Assessment for Learning

The School District of Jefferson uses a comprehensive system of balanced assessment to inform decisions at the classroom, school, and district levels. Our assessment system includes formative checks for understanding (common assessments across grades or content areas), benchmark assessments such as FastBridge, and summative assessments required by our state (DLM, ACCESS for ELLs, PreACT Secure, and ACT). Each of these assessments provide information about our students' attainment of proficiency and is reviewed, analyzed, and interpreted for meaning to improve instruction that meets the student's needs.

2025-2026 SDOJ Assessment Calendar
Please note some links in this document are accessible by SDoJ staff only.

Assessment Information

The United States Department of Education, State of Wisconsin, and the School District of Jefferson each require a variety of assessments for a variety of purposes. Below is a list of the assessments. Please expand to review the subject matter, purpose, mandate, and if possible, time spent to schedule and take the assessment, and distribute results.

Please direct any questions you have on these or other assessments to our District Assessment Coordinator at cidirector@sdoj.org.

Federal/State Required Assessments

ACCESS for ELLs

WIDA ACCESS

Subject Matter and Grade Levels Assessed

Grades K-12, English language proficiency for students identified as English Learners (ELs)

Purpose and Use of the Assessment

WIDA ACCESS allows educators, ELs, and families to monitor EL’s progress in acquiring academic English in the domains of speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

Law or Policy Requiring the Assessment

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and Wisconsin State Statute 115.96(1)

Time Students Will Spend Taking the Assessment

The WIDA ACCESS test is untimed, and students have the time needed to produce scorable content. ACCESS typically takes 1-4.5 hours to complete, depending on grade and test format.

Schedule for the Assessment

WIDA ACCESS is administered annually in the winter. See: https://dpi.wi.gov/assessment/ell/calendar

Schedule and Format for Sharing Results

Student score reports are available in multiple languages, with paper copies provided to Districts in English during the spring. Districts distribute parent school reports either in late spring or early in the next school year.
https://dpi.wi.gov/assessment/ell/data#timing

ACT with Writing

Subject Matter and Grade Levels Assessed

Grade 11 for reading, English, mathematics, science, and writing

Purpose and Use of the Assessment

ACT with writing helps students understand what they need to learn next to build rigorous high school course plans and identify career areas that align with their interests. It can be used for college enrollment, scholarships, and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) eligibility requirements.

Law or Policy Requiring the Assessment

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and Wisconsin State Statute 118.30

Time Students Will Spend Taking the Assessment

ACT with writing takes 3 hours, 55 minutes to complete, including breaks.
https://dpi.wi.gov/assessment/act/resources#ACT%20resources

Schedule for the Assessment

ACT with writing is administered annually in the spring. See: https://dpi.wi.gov/assessment/act/calendar

Schedule and Format for Sharing Results

Student Score Reports are available online and mailed 5-8 weeks after the assessment.
https://dpi.wi.gov/assessment/act/data

PreACT Secure

Subject Matter and Grade Levels Assessed

Grades 9 and 10 for reading, English, mathematics, and science

Purpose and Use of the Assessment

PreACT Secure can be used to predict future ACT scores and possible areas of strength and challenges.

Law or Policy Requiring the Assessment

Wisconsin State Statute 118.30

Time Students Will Spend Taking the Assessment

PreACT Secure assessments take 2 hours, 50 minutes to complete, including breaks.
https://dpi.wi.gov/assessment/PreACT/Resources#test-times

Schedule for the Assessment

PreACT Secure is administered annually in the spring. See: https://dpi.wi.gov/assessment/PreACT/calendar

Schedule and Format for Sharing Results

Students receive individual reports. Reports will be either hand delivered or mailed to parent/guardians.
https://dpi.wi.gov/assessment/PreACT/data

Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM)

Subject Matter and Grade Levels Assessed

Grades 3-11 in ELA and mathematics
Grades 4, 8-11 in science
Grades 4, 8, and 10 in social studies

Purpose and Use of the Assessment

DLM assesses the academic progress of students with significant cognitive disabilities. It is administered online.

Law or Policy Requiring the Assessment

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and Wisconsin State Statute 118.30

Time Students Will Spend Taking the Assessment

DLM is untimed.

Schedule for the Assessment

DLM is administered annually in the spring. See: https://dpi.wi.gov/assessment/dlm/calendar

Schedule and Format for Sharing Results

Students receive individual reports and learning profiles. Reports will be either hand delivered or mailed to parent/guardians.
https://dpi.wi.gov/assessment/dlm/data

Early Literacy Assessment

Early Literacy Assessment, Act 20

Subject Matter and Grade Levels Assessed

Grades 4K-3 for reading readiness

Purpose and Use of the Assessment

Districts must assess fundamental reading skills in order to inform and identify students with reading needs. Districts are required to provide interventions or remedial services to address the needs consistent with the state standards in reading and language arts.

Law or Policy Requiring the Assessment

Wisconsin State Statute 118.016 (Act 20)

Time Students Will Spend Taking the Assessment

Varies by assessment type and grade. See: WI Act 20 Assessment Matrix

Schedule for the Assessment

Universal screenings are administered at least 3 times per school year; once before the 45th school day, once in the middle of the school term, and once by the 45th day before the last day of school.

