Assessment and Evaluation are an integral part of the teaching and learning cycle. Teachers use a variety of assessments to identify students’ needs as learners. At Park, we view assessment as a tool for understanding the learner and informing instruction. There are four different types of assessments used throughout the school year to gather information about our students’ progress.

• Classroom-based Assessments
  Teachers utilize assessments on an on-going basis to ensure that students are learning. They also use the data from assessments to plan future lessons.
• District-wide Assessments
  There are several assessments that are given to all students across the District at specific times of the year. The purpose of these assessments is to provide our teachers with the opportunity to review assessment results with colleagues from other schools and share ideas.
  • K-3 Reading Assessment: November, March and June
  • Fourth Grade Writing Assessment: January
  • Fifth Grade Portfolio: May
• California State Standardized Test (CST)
  The CST is a standardized test given in the spring of each year to all students in grades two through twelve. The results from this test provide our District with a broad understanding of how students are doing overall. It also provides a way to identify those students who are not achieving proficiency on these tests so that schools can address these students’ needs. It is not the type of assessment that provides teachers with specific information about each child’s learning.
  • California Standards Test (CST) grades 2– 5: April-May
• Conferences and Report Cards
  Regular communication between teachers and parents is important to the academic and social development of each child. The school year is divided into trimesters. At the beginning of November, parents are invited to a parent-teacher conference to discuss their child’s progress during the first trimester. The student receives a progress report at this time. Teachers also send home a progress report in March and June.