ArchdioceseofDenverOfficeofCatholicSchoolsPhilosophyofAssessmentTheArchdioceseofDenverOfficeofCatholicSchools,underthedirectionofArchbishopSamuelJ.Aquila,believesschoolsserveanessentialfunctionintheevangelizationandfaithformationofCatholicchildrenandfamiliesinNorthernColorado.AssuchandinaccordancewithGravissimumEducationis,proclaimedbyHisHolinessPopePaulVI(1965),webelievethatourschools’purposeistoensurethatchildrenflourish,embodyingafullyhumanexperienceinwhichtheyareableandempoweredtoseekTruth.PopePaulVIstated,“Allmenofeveryrace,conditionandage,sincetheyenjoythedignityofahumanbeing,haveaninalienablerighttoaneducationthatisinkeepingwiththeirultimategoal,theirability,theirsex,andthecultureandtraditionoftheircountry,andalsoinharmonywiththeirfraternalassociationwithotherpeoplesinthefosteringoftrueunityandpeaceonearth.Foratrueeducationaimsattheformationofthehumanpersoninthepursuitofhisultimateendandofthegoodofthesocietiesofwhich,asman,heisamember,andinwhoseobligations,asanadult,hewillshare.”1Further,in1998HisHolinessPopeJohnPaulIIremindedusthat,“ThegreatestchallengetoCatholiceducationintheUnitedStatestoday,andthegreatestcontributionthatauthenticallyCatholiceducationcanmaketoAmericanculture,istorestoretothatculturetheconvictionthathumanbeingscangraspthetruthofthings,andingraspingthattruthcanknowtheirdutiestoGod,tothemselves,andtheirneighbors.Inmeetingthatchallenge,theCatholiceducatorwillhearanechoofChrist’swords:‘Ifyoucontinueinmyword,youaretrulymydisciples,andyouwillknowthetruth,andthetruthwillmakeyoufree(John8:32).’”

OurschoolshavebeenbestowedamoralimperativetohonortheGodgivenintellectofeachchild,pushingthemtoachievetheirfullacademicpotentialwhileinstillinginthemafaithbasethatisuniquelyandfullyCatholic.Infact,againinGravissimumEducationis,PopePaulVItellsusthat,“Amongalleducationalinstrumentstheschoolhasaspecialimportance.Itisdesignednotonlytodevelopwithspecialcaretheintellectualfacultiesbutalsotoformtheabilitytojudgerightly,tohandontheculturallegacyofpreviousgeneration,tofosterasenseofvalues,toprepareforprofessionallife.”1Inordertofulfillthisimportance,wemustinstitutepolicies,practicesandstructuresthataligntoandenableorbeliefstocometolifeineachofourschools.WebelieveinaCultureofLearning;weseeassessmentasacriticaltooltofulfillmentorourmoralimperativetoensurethatallchildrenaccesstheirinalienablerighttoeducation.ThoughacademicformationaloneisnotcomprehensiveenoughtoensureflourishingandaccesstoTruth,werecognizethatitisamongthecriticalfunctionsservedbyCatholiceducators.Inthisvein,weleverageassessmenttosupportfulfillmentofourmoralimperativebyobjectivelyandconsistentlymeasuringstudents’academicprogressincorecontentareas.Weaccountforallchildrenandleveragedatacyclestosupportpushingeachofthemtoacquiretheknowledgeandskillsnecessarytofullyflourish,engage,andreasonfromaCatholicworldview.1PopePaulVI."DeclarationonChristianEducation:GravissimumEducationis."Vatican:TheHolySee.Rome,28Oct.1965.Web.5Nov.2017.2PopeSaintJohnPaulII.“AddressoftheHolyFatherPopeJohnPaulIItotheBishopsoftheEcclesiasticalRegionsofChicago,Indianapolis,andMilwaukee(USA)onTheir‘AdLimina’Visit.”Vatican:TheHolySee.Rome,30May1998.Web.5Nov2017.

