District and State Assessments

District Assessments

FastBridge (FAST)

The FAST assessments are given 3 times per year and are used for screening and progress monitoring of students in grades PreK-8. The tests are focused on providing teachers with timely data on a student’s progress in reading and math. Results from the FAST assessments give teachers important data that enables them to adjust their teaching to maximize the learning growth of their students.

State Assessments

Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments: Reading, Math, and Science Testing

The MCAs are state tests that measure student progress toward Minnesota’s academic standards. The MCAs also meet the Minnesota Department of Education’s state and federal obligations under the Every Student Succeeds Act. State assessment results are one element of MDE’s North Star school accountability system. The MCA is also one of the academic accountability measures used by CPA’s Authorizer, the University of St. Thomas.

Reading: Reading tests are given in grades 3-8 and in grade 10. They measure the student’s ability to understand how a piece of writing is structured by the author and the kinds of writing devices an author uses to express the storyline or argument.

Math: Math tests are given in grades 3-8 and in grade 11. They measure the student’s ability to solve complex, multi-step problems based on real-world situations using math.

Science: Science tests are given in grade 5, 8 and 10. Often, the problems focus on scientific scenarios students might encounter doing real-world research and investigations.

The MCA’s are administered in the Spring of each school year. Official results will be available the following fall.

MCAs are untimed, but estimated durations are:

Click here to read or download the MDE MCA Parent Fact Sheet

ACCESS for English Learners

State and federal laws require that all identified ELD students are assessed annually to measure their English language proficiency and progress in learning English in the four domains of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The ACCESS test is administered annually in February-March to assess English language proficiency and to monitor ELD students’ progress toward meeting Minnesota’s standards for English language development. Official results are available the following fall. The estimated test times for each domain are Listening: 40 minutes, Reading: 35 minutes, Speaking: 30 minutes, Writing: 65 minutes.

Click here to read or download the MDE ACCESS Parent Fact Sheet

Civics Test

In 2016, the Minnesota Legislature approved language calling for Minnesota students in public schools to pass a test related to civics. The test consists of fifty of the hundred questions in the USCIS Naturalization Test. The fifty questions are selected by the Learning Law and Democracy Foundation in consultation with civics teachers. CPA students will take the Civics test in 11th grade, in conjunction with their Civics course.

College Readiness Assessments

ACT Testing

All public schools in Minnesota are required to offer a college entrance exam. CPA students in grades 10 and 11 participate in the ACT line of tests.

The ACT line of tests is designed to measure whether students are on track for college readiness. The tests assess Reading, Math, English, and Science. The ACT+Writing also includes a writing component. CPA students take the ACT+Writing in 11th grade. Testing takes place in the spring during the school day. 11th grade students are able to participate in the ACT+Writing during the school day for no cost and are able to use the score they receive for college applications. Students receive results from the ACT organization 6-8 weeks after testing. The ACT tests are timed. The total testing time for the ACT+Writing is 3 hours and 35 minutes.

Participation in Assessments

Community of Peace Academy is committed to the ongoing assessment of student performance on district, state and national measures in order to provide parents the information they need to make informed decisions about the education of their children, and to provide staff the data they require to make informed instructional decisions.

Under federal law, parents and guardians have the right to opt their child out of standardized testing. The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) has published a Parent/Guardian Guide and Refusal for Student Participation in Statewide Testing which provides information to help parents/guardians make informed decisions about Minnesota State Assessments.

If a parent or guardian wishes to speak with a school representative about their child’s participation in standardized testing, they may contact their child’s classroom teacher, an administrator, or the District Assessment Coordinator.

If a parent or guardian wishes to opt their child our of standardized testing, the form at the back of the Parent/Guardian Guide and Refusal for Student Participation in Statewide Testing must be completed and submitted to the District Assessment Coordinator.

For More Information

The contact information for the District Assessment Coordinator is as follows:

Aaron Tepp
Community of Peace Academy
471 Magnolia Avenue E.
St. Paul, MN 55130
651-280-4575
aaront@cpapk12.org

More information about when testing will occur can be found on the school calendar.

Students