Coordinator of Training and Testing - Luke Schmidt

TAKS

TAAS vs. TAKS

The new state assessment test, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skill (TAKS) test will offer some new challenges for teachers, parents, and students next year. Some major differences are:

In addition to multiple choice questions, griddable
questions will require students to determine answers
on their own with no options from which to select.
• Reading passages will be longer and more complex
• Science and math portions will require students to
measure and use complex formulas

ACT Assessment®
The ACT Assessment® is designed by ACT, Inc. (http://www.act.org) to assess high school students' general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work. Participation is voluntary. The test is generally administered six times a year. Students can choose to take the test multiple times. The examination covers four academic skill areas: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning. The scores for each section range from 1 to 36.

Participation in and performance on the ACT are indicators in the Texas public school Academic Excellence Indicator System.

SAT®
The SAT® is developed by the College Board (http://www.collegeboard.com) to assess high school students' readiness for college-level work. Participation is voluntary. The examination is generally administered seven times a year. Students can choose to take the test multiple times. The SAT I: Reasoning Test consists of two sections: Verbal and Mathematics. The scores for each section range from 200 to 800.

Participation in and performance on the SAT are indicators in the Texas public school Academic Excellence Indicator System.

Tests Administered by TEA
Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS)
As mandated by the 76th Texas Legislature in 1999, the TAKS will be administered beginning in the 2002-2003 school year. The TAKS measures the statewide curriculum in reading at Grades 3-9; in writing at Grades 4 and 7; in English Language Arts at Grades 10 and 11; in mathematics at Grades 3-11; in science at Grades 5,10, and 11; and social studies at Grades 8, 10, and 11. The Spanish TAKS is administered at Grades 3 through 6. Satisfactory performance on the TAKS at Grade 11 is prerequisite to a high school diploma.

Reading Proficiency Tests in English (RPTE)
The RPTE are designed to measure annual growth in the English reading proficiency of second language learners, and are used along with English and Spanish TAKS to provide a comprehensive assessment system for limited English proficient (LEP) students. LEP students in Grades 3-12 are required to take the RPTE until they achieve a rating of advanced.

State-Developed Alternative Assessment (SDAA)
The SDAA assesses special education students in Grades 3-8 who are receiving instruction in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) but for whom TAKS is an inappropriate measure of their academic progress. SDAA becomes a part of the school accountability system in the 2002-2003 school year.