Assessment
Assessment
Assessment of student academic performance is used to evaluate the needs and progress of students, assess programming effectiveness, and ensure data-driven decision-making throughout the organization.
Student knowledge, skills, and abilities are measured through a variety of classroom methods to develop an understanding of each student’s unique talents, strengths, opportunities for growth, and areas for support.
The mission of Assessment & Academic Programs:
- Enhance the quality of educational decisions by providing accurate and timely data and analysis that support continuous improvement of student learning and achievement.
- Provide accurate and timely student data that will be used to inform curriculum development and instructional practices.
- Provide professional development that will build organizational capacity to apply information appropriately and productively in specific contexts, including the student, classroom, grade/department, building, and district levels.
Assessment of student academic performance is used to evaluate the needs and progress of students, assess programming effectiveness, and ensure data-driven decision-making throughout the organization.
Formative & Summative Assessment
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Formative assessments of student academic performance are used to evaluate the needs and progress of students, analyze programming effectiveness, and ensure data-driven decision-making throughout the organization. Formative assessment is used to:
- Determine what students already know and need to learn.
- Measure growth in individual student achievement/progress.
- Inform instruction to address identified student needs.
- Assign appropriate intervention and enrichment opportunities, providing descriptive, diagnostic feedback that enhances student learning.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of curriculum, instruction, and programming at the classroom, grade level, school, and district levels.
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The goal of summative assessment is to evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against a standard or benchmark. Examples of summative assessments might include end-of-module assessments or projects.
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Student knowledge, skills, and abilities are measured through a variety of methods in classrooms in order to develop an understanding of each student’s unique strengths and opportunities for growth. As an additional assessment tool, Wisconsin public school students participate in state standardized assessments of student performance in the core subject areas of English, mathematics, science, and social studies.
Learn more about standardized assessment on the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction website.
Benefits of Annual State Assessments Include:
- Each student’s state assessment performance provides parents and students with a profile of the student’s strengths and weaknesses in each subject area tested.
- Parents and students can see student growth from year to year.
- Educators use assessment data to observe student performance in the core subject areas, as well as observe any performance gaps among demographic groups, and use this information toward continual improvement.
- Assessment results allow us to benchmark and analyze student achievement in our district as compared to the achievement of students in other district schools, across the state, and across the nation.
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Grading at HHS
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Two grading options have been established for some courses offered to students, including AP/Honors courses and some elective courses.
The grades that students earn in selected courses at the Honors and Advanced Placement level are weighted. Students will receive additional credit toward their grade point average, or GPA, for successful completion of these courses. Both GPAs are included on the student transcript sent to colleges and universities.
Additional information related to these grading options can be obtained from the counseling staff or by referring to the Parent/Student Handbook.
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GRADE REGULAR HONORS & AP (+1.0) Grade % A 4 5 93-99 A- 3.67 4.67 90-92 B+ 3.33 4.33 87-89 B 3 4 83-86 B- 2.67 3.67 80-82 C+ 2.33 3.33 77-79 C 2 3 73-76 C- 1.67 2.67 70-72 D+ 1.33 2.33 67-69 D 1 2 63-66 D- 0.67 1.67 60-62 F 0 0 Below 60 UNWEIGHTED SCALE
WEIGHTED SCALE
Transitioning to i-Ready for the 2026–2027 School Year
As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, during the 25-26 school year, a 19-member committee of elementary and middle school staff completed a thorough review of our academic screeners. After evaluating multiple leading universal screeners against our district’s standards, MTSD is transitioning from NWEA MAP to i-Ready as our universal screener starting in the 2026–2027 school year.
We made this decision because i-Ready best aligns with our district's core learning goals:
- Direct Curricular Alignment: Fits our MTSD standards closely, giving teachers clearer insight into what students know and what they are ready to learn next.
- Immediate & Actionable Insights: Delivers real-time data to help teachers adapt instruction right away to support each student's growth.
- Engaging, Learner-Centered Experience: Provides an interactive experience for students, ensuring greater accuracy in measuring progress.
- Strong Educator Approval: Evaluated across 23 core objectives, i-Ready received an 85% "Strong Evidence" score from our committee (compared to 36% for NWEA MAP).
Next Steps & Resources for Families
- Student Results: Assessment results will be sent home prior to parent-teacher conferences.
- Understanding Reports: To learn more about how to read your child’s report, please view Understanding Your Student's Inform Results.
If you have specific questions about your child's progress, please reach out directly to their teacher. For general questions regarding the district's transition to i-Ready, feel free to contact Sara Summ at ssumm@mtsd.k12.wi.us.