i-Ready

August 13-28

November 30 - December 11

March 15– 25

3rd - 5th

These diagnostic assessment tools help educators see where students are, set high—but achievable—expectations for growth, and connect the right instructional tools to help them get there.

CogAT

October 13 -30

3rd - 5th (Nominated/Qualified)

Deadline for nominations: September 15

Identifying gifted and talented students is a multi-step process that includes screening and referral, eligibility assessment, and placement. The objective of the grade 2 testing program is to evaluate each student for placement into a district Gifted and Talented program. Under State Board Regulation 43-220, students must meet the criteria in two of the three dimensions outlined in this law. See SCDE’s Gifted and Talented website for additional information.

ACCESS for ELLs

January 20 - March 5

3rd -5th

All students in grades K-12 who are determined to have limited English proficiency - based upon the completion of a Home Language Survey and the initial assessment of their English proficiency - must take ACCESS for ELLs® or Alternate ACCESS each spring. This includes those students whose parents have waived direct MLP services.

Performance Tasks Assessment

February 16 -March 5

3rd-5th

(meet eligibility criteria)

These assessments identify intellectually advanced students for inclusion in gifted education programs. The purpose of the Performance Task Assessment is to identify students on Dimension C of the SBE Regulation 43-220. Students who meet the criteria for Dimension A (aptitude) or Dimension B (achievement), but not both, must take the primary level in grade 2 and/or 3 and the intermediate level in grade 4 and/or 5.

Climate Surveys

March 1-19

Parents, Teachers,

3rd- Students

The Education Accountability Act of 1998 specifies that, “school report cards should include information in such areas as…evaluations of the school by parents, teachers, and students.” Student, teacher, and parent/guardian opinion surveys have been designed to measure perceptions of three factors – Home and School Relations, School Learning Environments, and School Social and Physical Environments. Feedback received in these surveys provide valuable information to principals, teachers, parents, school improvement councils, and community groups in their efforts to identify areas for improvement.

SC READY

May 11-12: Reading

May 13: Writing

May 18: Math

May 19: Science

3rd-5th

The South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Assessments (SC READY) program is a statewide assessment in English Language Arts (ELA), mathematics, science and social studies administered to students in grades 3–8 as required by the Education Accountability Act (EAA). The EAA was amended in 2018 to shorten testing by reducing the number of grade levels tested in social studies to grades 5 and 7 and for science to grades 4, 6, and 8. For the 2024-25 school year, Proviso 1.72 of the General Appropriations Bill suspended testing of grade 8 in science and grades 5 and 7 in social studies. As a result, students will be assessed in grades 4 and 6 in science. SC READY social studies will not be assessed in grades 3-8 during the 2024-25 school year.