Diagnostic assessments are administered within 10 days of screening for students who are indicated as at-risk on the universal screener.

Schedule and Format for Sharing Results

Students receive individual reports. Reports will be either hand delivered to parent/guardians or accessible via the District's Data Warehouse's Guardian Portal within 15 days of screening.

WI Forward Exam

Wisconsin Forward Exam

Subject Matter and Grade Levels Assessed

Grades 3-8 in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics
Grades 4 and 8 in science
Grades 4, 8, and 10 in social studies

Purpose and Use of the Assessment

The Forward Exam gauges how well students are doing in relation to the Wisconsin Academic Standards and how well districts and the state are supporting students to meet those standards.

Law or Policy Requiring the Assessment

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and Wisconsin State Statute 118.30

Time Students Will Spend Taking the Assessment

The Forward Exam is untimed.
https://dpi.wi.gov/assessment/forward/resources#timing

Schedule for the Assessment

The Forward Exam is administered annually in the spring. See: https://dpi.wi.gov/assessment/forward/calendar

Schedule and Format for Sharing Results

Students receive individual reports. Reports will be either hand delivered or mailed to parent/guardians.
https://dpi.wi.gov/assessment/forward/data#availability

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

Subject Matter and Grade Levels Assessed

Grades 4 and 8 for reading and mathematics (only if the school is selected to participate)

Purpose and Use of the Assessment

NAEP assessment results help produce the Nation’s Report Card. NAEP is a survey given each year to a sample of schools selected to participate. Districts that receive Title-I funds agree to have schools participate.

Law or Policy Requiring the Assessment

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

Time Students Will Spend Taking the Assessment

Students typically spend 1.5-2 hours to complete the NAEP, depending on grade and test format.

Schedule for the Assessment

Each sample school has one test date, between the last week of January and the first week of March.

Schedule and Format for Sharing Results

Results are reported at the state and national levels.
https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/

Locally Determined Assessments

Universal screening is the process of systematically assessing all students in a classroom/grade to identify students who may need additional academic or behavioral support. Administered a few times a year, it helps educators identify potential learning gaps early, inform instructional decisions, and allocate resources effectively to ensure all students have a chance to succeed.

aimswebPLUS Reading Screener

Subject Matter and Grade Levels Assessed

Grades 4 and 5 for reading proficiency

Purpose and Use of the Assessment

To monitor student progress in reading to identify students who may be at risk for reading difficulties and may require additional support or intervention.

Time Students Will Spend Taking the Assessment

Approximately 45 minutes.

Schedule for the Assessment

Three times a year; in the fall, winter, and spring.
See the SDoJ Assessment Calendar linked at the top of the page for exact dates.

Schedule and Format for Sharing Results

Students receive individual reports. Reports will be either hand delivered to parent/guardians or accessible via the District's Data Warehouse's Guardian Portal.

aimswebPLUS Math Screener

Subject Matter and Grade Levels Assessed

Grades K-5 for math readiness

Purpose and Use of the Assessment

To monitor student progress and growth in mathematics skills to identify students who may require additional support or intervention.

Time Students Will Spend Taking the Assessment

Varies by grade. Approximately 15-45 minutes.

Schedule for the Assessment

Three times a year; in the fall, winter, and spring.
See the SDoJ Assessment Calendar linked at the top of the page for exact dates.

Schedule and Format for Sharing Results

Students receive individual reports. Reports will be either hand delivered to parent/guardians or accessible via the District's Data Warehouse's Guardian Portal.

FastBridge

FastBridge (Reading and Math)

Subject Matter and Grade Levels Assessed

Grades 6-9 for math and reading proficiency

Purpose and Use of the Assessment

To measure student progress and growth in reading and math, and identify students that may need supplemental, differentiated, or individualized instruction.

Time Students Will Spend Taking the Assessment

Varies by grade level. Approximately 30-45 minutes.

Schedule for the Assessment

Three times a year; in the fall, winter, and spring.
See the SDoJ Assessment Calendar linked at the top of the page for exact dates.

Schedule and Format for Sharing Results

Students receive individual reports. Parents are notified via email and reports are accessible via the District's Data Warehouse's Guardian Portal.

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener

Subject Matter and Grade Levels Assessed

Grades 3, 5, and 7-10 for social-emotional screening

Systems Used

Locally Created: Grades 3, 5, and 7-10
ACT Mosaic: Grade 9

Purpose and Use of the Assessment

To identify students' strengths and potential needs in social and emotional learning (SEL) skills, such as self-management, empathy, and relationship building.

This information helps provide targeted support, inform interventions, and support academic and personal growth by measuring students' emotional well-being, social skills, and school environment perceptions.

Time Students Will Spend Taking the Assessment

5-10 minutes.

Schedule for the Assessment

Two times a year; in the fall and spring.
See the SDoJ Assessment Calendar linked at the top of the page for exact dates.

Assessment FAQs

Additional details, including information about parent rights and opt-out policies by test can be found at https://dpi.wi.gov/assessment/faq.

If interested in opting your student out of an assessment, please contact your student's building Principal for a copy of the district's opt-out form.