Assessment

Students in kindergarten through eighth grade take i-Ready assessments in reading and math to measure a student's growth over the school year, and the tests identify areas needed for extra instruction or review. There are not pass/fail standards. Rather, i-Ready is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions to how a student answers. Correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, and wrong answers will results in slightly easier questions.

Using this data, students fall into one of three tiers of support under SISD's Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. These tiers signal how much and what kind of support each student needs, and educators can adjust their instruction accordingly.

High school students regularly take assessments in IXL, an adaptive, targeted learning tool that adjusts curriculum to students' needs and supports teaching and learning. Tested subjects are math and English Language Arts & Reading (ELAR).

Using this data, students fall into one of three tiers of support under SISD's Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. These tiers signal how much and what kind of support each student needs, and educators can adjust their instruction accordingly.

In addition, Sherman High School students can take advantage of online test-prep resources in the IXL platform. Practice sessions for the SAT, ACT, TSIA2, STAAR and TELPAS are available from home by logging on to IXL through Clever in the Student SSO. Students can even enter scores from a practice or previous SAT or ACT exam to create a personal study plan, which includes adaptive questions geared toward building the skills they need to be successful.

The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) is the standardized testing system used across multiple grade levels to measure a student's academic performance relative to their grade level. Testing begins in third grade and continues through End-of-Course exams at the high school level.

Every student who takes a STAAR test receives a STAAR Student Report Card that helps parents see where their child is doing well and where he or she may need extra help. Your child’s scores include performance scores for each subject area. Here are the performance levels and what they mean:

Masters Grade Level
Shows mastery of the course content—student is on track for college and career readiness.

Meets Grade Level
Shows strong knowledge of course content—student is prepared to progress to the next grade.

Approaches Grade Level
Shows some knowledge of course content but may be missing critical elements—student may need additional support in the coming year.

Did Not Meet Grade Level
Shows a lack of basic understanding of course content—student needs significant support in the coming year.

STAAR scores are available through the Sherman ISD Parent Portal or via the Texas Family Portal.

STAAR WEBSITE      UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHILD'S SCORE

The Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) is an English language proficiency assessment aligned to the state language proficiency standards. It assess the progress that an emergent bilingual (EB) student makes in learning the English language. All public school EB students K-12 are required to take the TELPAS until they meet reclassification criteria. Listening and speaking, reading, and writing are tested.

Every student who takes a TELPAS test receives a TELPAS Report Card that helps parents see where their child is doing well and where he or she may need extra help. Here are the TELPAS proficiency levels and what they mean:

Advanced High
Students who receive this rating are able to use academic English in classroom activities with little English-language support from others, even when learning about unfamiliar material. Students at this level have a large enough vocabulary in English to communicate clearly and fluently in most situations.

Advanced
Students who receive this rating are able to understand and use academic English in classroom activities when given some English-language support. In social situations, these students can understand most of what they hear but have some difficulty with unfamiliar grammar and vocabulary.

Intermediate
Students who receive this rating are able to use common, basic English in routine academic activities but need considerable English-language support to make learning understandable. Socially, these students are able to communicate simply about familiar topics and are generally able to understand conversations but may not comprehend all the details.

Beginning
Students who receive this rating are in the early stages of learning English. These students have a small vocabulary of very common words and little ability to use English in academic settings. These students often communicate using English they have memorized.

TELPAS scores are available through the Sherman ISD Parent Portal or via the Texas Family Portal.

TELPAS WEBSITE      UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHILD'S SCORE

College Board Advanced Placement courses culminate in a final exam at the end of the year. The exam is scored 1-5, and depending on the specific college/university, students who earn a qualifying score on an AP exam may receive college credit for that course. Scoring high enough may also lead to certain awards and distinctions.

Home-schooled students/families may contact the testing coordinator at the high school to arrange to take AP Exams on site at SHS.

