Assessments and Grading

ACCESS Testing

All students identified as English Learners (EL) will be taking the ACCESS or Alternate ACCESS assessment between January and March. 

This assessment is a federal requirement to assess English proficiency for students learning English. There are four domains tested - Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. 

If you have questions, please contact the principal at your child’s school for specific dates and more information.

About ACCESS Testing

In order to follow federal and state mandates, all EL-identified students are given an English proficiency examination annually, even if they are not currently receiving English learner services. The test scores are used to make sure students are making progress in English through reading, writing, listening and speaking. The test is called the Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State (ACCESS). This test helps teachers and schools understand how well students are learning English. 

The ACCESS  test includes questions about reading, writing and listening. The test is taken in a group setting with other students and includes a speaking assessment between each student and a teacher. The test will not be timed.

Your child will be tested during the regular school day either on a computer (online) or on paper as noted below. Our testing schedule:

Grades	Test
Kindergarten	Assessment: 60-90 minutes
Grades 1-12 (Online)	Listening: 65 minutes
Grades 1-12 (Online)	Reading: up to 90 minutes
Grades 1-12 (Online)	Speaking: 40-60 minutes
Grades 1-5 (Paper)	Writing: 65-90 minutes
Grades 6-12 (Online)	Writing: 65-90 minutes
Alternate ACESS test (for select students with an IEP)	Listening: 30 minutes Reading: 30 minutes Speaking: 30 minutes Writing: 30 minutes

 

ACT Testing

SoWashCo Schools administers the American College Test (the ACT) each year to students in grade 11. Minnesota State Statute 120B.30 requires SoWashCo Schools to provide an opportunity for high school students to take a college entrance exam during the school day.  

ABOUT THE ACT

Why take the ACT? Here’s what you need to know: 

• The ACT is accepted by all US colleges and universities

• The ACT can help students get better scholarships

• The ACT provides college and career resources for each examinee

While some colleges are making the admissions process “test optional” at this time, here are some things to consider.  Taking the ACT enables you to: 

• Take the right classes

• Get more scholarships

• Qualify for specific programs

• Secure your admission. 

Read more here about why the ACT is right for you even if not every college is requiring a college entrance exam at this time.  Historically a college entrance exam, like the ACT, are required for admission into most colleges and are a large part of the admissions process. 

 

When students take the ACT test, high school educators and counselors receive valuable information for guidance and curriculum development. K-12 professionals use ACT reports to:

• Guide students toward college and career readiness

• Assist students with college and career planning

• Evaluate the effectiveness of instruction

• Plan changes and improvements in curriculum

 

Each time you take the ACT, you get a composite score that is an average of the results on the four subjects of the test: Math, Science, English and Reading. Composite scores range from 1-36. For each subject you’ll see your readiness for first year college courses in the corresponding subjects.   Sample score report.

 

The ACT Resources for Examinees

• Information for Examinees on act.org

• MyACT Account Setup Instructions

• Preparing for the ACT Test

• Using Your ACT Results

• Using Your ACT Results (Spanish)

 

ACT Information

Attendance and Materials

The district ACT testing date is in April each year. All students must attend school on the testing date to take the ACT. Registration is not required for 11th graders. Registration is required for 12th graders who did not participate in the district ACT last year. Please reach out to the school principal. 

• There will not be a make-up opportunity. 
• Students arriving late after 8:50am to their testing location will not be admitted due to ACT testing rules.
• Students should come with their ACT approved calculator, a writing utensil, photo ID, and their school-issued chromebook charged and ready.

 

Schedule, meals and transportation

• School start times will remain the same. 
• A snack will be provided at break time and students may also bring a snack of their own.
• Lunch will be available after testing is complete. 
• Students will be dismissed and have the option to leave school at the conclusion of testing; students who choose to remain in the building will be directed to a supervised area. Bus transportation via regular routes will be available at the regular high school dismissal times.

 

Test results  

Students are encouraged to sign up for a free MyACT account to access scores early. Students with an account can view their scores online before score reports are mailed out. At the latest, accounts must be created two days after testing. 

 

Contact your school’s principal for more specific information about ACT testing.

Beginning in 2026, SoWashCo Schools will administer the Capti ReadBasix as part of the Read Act requirements to Grades 4-12.

About the Capti ReadBasix
Capti ReadBasix is part of the legislation known as the Minnesota Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act (READ Act), which focuses on ensuring all students receive the reading instruction they need to become confident, capable readers. Capti ReadBasix Screener is the tool approved by the Minnesota Department of Education to identify reading difficulties, including the characteristics of dyslexia.

