test administration.
All students are highly encouraged to become familiar with the test format and practice materials in advance of test day.
Links:
Test Format
Practice Materials
SAT
SAT School Day is administered to 11th grade students in mid-March and 12th grade students in mid-October.
It is administered free of charge to students enrolled in the district and to homeschool students who reside within the district.
Homeschool students wishing to test in CFBISD should contact their feeder campus high school’s registrar a minimum of 20 days prior to test administration.
All students are highly encouraged to become familiar with the test format and practice materials in advance of test day.
More Information
TSI
The TSI Assessments (TSIA) measures college readiness in reading, writing, and math. A qualifying score of 350 in math or 351 in reading means a student can enroll in any entry-level course without restrictions at a public state college or university in Texas.
Examinees first take a placement test of 20-25 questions to determine if their skills are at college-ready, developmental, or adult basic education level. Student who do not score at the college-ready level then complete diagnostic tests in order to gain detailed information regarding the academic strengths and weakness in that tested subject area.
All TSIA (Accuplacer) tests are computer adaptive and are untimed. Questions increase or decrease in difficulty level depending on how a student responds. In CFBISD, students take the TSIA at their home campus usually during the regularly schedule school day. The test is given free of charge to students enrolled in our high schools.
Before testing, students are required to complete the Pre-assessment Activity (PAA) in advance of testing. This is a 30 minute web-based exercise in which students become familiar with the TSIA test format and preparation. Students are also encouraged to practice review questions in advance.
After the test, students can receive a report with their TSI Assessment placement score plus the diagnostic test results with proficiency levels for each tested subject. Counselors may use TSIA information to help guide students on their education plan and future high school course selections.
If your scores do not meet the minimum requirements for college readiness, students may want to consider enrolling in college preparatory courses during their senior year of high school. College Prep English (1324) and College Prep Math (4787) are designed to help students meet college entrance requirements under TSI. Lastly, students may retest free of charge. See your counselor for future dates and times.
Suggested resources available to prepare you for the TSIA include: