Assessment & Accountability

The Department of Assessment and Accountability is responsible for the analyzing and reporting of data from surveys and assessments, coordinating data-driven school improvement and classroom instruction, coordinating program evaluations and research projects for the district, administrating the district's student assessment program, and district policy.

Annually, Assessment and Accountability publishes a District Assessment Calendar and provides information for parents and teachers on assessment types.

The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) is administered yearly in grades 3 and 5. Its purpose is to assess students' abilities in reasoning and problem solving using verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal (spatial) symbols.

It is not an achievement test: scores may be used to adapt instruction and programs to the needs and abilities of students.

The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) is the state assessment and accountability measure for Illinois students enrolled in a public school district. IAR assesses the New Illinois Learning Standards incorporating the Common Core, and will be administered in English/Language Arts and Mathematics.

IAR assessments in English /Language Arts and Mathematics will be administered to all students in grades 3-8.

These state tests are one of several ways that student achievement is measured in CUSD 303. Your child’s daily school work, teacher comments, and report cards are also important when determining overall school achievement. 

 If you have any questions regarding your child’s performance, be sure to talk with your child’s teacher or principal.

St. Charles School District 303 administers an SAT Suite assessment to students in eighth through eleventh grades. These provide students, parents, and teachers with information on how each student is progressing towards his or her high school graduation with an eye on what will come after high school. As a district, this information is also used to help evaluate curriculum and programs.

What's in the Guides below:

Understanding the PSAT Score Reports/English and Spanish
These label and describe the elements and scores on the Individual Student Reports. Even though the English document is specific to the PSAT 8/9 the report is the same layout for all PSAT, PSAT NMSQT and SAT Individual Student Reports.

Reviewing Online and Paper PSAT Reports
This is a PowerPoint provided by College Board. It details how to sign up for the College Board online reporting portal, how to navigate and read the online reports, how to read the paper based reports, and how the scores can be used in a student’s Khan Academy account for practice, future test preparation, and other planning resources.

Using Your PSAT Scores to Prepare for College
The annotated College Board PowerPoint presentation found under Reviewing Online and Paper PSAT Reports. This presentation provides the College Board script for presenters that goes along with the PowerPoint.

SAT Suite Cut Scores
A PDF of each of the tests, and sub test cut scores for the SAT Suite from grades 8-12. College Board provides for three levels, College and Career Ready (green), Approaching College and Career Readiness (yellow), and Needs to Strengthen College and Career Readiness Skills (pink).

Skills Insight for the SAT Suite
A College Board document that lists the Academic Skills the student is believed to have, and suggestions for improvement (what’s next) based on the students score. The document is written with an underlying belief that there is a next step no matter where we are. Within the limits of what the assessment can measure every student will receive a score. That score falls within a range. That range of scores is characterized with a list of skills believed to be within the students independent control, and a list of skills that are considered next to be fully learned. Students who score at the bottom or top of the overall score ranges may have skills not measured by this test.