PLESD believes in using multiple assessments to determine how students are performing and how to best meet the needs of our students. There are three levels to these assessments.

State:

The State of California mandates that all students in 2^nd - 8^th grade take a State Assessment each year through the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program. For almost all of our students they will take the California Standards Tests (CST). Fourth and seventh grade students also take the California Writing test. A limited number of students who qualify for Special Education are eligible to take alternative assessments, the California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA) or the California Modified Assessment (CMA). Please see the assessment calendar for the dates.

Assessment Calendar

District:

The district will mandate that all students take a district assessment in English Language Arts and Math each year. At this time because of the ongoing mathematics adoption, only 6 - 8^th grade students will need to take the math assessments each trimester. All 1^{s t} - 8^th grade students will take the Houghton Mifflin California Summative tests each trimester. There will be a 2 week window that students may take the test each trimester to best allow the teachers flexibility in planning and implementing their curriculum. The results must be entered into the Edusoft program by the last day of the 2 week window. The 2009-2010

ELA assessment dates are:

Trimester 1- 10/26-11/6

Trimester 2- 2/22- 3/5

Trimester 3- 5/17-5/28

The results of these assessments will be used by teachers, grade level teams, and administration to best develop an academic program for our students. It will be an expectation that sites hold data meetings to analyze successes and areas of improvement.

Assessment Calendar

Teacher:

It is expected that teachers use multiple assessments on a regular basis to continually monitor the progress of their students. These assessments can be textbook created or teacher created.  

PLESD uses the AERIES program as our student data management system. One of the components of AERIES is the AERIES Browser Interface (ABI). ABI allows teachers to take attendance, see student information, submit report card grades, and keep a grade book. ABI also allows parents/guardians to follow student progress through what our district is calling Parent Portal.

All teachers are expected to use ABI for attendance and submitting grades for report cards. All 4-8^th grade teachers are expected to use ABI for their grade books. K-3 grade teachers are expected to input 1 standard a week in English Language Arts and Math so that parents may keep track of how well their student is doing.

The following curriculum has been adopted by the district:

English Language Arts - Grades K- 5^th Houghton Mifflin. Grades 6^th - 8^th McDougal Littell

The State has postponed the mandated new curriculum purchase until 2013. We will evaluate at the end of 2009-2010 if the district needs to adopt a new ELA curriculum before that time.

Math - Grades K-5^th is using Saxon Math. Grades K-5^th will be adopting a new program for 2010-11.

Grades 6^th - 8^th has adopted the Holt program that will be implemented in 2009-2010. Science-

Social Studies - Grades K, 1^st & 5^th Houghton Mifflin, Grades 2^nd - 4^th McGraw Hill, Grades 6^th - 8^th McDougal Littell

Science -  Grades K - 5^th McGraw Hill, Grades 6^th  - 8^th  McDougal Littell