Assessment Overview
Assessments in Arts & Letters™️ go beyond traditional testing to offer a variety of formative and summative strategies that support and measure student learning in real time. The assessments follow a coherent sequence, focusing on the key knowledge and literacy skills built into each module and guiding them towards clear learning goals.
Supporting All Students
Each module sets clear grade-level Learning Goals and aligned assessments, offering valuable data points and equipping teachers with the tools to create knowledge-building classrooms that support all students.
- Scaffolds are designed to ensure all students can demonstrate their knowledge without teachers having to modify the content or adjust expectations.
- Instructions, prompts, and item stems are crafted to maximize readability.
- Digital assessments include accommodations, such as read-alouds, to enable students of all abilities to effectively showcase their understanding.
By focusing on assessing content knowledge, students are evaluated based on what they learn in class. This approach provides a fair and accurate measure of each student's achievement and supports a nurturing educational environment where every student's efforts are recognized and valued.
Achieving College and Career Readiness
Achievement Descriptors outline specific benchmarks for student knowledge and skills after each module, guiding instruction and assessment. By year's end, they ensure students meet college and career readiness standards and are on track for future success.
Arts and Letters Assessments
| Component | Details | Where to Find | K–1 | 2 | 3–8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Learning Task | 1+ per lesson | Learn section of each lesson | • | • | • |
| Listening Comprehension Assessment | 2 per module* | Great Minds® Digital Platform | • | • | |
| Reading Comprehension Assessment | 2 per module* | Great Minds Digital Platform | • | • | |
| Module Task | 2–5 per module | Print: Student Learn Book Digital: Great Minds Digital Platform |
• | • | • |
| End-of-Module Task | 1 per module | Print: Student Learn Book Digital: Great Minds Digital Platform |
• | • | • |
*Level 2 includes two Listening Comprehension Assessments per module in Modules 1 and 2. In Modules 3 and 4, Level 2 students complete one Reading Comprehension Assessment at the midpoint of the module and one Listening Comprehension Assessment at the end of the module.
Daily Learning Tasks
Learning Tasks are daily formative assessments embedded in each lesson. They support the teacher in monitoring student progress so teachers can provide necessary support in real time. This daily informal assessment provides ongoing data on student progress and allows students to demonstrate new knowledge and practice important skills in a low-stakes setting.
Learning Tasks also include activities designed to foster dynamic classroom discussions through student-led speaking and listening activities. Before these discussions, students receive targeted instruction on key speaking and listening goals for the module, preparing them to participate effectively in Socratic Seminars and other discussion-based activities.
To help teachers track student progress toward these goals, we provide a comprehensive Speaking and Listening Goal Tracker. This valuable tool lists the goals, illustrates what progress might look like, and offers space for teachers to document individual student performance throughout the module.
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All Arts & Letters assessments are instructional (formative) because they are all designed to inform instruction. The formal Arts & Letters assessments listed below may also be used for summative purposes enabled by scoring and reporting of digital assessments.
Listening or Reading Comprehension Assessments introduce students to a new, previously unseen text connected to the module topic. Students respond to items that incorporate lesson strategies and instructional routines, guiding students through the Content Stages to build toward deeper comprehension. Students from Kindergarten to Level 2 take Listening Comprehension Assessments, which also assess content knowledge and vocabulary. In Modules 3 and 4 of Level 2, students begin to transition to Reading Comprehension Assessments.
Module Tasks are formal writing and presentation assignments that help students integrate their understanding. Each K–8 module includes one to four Module Tasks that build towards the End-of-Module Task. Tasks feature carefully crafted and sequenced writing prompts that build knowledge progressively, giving students multiple chances to practice and improve their writing skills, ensuring they are well-prepped for the final assessment.
End-of-Module Tasks are pivotal assessments of students' knowledge, craft (including writing, speaking, and research), and language skills. They provide a comprehensive evaluation of student learning, ensuring mastery and readiness for future challenges.
Visibility Into Student Learning
To give teachers the tools they need to maximize student success, we've integrated the Analyze Student Progress section into each lesson to help you transform data from Learning Tasks into actionable insights.
- Monitor: Directly following a Learning Task, this component guides teachers on what to look for in student performance, helping them accurately assess progress
toward lesson goals. - Offer Immediate Support: Provides clear strategies to assist students who initially struggle with Learning Tasks, ensuring no student falls behind.
- Plan Future Practice: Alerts teachers to upcoming lessons where students can revisit and reinforce the skills they've already practiced, promoting continuous growth and mastery.