The assessment assesses six key areas:

• Word Recognition and Decoding: The ability to identify written words and the process of matching letters with their sounds to read new words
• Vocabulary: The words that an individual knows and understands
• Morphology: The ability to identify and use parts of a word to understand what the word means
• Sentence Processing: The ability to use what words mean to figure out and understand sentences 
• Reading Efficiency: The ability to silently read and understand what is read within an appropriate amount of time
• Reading Comprehension: Understanding the meaning of what is read

The assessments will be taken over two days and will take no more than 75 minutes total.

Participation
Following the READ Act guidelines, students have been identified for the additional reading screener based on the following:

• Grades 4-5: CBMReading Scores indicating High Risk
• Grades 6-8: Low MAP Growth Reading Scores
• All Grade 9 students

Students who did not take the test(s) used to identify candidates for the Capti may be selected to complete the Capti screener.

Participation in Capti testing is important so that we have accurate data to assess how students are reading. Testing dates for each school are posted in the District Testing Schedule.

Please contact your child’s school if you have concerns or questions about school testing dates and times, needed accommodations, and/or your student’s participation in Capti ReadBasix testing.

Learn more about the Screening Guidance for Grades 4-12 from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)

All students in grade 2 will take the CogAT Assessment in their classrooms during the testing window.   

This assessment measures a student's reasoning and problem solving skills in three areas: verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal reasoning.  The assessment is a part of a balanced assessment system used in South Washington County Schools.  Some important ways we use CogAT data are: 

• to help teachers develop the best learning plan for each child and support their unique learning needs, and

• as part of screening all students for additional Talent Development and Advanced Academic Services in conjunction with the Measures for Academic Progress (MAP) reading and math.

To learn more about the CogAT and how we use the results in SoWashCo, visit the Talent Development’s webpage.

What is FastBridge?

FastBridge Literacy Assessments are research-based tools used in K–12 schools to support students’ reading growth and success. They help educators monitor progress, identify learning gaps, and make informed instructional decisions. When combined with other data, these assessments give teachers a clear picture of each student’s needs so they can provide timely, targeted support when extra help is needed. They also highlight student growth over the course of the school year and beyond, celebrating progress and guiding next steps in learning. 

 

What FastBridge Assessments did my child take?

Grade	Fall	Winter	Spring
K	Early Reading Word Segmenting Letter Names Letter Sounds	Early Reading Word Segmenting Letter Names Letter Sounds Onset Sounds Nonsense Words	Early Reading Word Segmenting Letter Names Letter Sounds Sight Words (50) Nonsense Words
1	Early Reading Word Segmenting Nonsense Words Sentence Reading Sight Words (150)	Early Reading Word Segmenting Nonsense Words Sight Words (150)   CBMReading	Early Reading Word Segmenting Nonsense Words Sight Words (150)   CBMReading
2 and 3	CBMReading **Nonsense Words	CBMReading **Nonsense Words	CBMReading **Nonsense Words
4 and 5	CBMReading

**We use the gated approach for 2nd and 3rd grade Nonsense Word

What are the FastBridge Assessments?

Assessment		Description
EarlyReading   The FastBridge earlyReading test is used to universally screen all students in grades K & 1. Some of these subtests are timed.	Letter Names	This measures how quickly and accurately your child can name letters. It looks at both uppercase (like A, B, C) and lowercase (like a, b, c) letters.
	Letter Sounds	This measures your child's ability to identify the sounds that letters make. The test assesses how quickly and correctly your child can say the sounds that lowercase letters make (like saying /b/ for b or /m/ for m).
	Word Segmenting	This measures how well your child can break words into individual sounds. For example, if we say 'cat,' the sounds we are looking for them to say are /c/ /a/ /t/.
	Onset Sounds	This measures if students can identify the beginning sound of a pictured word.
	Sight Words (50 & 150)	This measures how quickly and accurately students can read the most common sight words (generally not decodable by sounding it out) in the English language.
	Sentence Reading	Sentence Reading subtest requires the student to read individual sentences from a story that is accompanied by pictures. This subtest is timed and assesses students' reading rate and accuracy.
Nonsense Words		This measures if your child can read made-up words, like 'vit' or 'zop.' This screener is timed to see how quickly they can use their knowledge of letter sounds to read these made-up words.
CBMReading		This measures how accurately your child is reading. Your child reads aloud from a grade-level passage for one minute, and the teacher listens and tracks any mistakes.

