Testing at Argyle Middle School
 
MCPS Testing Page
 
Fitnessgram | Foreign Language County Exams | HSA | MAP-R | Math County Exams |
MSA - Reading & Math | MSA - Science | Project Alert | Project TNT | SDRT |
 
Test Name Grade(s) Type Purpose
Fitnessgram 6-8 Health-related fitness activities The Fitness Gram is a complete battery of health-related fitness items that are scored using criterion-referenced standards. These standards are age and gender specific and are established based on how fit children need to be for good health. The Fitnessgram tests are given several times per year in order of the students to track their progress towards a higher level of health. Each student will receive a copy of his/her student report that can be shared with parents.
Foreign Language County Exams 6-8 Oral, Multiple Choice, Constructed Response The purpose of the Foreign Language county exam in is to assess the students’ knowledge of spoken, comprehension, reading and writing skills in the target language. They also must have some appreciation of the culture of the people of the language that they are studying. The spoken portion of the exam is given over the entire semester. Four times during the semester the student responds in the target language to an oral prompt and then has an opportunity to answer questions about the prompt. He/she also has the opportunity to ask questions of other students about their prompt. This portion of the test is averaged and then this average is added on to the remainder of the test. On the day of the test, the students are tested on their comprehension, reading and writing skills in the language that they are studying. The students are given 2 hours and tested in a variety of ways. Some of the questions are multiple choice, while other questions are in essay format. The entire exam is answered in the target language with only the culture portion of the exam being answered in English. The results of this exam should show how well the student is progressing in his overall knowledge of the foreign language.
HSA (High School Assessment) Algebra Students Multiple Choice and Constructed Response Determines if student has demonstrated mastery of the Maryland Content Standards. Currently students are required to take them if enrolled in the appropriate course. Passing scores were established in summer 2003 by the State Board of Education. About the Maryland High School Assessments (from the School Improvement in Maryland web site)
MAP-R 6-8 Multiple Choice The NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association) Map-R (Measures of Academic Progress-Reading) is a computerized adaptive assessment program that provides teachers, students, and parents with an accurate assessment of students' progress in mastering basic reading skills. When administered at regular intervals over time, it is possible to find out whether an individual student, or an entire grade level, is making satisfactory progress in these basic skill areas. Teachers can use the assessment results for instructional planning for individual students or an entire class.
Students take the MAP-R test three times per year: fall (9/13-10/6), winter (1/29-2/21), and spring(4/26-5/18).
Math County Exams 6-8 Multiple Choice and Constructed Response Math A, Math B, and Math C classes take county exams for each unit with data collection and analysis. The exams are scored and the data is entered into a monitoring system. Parents are given reports to show which indicators were assessed and the relative success of each student on those indicators. Algebra 1 now has county exams for each unit and also semester exams.
MSA - Reading and Math 6-8 Multiple Choice and Constructed Response The Maryland School Assessment (MSA) replaced the Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP). In response to requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) federal mandates, it provides national norm-referenced and Maryland criterion-referenced data. The norm-referenced items provide national percentile ranks to describe how well a student performed in reading and mathematics compared to his/her peers nationally. The criterion-referenced items provide proficiency scores (expressed as Basic, Proficient, or Advanced proficiency level) to describe how well a student has mastered the reading and mathematics content specified in the Maryland Content Standards. About the Maryland School Assessment (from the School Improvement in Maryland web site)
MSA - Science 8 Multiple Choice and Constructed Response This is the first year that 8th grade students will be taking the Science MSA (Maryland School Assessment). The test design reflects the High School Biology Assessment, that includes selected response questions, brief constructed response questions, technical passages, lab sets, and discrete items. Students will participate in a practice test on a secure web site and take the Science MSA sometime during April or May.
Project Alert 7 True/False, Matching, Multiple Choice Project Alert is an online assessment that measures the knowledge and attitude change before and after the curriculum is administered. Parents would need to see the teacher for student results.
Project TNT 6 True/False, Matching, Multiple Choice TNT is an online assessment that measures the knowledge and attitude change before and after the curriculum is administered. Parents would need to see the teacher for student results.
SDRT 6-8 Multiple Choice The Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test (SDRT) is an internal, diagnostic instrument that assesses vocabulary, comprehension, and scanning skills. The SDRT provides information on student progress, targets individual students who are in need of additional reading support, and provides data on the effectiveness of support and intervention programs. SDRT test results provide preliminary student placement information.