Testing Information
SC Ready TestingĀ
will be held in spring 2024. Dates and times will be posted here. It is important to make sure students are in attendance and on time during the testing days. Please make sure to schedule appointments outside of the testing days and times. Use the QR code to visit the SC Department of Education Student and Parent Resource page.
Gifted & Talented Identification/Screening
Students must qualify in two of three dimension areas to be considered for enrollment into a GT program in our state.
Dimension A - Demonstrate high reasoning abilities/aptitude by scoring in the 93rd national age percentile or above in one or more areas of the Cognitive Abilities Test (verbal/linguistic, quantitative/mathematical, nonverbal) or a composite of the three.
Dimension B - Demonstrate high achievement in reading and/or math by scoring in the 94th percentile or higher on a nationally-normed state benchmark assessment. Qualifying tests: MAP Growth or iReady Benchmark (Fall or Spring, not Winter)
Dimension C - Demonstrate a high degree of interest in and commitment to academic and/or intellectual pursuits or demonstrate intellectual characteristics such as curiosity/inquiry, reflection, persistence/tenacity in the face of challenge and creative productive thinking. One of the methods by which these characteristics may be demonstrated is with a score of sixteen on either the verbal or nonverbal component of the Performance Task Assessments (PTA) for grade 3 placement.
General Testing Timeline
September - MAP & iReady benchmark tests given (Dimension B) for all grade levels. Alternate Dimension A test given to students who have aged out of Grade 2 but demonstrate high ability.
October/November - CogAT (Dimension A) and Iowa (Dimension B) tests given to all second graders.
January - Make Up Window for CogAT/Iowa
March - Performance Task Assessments (PTA) given to students needing a second area of qualification in any grade level. MAP & iReady benchmark assessment given to all grades.
May - Decisions made for GT eligibility for the upcoming school year.
Please see Ms. Jean Weeks, GT Coordinator, for questions regarding testing and eligibility.
Benchmark Testing:
Computerized benchmark testing provides a snapshot of how students are progressing with their mastery of state standards and grade-level skills at beginning, middle, and end of the school year. Results are used to adjust instruction to fit student needs and to make decisions about programming for the next school year.
MAP Growth (Measures of Academic Progress) is given to Grades K-5 in math and 2-5 in reading and takes about an hour to complete per subject. In Grades K-1, the test is read aloud by the computer. Students receive some questions they should not know the answer to in order that the test adapt and provide a “just right” score indicating what they know and do not know.
MAP Fluency is given to K-1 students and takes about a half-hour to complete. Students answer questions presented orally and then read a text aloud into their headset for scoring of their oral reading fluency. This meets our state’s requirement to screen all students for signs of possible dyslexia and provides teachers with valuable information about how well students recognize and are able to decode/pronounce words.
iReady is the companion program to Ready Math, our adopted math curriculum. It functions similarly to MAP Growth and is given to K-5 students three times per year in math and reading. Unlike MAP, iReady comes with teaching tools, resources, activities and games designed to be used in a 30 minute intervention block during the day based on each student’s results.
Please see Dr. Marsha White, Literacy Coach or Ms. Cheryl Horton, Intervention Coordinator with questions about benchmark testing.
End of Grade/State Testing
Students in Grades 3-5 participate in “high stakes” testing at the end of each year.
SCReady is the testing program for ELA & Math
SCPASS is the testing program for science (and when it returns, social studies testing).
The format varies from year to year, but typically involves ELA being presented in paper/pencil format and the other tests being computerized. For the writing portion, students read a passage, or multiple passages and answer a writing prompt that requires them to cite evidence from the text.
Gone are the days of prompts such as “What is your favorite insect? Tell why it is your favorite and three facts about it.” Now, students compare two texts about a topic and answer a prompt such as “What is the theme of the two passages? Give examples from each passage to support your answer.”
Please see Mr. Jason Osborne, Assistant Principal, for questions regarding End of Grade testing.
Testing for Multilingual Students (MLs)
ACCESS is the testing program for determining a student’s English proficiency. ML students are tested yearly in the spring to determine their individual proficiency levels in reading, writing, speaking, and listening, as well as a composite score. This testing is computerized with the exception of Kindergarten which is 1:1 and paper-based. Please see Mrs. Jennifer Saunders, ESOL Teacher for questions.