Assessments

Teachers need regular information about how students are doing so they can adjust their lessons to meet each student’s needs. Parents also want to know if their child is learning at the right pace and at grade level. Principals and school leaders use this information to track how well the school and district are doing overall.
Portage Township Schools uses different kinds of assessments to help gather this important information. These include state tests, district-required tests, and classroom assessments. These tests help identify student needs and decide if any changes to lessons or materials are needed.
The most important type of assessment is the daily work and checks for understanding done by teachers. This gives the clearest picture of what students are learning right now. State tests let us compare how our students are doing with students across Indiana and the country. District assessments show how much progress students make each year. All of this helps us understand how well our students and schools are doing.

District-Wide Assessments

Kindergarten Readiness Assessments

Before school starts, all incoming Kindergarten students take a Kindergarten readiness assessment. This test is given and scored by the classroom teachers. It checks important early learning skills like speaking and listening, social skills, understanding books and print, recognizing letters and words, number sense, and being able to name letters and their beginning sounds.

CogAT

The CogAT, or Cognitive Abilities Test, is used to help identify students for high ability services by measuring how they think and solve problems. Unlike traditional achievement tests, CogAT looks at reasoning skills in three areas: verbal, quantitative (math), and nonverbal (visual and spatial). These skills are important indicators of a student’s learning potential. The results give teachers and families a broader view of a child’s strengths and help ensure that students who may benefit from advanced learning opportunities are recognized and supported. Portage Township Schools administers this assessment annually in Kindergarten, Grade 2 and Grade 5.

DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills)

The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) is a short reading test that helps teachers track how well students are learning early reading skills. Each part of the test takes about one minute and checks how quickly and correctly students can do certain reading tasks
DIBELS is given to students in Grades K–2 three times a year—at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. The test is given and scored by teachers and school staff.

IXL Diagnostic

The IXL Diagnostic is a powerful, student-friendly tool that helps teachers understand each student’s current level in math and language arts. By answering just a few questions at a time, students get a personalized snapshot of what they know and what they’re ready to learn next. This real-time data helps teachers tailor instruction to meet individual student needs, while also helping families support learning at home. The diagnostic adjusts as students grow, providing ongoing insight throughout the school year.

State Assessments

ILEARN (Indiana Learning Evaluation Assessment Readiness Network)

Administered to students in grades 3–8 (and high school Biology), ILEARN is Indiana’s main online adaptive assessment in English/Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. It helps measure whether students meet state standards and reports Lexile® (reading) and Quantile® (math) scores to guide classroom instruction and support. Annual testing takes place April–May, with checkpoint assessments throughout the school year to monitor student progress.

IREAD (Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination)

Taken by all 2nd and 3rd graders in March (with a summer retest if needed), IREAD is an untimed, online assessment of foundational reading skills including phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension. Passing is required for grade promotion, and results inform reading support plans. For more information on how to read your students IREAD Report, click here.

I AM (Indiana Alternate Measure)
This alternate, online assessment is designed for students with significant cognitive disabilities in grades 3–8 and high school, following the same schedule as ILEARN (spring). It covers Math, ELA, Science, and Social Studies, aligned to adjusted achievement standards.

WIDA ACCESS
Administered annually (January–February) to English Learners K–12, WIDA ACCESS measures proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing to determine EL status and language support needs

PHS Naturalization Exam Report

All students taking a U.S. Government class for credit (including General, Core 40, Core 40 with Academic Honors, or Core 40 with Technical Honors) must take the naturalization test given by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The test is given at their high school. This includes students in special U.S. Government classes like AP (Advanced Placement), IB (International Baccalaureate), dual credit, and Cambridge International. Students do not have to pass the test to pass the U.S. Government class. They only have to take it. Students do not have to take the test again if they don’t pass, and schools do not share retake results.

	2022-2023		2023-2024		2024-2025
	Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 1	Semester 2
Number of students who took the naturalization exam	215	153	196	184	184	204
Number of students who passed with 60% or higher on their first attempt	208	140	182	175	159	189
Pass Rate	97%	92%	93%	95%	86%	93%