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District Assessments

Leonia Assessments

 

To ensure that instruction is responsive to student needs and aligned with grade-level standards, Leonia Public Schools uses a variety of benchmark assessments throughout the school year.
 

 

These assessments help educators monitor student progress, identify areas of strength and need, and make data-informed decisions to support all learners. Assessment data is used by teachers, instructional coaches, and school leaders to tailor instruction, provide targeted support or enrichment, and inform professional learning.

Our commitment is to use assessment as a tool to support learning, and to help our students grow. Benchmarking helps ensure that all students receive instruction that meets their unique learning needs and challenges them to reach their full potential.

 

 

 

A Balanced Approach

In Leonia, we believe in using all three types of assessments to support a full picture of student learning. No single test defines a student; our goal is to use assessments as tools to help each child grow, feel confident, and succeed.

The list below shows a sample of our assessments. If you ever have questions about your child’s assessments or results, we encourage you to reach out to their teacher, department supervisor, or school principal.

What they are:
Benchmark assessments are given a few times a year (usually fall, winter, and spring) to measure how well students are progressing in key academic areas. These tests help us check whether students are on track with grade-level expectations.

Examples in Leonia:

  • STAR Assessments in Reading and Math (Grades K–12)

  • STAR Early Literacy (Grades K–2)

  • Running Records for reading levels (Grades K–5)

  • Writing Benchmarks based on our district writing rubrics

Why they matter:
These assessments help us see growth over time and allow teachers to adjust instruction to meet individual needs.

What they are:
Summative assessments take place at the end of a unit, course, or school year. They evaluate what a student has learned and how well they mastered specific standards.

Examples in Leonia:

  • Final Exams and Midterms (Grades 6–12)

  • Advanced Placement (AP) Exams (High School)

  • enVision Math Unit Tests (Grades K–5)

  • NJSLA State Tests in English Language Arts, Math, and Science (Grades 3–11)

  • ACCESS for ELLs – for English Language Learners (Grades K–12)

  • Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) – for students with significant learning needs

Why they matter:
These help us evaluate long-term learning and provide important information for report cards and academic planning.

Formative Assessments

What they are:
Formative assessments happen during daily lessons and are used by teachers to check for understanding. These are often quick and informal, but they help teachers adjust instruction in real time.

Examples in Leonia:

  • Quick quizzes or exit tickets

  • Teacher observations and class discussions

  • Peer editing or self-assessment activities

  • Drafts of writing assignments with teacher feedback

  • Check-ins during small group instruction

Why they matter:
They guide day-to-day teaching and help students get feedback early—so they can improve before a final grade is given.

  • What they are:
    Benchmark assessments are given a few times a year (usually fall, winter, and spring) to measure how well students are progressing in key academic areas. These tests help us check whether students are on track with grade-level expectations.

    Examples in Leonia:

    • STAR Assessments in Reading and Math (Grades K–12)

    • STAR Early Literacy (Grades K–2)

    • Running Records for reading levels (Grades K–5)

    • Writing Benchmarks based on our district writing rubrics

    Why they matter:
    These assessments help us see growth over time and allow teachers to adjust instruction to meet individual needs.

  • What they are:
    Summative assessments take place at the end of a unit, course, or school year. They evaluate what a student has learned and how well they mastered specific standards.

    Examples in Leonia:

    • Final Exams and Midterms (Grades 6–12)

    • Advanced Placement (AP) Exams (High School)

    • enVision Math Unit Tests (Grades K–5)

    • NJSLA State Tests in English Language Arts, Math, and Science (Grades 3–11)

    • ACCESS for ELLs – for English Language Learners (Grades K–12)

    • Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) – for students with significant learning needs

    Why they matter:
    These help us evaluate long-term learning and provide important information for report cards and academic planning.

  • Formative Assessments

    What they are:
    Formative assessments happen during daily lessons and are used by teachers to check for understanding. These are often quick and informal, but they help teachers adjust instruction in real time.

    Examples in Leonia:

    • Quick quizzes or exit tickets

    • Teacher observations and class discussions

    • Peer editing or self-assessment activities

    • Drafts of writing assignments with teacher feedback

    • Check-ins during small group instruction

    Why they matter:
    They guide day-to-day teaching and help students get feedback early—so they can improve before a final grade is given.

STAR Assessment FAQ

Looking to learn more about the STAR Assessments? See our Frequently Asked Questions below.

  • Star Assessments are short tests that provide teachers with learning data. Star tests are computer adaptive, which means they adjust to each answer your child provides. This helps teachers get the best data to help your child in the shortest amount of testing time (about one-third of the time other tests take). Your child may take a Star test for early literacy, reading, or math.

  • Our teachers and administrators analyze the data they get from Star Assessments to learn what students already know and what they are ready to learn next, to monitor student growth, and to determine which students may need additional help. Star Assessments are heavily researched and scientifically proven to help teachers guide each student on his or her unique path to mastery.

  • By pinpointing exactly what your child knows, teachers can personalize your child’s practice to keep them growing. Plus, short test times ensure your child spends more time learning and less time testing.

  • Unfortunately, that isn’t possible. STAR assessments are computer-based and the questions vary from student to student based on the student's responses to the questions. STAR assessments pull from a bank of thousands of questions in Literacy and Math that span all levels of difficulty from Pre-k through 12th grade. The test is computer adaptive, meaning that the questions each child is asked are customized and will vary based upon their grade level and their response pattern.  If a student answers a question correctly, the next question will be more complex.  If a student answers a question incorrectly, the next question will be simpler.  The platform doesn’t allow for access to the specific questions a child is asked and/or the child’s responses.

  • The best way to help your child with Star Assessments is to help them understand why they are taking the test: So their teacher knows exactly how to help them learn! For anxious children, it may be important to tell them that they cannot fail a Star test—as long as they do their best, the data generated from the test will help their teacher teach them more great things!

  • No. We know that one score from one moment in time provides us only with a starting point. There are many facets to assessing a student's needs. For example, it is a well established trend that fall STAR scores tend to reflect “summer slide”, which results from sustained time out of school and away from school academics.  We do not rush to provide additional supports in September to all students who show summer slide. Rather, we welcome them back to school and into instructional routines and instruction, which oftentimes results in a rebound in subsequent STAR scores. In addition to keeping in mind the time of year students take the test, we use STAR as a trigger for a closer look when making decisions about students. We look at many other pieces of information to determine what support a student needs.  Classrooms are places where a wide range of students’ needs can be met.  We aim to provide as much of that support in the classroom as possible, and for the classroom teacher to remain integral in providing that support, as they are the people at school who know your child best.