State Testing Information for Grades K–4: Phonics Assessment

At State Street Academy, students in grades K–4 participate in state-mandated phonics assessments. These assessments are an essential part of early literacy development and help ensure that our youngest learners are building a strong foundation in reading and writing.

Phonics is a method of teaching that focuses on the relationship between letters and the sounds they represent. Through phonics instruction, students learn how to decode words by recognizing letter patterns and applying sound-symbol relationships. This skill is critical for reading fluency and comprehension as students progress through their academic journey.

The phonics assessment provides valuable insights into each student’s reading abilities, allowing educators to tailor instruction and provide targeted support where needed.

For more information about the science of phonics instruction, visit Brainspring.

If you have any questions about testing or how to support your child at home, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

At State Street Academy, students participate in NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association) district testing, a nationally recognized assessment that helps measure academic growth in Math, Reading, and Language Usage.

The NWEA MAP Growth test is an adaptive assessment—this means the difficulty of the questions adjusts based on each student’s performance, providing a personalized testing experience. This allows educators to accurately identify a student's current academic level, regardless of their grade.

Why NWEA Testing Matters:

· Tracks student progress over time.

· Helps teachers tailor instruction to meet individual learning needs.

· Identifies areas of strength and areas for growth

· Supports data-driven decisions in curriculum and planning

· Students take this assessment multiple times a year (typically fall, winter, and spring), allowing us to monitor their academic growth throughout the school year.

🔗 Learn more about NWEA: https://www.nwea.org/

If you have questions about NWEA testing or how to support your child, please reach out to our office for more information.

LETRS® (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) is a professional development program designed to equip educators with a deep understanding of the science of reading and effective literacy instruction. While LETRS itself does not directly assess students, it provides educators with tools and knowledge to conduct literacy assessments and support their students effectively.

One of the tools used is the LETRS Phonics and Word-Reading Survey, which helps educators evaluate students' decoding skills. This assessment involves students reading word lists aloud, which allows teachers to identify specific areas where students may need targeted instruction. The survey covers decoding tasks like single-syllable words, nonsense syllables, and multisyllabic words. By analyzing students’ errors, educators can adjust their teaching strategies and provide the support needed for each student to improve their literacy skills.

In short, LETRS empowers teachers to assess and tailor instruction based on a deep understanding of how students learn to read, with surveys like the Phonics and Word-Reading Survey being valuable tools in monitoring and guiding student progress.

For more information about LETRS, visit https://www.lexialearning.com/letrs