Dear Principals,
As we continue our collective work to ensure equitable access to high-quality instruction across all schools, we want to take a moment to affirm the importance of systemic assessments in driving instructional excellence and supporting every student’s academic success.
Research consistently underscores that formative and summative assessments, when aligned to curriculum and instruction, are among the most powerful tools educators have to monitor learning, inform teaching, and close opportunity gaps. According to Black and Wiliam (1998), effective assessment practices can lead to significant learning gains, particularly for students who have historically been underserved. Likewise, districtwide assessment systems provide critical data that allow schools to respond in real time to student needs and ensure alignment with our guaranteed and viable curriculum. Our work with PLCs has also clarified the importance of being able to look at student achievement through a consistent lens across grades, schools, and the district.
To that end, we will use Instructional Block Post Assessments (IBPAs) and Standards Based Assessments (SBAs) as the district’s primary formative assessment tool. These assessments are designed to be used in tandem with our curricular resources and serve multiple, essential purposes:
- They provide actionable data on student progress toward proficiency in the standards taught during each instructional block.
- They help school and district teams evaluate the effectiveness of instructional delivery and make informed adjustments.
- They contribute to a shared understanding of instructional priorities and support professional collaboration among educators.
At a minimum, all schools are expected to implement the IBPAs and SBAs consistently as part of our districtwide commitment to instructional coherence and equity. Schools may also choose to use RISE Benchmark assessments as additional checkpoints that support and lead into the IBPAs and SBAs. This layered approach gives schools additional flexibility while preserving the fidelity of our core assessment strategy.
Your leadership in implementing this system with clarity and purpose is essential. I invite you to approach this work as a community of practice, where we are learning from one another and using data not simply to measure performance, but to enhance instruction and deepen student engagement.
Thank you, as always, for your commitment to excellence and equity for every student, in every classroom, every day. Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions or for support in implementation.
Implementation Guidance for Instructional Block Post Assessments (IBPAs) and Standards Based Assessments (SBAs)
To support successful implementation of the IBPAs and SBAs, schools are encouraged to follow the guidance below:
- Schedule and administer IBPAs and SBAs within the window identified in the Assessment Plan, which is updated each year to reflect the current calendar.
- Use PLC meetings to review assessment data, identify student learning trends, and develop instructional responses.
- Leverage data from IBPAs and SBAs to inform Tier I instruction and identify students in need of additional support or enrichment.
- Ensure all educators have access to assessment results and relevant data dashboards to monitor progress over time.
- Consider integrating RISE Benchmark assessments at the midpoint of instructional blocks to check for understanding ahead of IBPAs and SBAs.
The Teaching & Learning and the School Leadership & Support teams are available to provide support with implementation, data analysis, and instructional planning. Schools are encouraged to reach out proactively to schedule support sessions or request resources as needed.
We look forward to discussing this data at a district level next year to identify teams and schools for celebration as well as support each other in increasing student achievement.
Research Citation
Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Inside the black box: Raising standards through classroom assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, 80(2), 139–148.
[HM1]ELA calls their elementary district assessments SBAs. Math class their K-Sec 3 district assessments IBPAs. Science is working to determine how district assessment will look in their content area.
[CM2]Elementary ELA has moved to Standards Based Assessments (SBAs), so please include that wherever you have IBPAs.
[CM3]I just realized I have editing access, so I will go through and do this.
