Assessments in Schools
The assessments marked below with an asterisk (*) are state and/or federal assessments and are administered at all schools. Click here to access information from the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) regarding the purpose and value of state assessments.
To access the Colorado Department of Education Assessment Communications Toolkit click here, and for the Assessment Division page, including 2024 Assessment Data and Results click here.
Please view the Mapleton Testing Calendar for specific testing dates.
ACCESS for ELLs (WIDA)
ACCESS for ELLs monitors student progress in English language proficiency on an annual basis and serves as a criterion to aid in determining when students who are developing their academic English skills have attained language proficiency comparable to that of their English-proficient peers. This test is given to all emerging bilingual students in grades kindergarten to 12 who are identified as non-English or limited-English proficient. Test administration times vary. Total testing time may be up to 4 hours 30 minutes. Please view the Mapleton Testing Calendar for specific testing dates. For more information visit www.wida.us
Advanced Placement Exams
Advanced Placement (AP) exams are optional for students enrolled in AP classes. AP exams measure student performance in rigorous, college-level classes. Dependent on the exam score, university credit may be awarded to students. Most AP exams are between two and three hours long. Check with each class instructor for specific testing dates. For more information visit College Board's AP Central.
Amplify DIBELS 8 and mCLASS Lectura
DIBELS 8 reading measures help teachers and schools determine how students are performing on important reading skills. DIBELS 8 measures four of five of the critical skills necessary for beginning readers (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and comprehension). The DIBELS 8 Benchmark Assessment is administered three times each year (fall, winter, and spring) to all kindergarten through third grade students, and to fourth through sixth grade students who are on READ Plans. Regular progress monitoring is required to ensure students are making adequate progress. Students who are considered Below or Well Below on Benchmark are progress monitored every two weeks.
mCLASS Lectura is a similar assessment that measures basic early literacy skills of children learning to read in Spanish. Please view the Mapleton Testing Calendar for specific testing dates. For more information visit mCLASS.
Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)
The purpose of CogAT is to help identify highly able and gifted students for potential enrollment in the district's Gifted & Talented Program. This test measures student’s abilities in reasoning and problem-solving using verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal (spatial) symbols. It is administered as a universal screening assessment in second and sixth grades, as well as for any other referred K-12 student. Total testing time is approximately two to three hours.
Please view the Mapleton Testing Calendar for specific testing dates. For more information visit https://blog.riversideinsights.com/parents-guide-ability-learning.
*Colorado Alternate Assessment: Dynamic Learning Maps (CoAlt: DLM)
The Dynamic Learning Maps Alternate Assessment (DLM) program is designed to measure what students with significant cognitive disabilities know and can do. Students in grades 3 to 11 are tested in English language arts and mathematics. Additionally, students in grades 5, 8, and 11 will take science assessments. CoAlt DLM assessments are not timed, students may take as much time as needed.
Please view the Mapleton Testing Calendar for specific testing dates. For more information visit www.dynamiclearningmaps.org or General Assessment Information for Parents.
Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS)
The Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) is Colorado's standards-based state summative assessment. It is designed to provide a picture of student performance to schools, districts, educators, parents, and the community. The purpose of CMAS assessments is to indicate the degree to which students have mastered the Colorado Academic Standards (CAS) in mathematics, English language arts, and science at the end of the tested grade level or content area. Colorado has a series of educational standards known as the Colorado Academic Standards that outline academic objectives for students in every grade across 12 content areas, including math, English language arts, and science. The standards create learning expectations for what students should understand, know and be able to do at each grade level and in each content area. The data from assessments are critical in determining if educational goals are being met and if students are on track to graduate prepared for college and careers.
Testing time for English language arts is between four hours 30 minutes (grades 3 to 5) and five hours 30 mins (grades 6 to 8). Testing time for mathematics is three hours 15 minutes, and science is between two hours (grade 11) and four hours (grades 5 and 8).
Please view the Mapleton Testing Calendar for specific testing dates.
Computer-based testing (CBT) is the default testing mode for Mapleton Public Schools. For more information, visit CMAS or General Assessment Information for Parents.
*Colorado PSAT 8/9 (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test)
Students in ninth grade take the PSAT 8/9 which measures knowledge and skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. It builds on the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) tests in English language arts, mathematics, and science. The PSAT also aligns with Colorado Academic Standards (CAS) and with the SAT that students will take in grade 11. Testing time for PSAT 8/9 is approximately two hours 15 minutes.
Please view the Mapleton Testing Calendar for specific testing dates. For more information visit About Colorado SAT and PSAT or General Assessment Information for Parents.
*Colorado PSAT 10 (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test)
Students in tenth grade take the PSAT 10 which measures knowledge and skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. It builds on the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) tests in English language arts, mathematics, and science. The PSAT also aligns with Colorado Academic Standards (CAS) and with the SAT that students will take in grade 11. Testing time is approximately two hours 15 minutes.
Please view the Mapleton Testing Calendar for specific testing dates. For more information visit About Colorado SAT and PSAT or General Assessment Information for Parents.
*Colorado SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test)
SAT is a college entrance exam given to all eleventh-grade students in Colorado. SAT measures knowledge and skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. Testing time for SAT is approximately two hours 15 minutes.
Please view the Mapleton Testing Calendar for specific testing dates. For more information visit About Colorado SAT and PSAT or General Assessment Information for Parents.
NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Growth
MAP Growth is a computer-adaptive assessment, meaning that every student gets a unique set of test questions based on responses to previous questions. The purpose of MAP Growth is to determine what each student knows and how they are growing academically. It is administered to students in grades 2 to 10 twice or three times a year.
Testing time ranges from about 45 to 55 minutes. Please view the Mapleton Testing Calendar for specific testing dates. For more information visit MAP Family Toolkit.
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
Schools and students within schools are randomly selected to participate in NAEP. Students are selected by age and are generally in fourth or eighth grade. This assessment is given on a sampling basis. Results are aggregated at the state level. Please view the Mapleton Testing Calendar for schools selected to participate. For specific testing dates, please contact the schools who are selected to participate. For more information visit The Nation's Report Card.
School Readiness
Senate Bill 08-212, Colorado’s Achievement Plan for Kids (CAP4K), requires that all publicly funded kindergarten students have an individual school readiness plan informed by a Colorado Board of Education approved school readiness assessment. TS GOLD® is the observation-based readiness assessment used by Mapleton Public Schools.
The assessment is designed to occur naturally through informal observations during the instructional day and does not take a child away from the classroom or instruction. Information collected is used to create an individual readiness plan for each student. These plans highlight strengths and next steps in academic and non-academic areas and provide teachers information as they plan instruction to meet the unique needs of each child.
Please view the Mapleton Testing Calendar for specific testing dates. For more information visit School Readiness.