PurposeofAssessmentinArchdioceseofDenverCatholicSchools

FoundationalBeliefsaboutAssessmentandtheUseofData-ACultureofLearningpositionsassessmentasformative—theassessmentdatahelpsusaskquestionsandlearninordertoformournextstepsininstruction,andformournextstepsasacommunityofprofessionallearnersinprofessionaldevelopment.-Ourgoalisnotjustcollectingdata,itisusingdatatoaddressstudents’needs.Testingstudentsmustbecoupledwithdataanalysisinwhichtheteacher,withinafewdays’time,lookscriticallyatthatdataanddeterminesnextstepsininstruction.-Assessments,combinedwithacarefullydesignedcurriculum,helpuswitharoadmapofwhatstudentsarelearningeveryday.-Assessmentshelpusunderstandwhetherindividualstudentslearnedwhatwesetouttoteach.Theyhelpusseewhichstudentsneedhelpinparticularareas,andwhichstudentsarereadytomoveontomorechallengingmaterial.-Assessmentshelpusmakedecisionsaboutfutureinstruction.Bylookingatdata,wecandelivermuchmoretargetedinstructiontohelpindividualstudentslearnandmastercontenttheyhavenotlearned,aswellashelpusseewhetherwhatwesetouttoteachwasactuallymasteredbythestudents.-Studentsshouldbeassessedregularly.Byassessingregularly,teacherscanidentifyproblemsinastudent’slearningandcorrectthoseproblemsinatimelymanner.-Assessmentandengagementindatacycleshelpstoensurethatwefulfillthechargesetforthbycanonlaw(c.806§2)toensure“thattheinstructionwhichisgivenin[Catholicschools]isatleastasacademicallydistinguishedasthatintheotherschoolsofthearea.”-Thedataproducedfromstudentassessmentsshouldinformadultlearningandcoaching,classroomobservations,andschool-widegoalsandfoci.-Assessmentsandtheuseofdatacyclessupportadherencetohighexpectationsforallchildren.Bydefiningmasteryandaccountingforthelearningandgrowthofallchildrenwearebetterpositionedtoholdallstudentsandadultsinthesystemaccountableformasteryofacademiccontent.-Principals,duringobservations,seejustasliceofwhatishappeningintheclassroom.However,bydoingthoroughdataanalysis,andmostespeciallybydoingdataanalysiswiththeclassroomteacher,a

principalcanunderstandalotmoreaboutwhatishappeningintheclassroom,andcanpinpointmorepreciselyinwhichareastohelpcoachtheteacher.-Ourstudentsshouldfeelajoyinlearning,notaburdenofassessment.Ourlanguagesurroundingassessmentshouldbehelpingstudentsrealizethatassessmentsarenotmeanttocategorizethem,rather,assessmentshelpusunderstandhowtobesthelpthemlearn.Studentsshouldnotbepressuredtoscorewellonexams.

AbouttheAssessmentsSTARAssessmentsareonlinecomputer-adaptivetests(CATs).Insteadofgrade-leveltestforms,STARassessmentstailoritemstoastudent’sresponsestoquicklyzeroinonthestudent’sachievementlevelandarriveatareliablescore.Thefirstitemisbasedonestimatedabilitylevel,usingastudent’sgradelevelorprevioustestscore.Correctresponsescausethedifficultylevelofthenextitemtoincrease.Ifthestudentmissesanitem,thedifficultylevelisreduced.WhileeachSTARassessmentisindividualizedandunique,blueprintsensurethatacertainnumberofitemsfromthedomainsandskillsetsarepresentedtoeachstudent.BlessedSacramentCatholicSchooladministerstheassessmentthreetimesaschoolyearinthefall,mid-yearandinthespring.Theassessmentdataallowstheteachertoadjustcurriculum&instruction;enhancesteachingpractices;differentiatesinstruction;givesaclearpictureonindividualstudentneeds;andprovidesaclearunderstandingofachievementgrowthforthestudentandparents.