SISD Advanced Placement  AP Testing Dates

All Sherman ISD 10th and 11th graders have the opportunity to take the PSAT/NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) during the school day. The PSAT is excellent practice for the SAT and provides feedback on skills and scholarship access. It assesses math, reading and writing skills in the same format as the SAT.

Students are encouraged to take advantage of free, personalized practice and study opportunities offered through the College Board and Khan Academy leading up to the test. 

Free Test Prep: SAT Practice Tests

Free Test Prep: Study with Khan Academy

Students who take the PSAT/NMSQT are eligible for the prestigious National Merit Scholarship program and other national recognitions and scholarships through College Board. Home-schooled students/families should contact the testing coordinator at the high school to register for the PSAT/NMSQT prior to exam day each fall.

PSAT WEBSITE

The SAT is a common college admissions test taken nationally and internationally. It is composed of two sections: Reading & Writing and Math. Students have 64 minutes to complete the Reading and Writing section and 70 minutes to complete the Math section for a total of 2 hours and 14 minutes. Total SAT scores range from 400-1600, and the results will reflect a student's performance relative to other U.S. test takers and their readiness for college-level courses.

SAT Website

All Sherman High School students will take the SAT for free during the spring of their junior year. No signup is required. Students are encouraged to take advantage of free, personalized practice and study opportunities offered through the College Board and Khan Academy leading up to the test. 

Free Test Prep: SAT Practice Tests

Free Test Prep: Study with Khan Academy

Students who receive certain minimum scores meet benchmarks established by the state of Texas for college readiness. Scores may impact college admissions, scholarship considerations and college and career goals. 

The ACT is a comprehensive exam that is one of two tests commonly used for college admissions. The exam consists of four multiple-choice tests and one optional writing prompt:

• English: 75 questions, 45 minutes.
• Mathematics: 60 questions, 60 minutes.
• Reading: 40 questions, 35 minutes.
• Science: 40 questions, 35 minutes.
• Writing Test (Optional): One prompt, 30 minutes.

Scores for each section range from 1 (low) to 36 (high), and the composite score (also scored 1-36) is the rounded average of the scores from the English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science sections.

ACT Website

The ACT is offered one Saturday a year at Sherman High School. Taking the test is optional; students must register online. Students are encouraged to take advantage of free practice opportunities offered by ACT leading up to the test. 

FREE TEST PREP: CREATE AN ACCOUNT WITH MYACT.ORG

FREE TEST PREP: ONLINE PRACTICE (NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED)

Students who receive certain minimum scores meet benchmarks established by the state of Texas for college readiness. Scores may impact college admissions, scholarship considerations and college and career goals. 

The Texas Success Initiative helps colleges and universities determine if a student is ready for academic success for entry-level college courses. All students wanting to take college courses (including dual credit) will need to take the TSI Assessment unless they are exempt due to their SAT or ACT scores.

After high school, college students may be placed in developmental courses depending on their TSI scores. Dual credit students, however, may not take these developmental courses and must meet the needed TSI Assessment score needed to take their chosen college course.

Free Test Prep: TSIA2 ACCUPLACER Resources

The ASVAB measures developed abilities and helps predict future academic and occupational success in the military. Students who do not plan to enlist can also use the ASVAB to determine their aptitude and future college and career options. Taking the ASVAB does not obligate a student to serve in the military.

The ASVAB is a battery of 8 subtests:

• General Science
• Arithmetic Reasoning
• Word Knowledge
• Paragraph Comprehensoin
• Mathematics Knowledge
• Electronics Knowledge
• Auto and Shop Information
• Mechanical Comprehension

The scores from the arithmetic, mathematics, paragraph comprehension, and word knowledge tests make up the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score. Each branch of the military has its own scoring matrix to determine military job eligibility.

ASVAB WEBSITE

FREE TEST PREP: ASVAB TUTOR

FREE TEST PREP: MARCH2SUCCESS