 

How is my student doing?

On Track	Some Risk	High Risk
A student listed as On Track have listed skills that meets or exceeds the grade level expectation.	A student listed as Some Risk may need additional support to improve the listed skill(s) and is at some risk of falling behind their peers.	A student listed as High Risk will need additional support to improve the listed skill(s) and are at high risk of falling behind their peers.
Click here to access grade level benchmark scores earlyReading-English earlyReading-Spanish CBMReading-English CBMReading-Spanish

 

How can you support reading at home?

We know that families play a huge role in a child's learning success! Here are some fun and easy ways you can support your child at home:

1. Read Together Every Night: Reading aloud to your child, even for a few minutes each night, is one of the best ways to help them develop a love for reading and build their vocabulary. It also gives you a chance to spend quality time together!
2. Sound It Out! Encourage your child to listen for the individual sounds in short words. For example, when they hear the word "cat," have them say each sound: /c/ /a/ /t/. This helps them understand how words are put together.
3. Become Word Detectives: When your child encounters a new word, encourage them to look for familiar parts. For example, in the word "replay," they might recognize "play." Then, help them blend the sounds together to read the whole word. You can also ask them, "What sounds do you hear when we spell the word?"
4. Book Clubs at Home: If your child has siblings or friends who are reading the same book, encourage them to have a mini book club. They can discuss their favorite parts, characters, and what they think will happen next.
5. Play Vocabulary Games: Choose a new word each day and try to use it throughout the day. Find synonyms/antonyms for words you encounter. 

 

Helpful Resources:

• MDE Family Toolkit Resource Page
• Reading 101 - A Guide for Parents (Reading Rockets)
• Reading Tips for Parents in Multiple Languages (Reading Rockets)
• Why Reading to Your Kids in Your Home Language Will Help Them Become Better Readers (Colorín Colorado)
• 5 Ways to Motivate Your Adolescent Reader at Home (Lexia)

Please contact your child’s school if you have concerns or questions about school testing dates and times, needed accommodations, and/or your student’s participation in FastBridge testing.

 

SoWashCo Schools administers the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Growth assessment each year in grades 2-8 for both Reading and Math as a part of a balanced assessment system. 

 

Results of the MAP growth assessments are used to:

• Identify current skill levels and the rate of academic growth over time.

• Determine individual strengths and areas of growth to help with instructional planning.

• Identify students to receive Advanced Learner Services,

• Identify or exit students from reading and/or math interventions.

• Place students in the appropriate 6th and 8th grade math courses.

Learn more about the assessment in this Family Guide to MAP Growth (other languages).

SoWashCo Schools administers the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) each year. Students who receive special education services and meet eligibility criteria may take the Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) test as an alternative. Most students will take the MCA online during the school day. 

About the MCA/MTAS

The MCA/MTAS assesses students’ knowledge of academic, grade-level standards in reading, mathematics, and science. The test results are a source of information for us to evaluate our services, supports, programs, and classroom instruction. The MCA/MTAS assessment results are used by many people for multiple purposes. Some examples include: 

• High school students can use MCA results to skip remedial coursework at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, as well as to enroll in the Post-secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program.

• Families use the data to track and understand their child/ren’s progress in learning grade-level standards. 

• Teachers use the data to inform their instruction and assess student learning.

• District and school staff members use the results to assess academic achievement trends over time and identify inequities across student groups. 

• The MN Department of Education uses MCA data as an academic indicator in the North Star accountability system. The system identifies schools and districts that need support to improve student outcomes, ensures that accountability indicators are publicly reported, and recognizes schools and districts that have implemented successful strategies.

• Policymakers use results to identify gaps in services and programming needs within communities.

Participation

Students in the following grades participate in the MCA/MTAS:

• Reading: Grades 3-8, 10

• Mathematics: Grades 3-8, and 11

• Science: Grades 5 and 8, and any high school student taking a life science or biology course

Participation in MCA/MTAS testing is important so that we have accurate data to assess how students are learning academic standards and determine which academic areas we need to improve instruction in. Testing dates for each school are posted in the District Testing Calendar before the school year begins. 

We recognize that the MCA/MTAS testing window overlaps with a number of religious observances and holy days. SoWashCo Schools is committed to honoring and being responsive to the needs of all families and students. Please contact your child’s school if you have concerns or questions about school testing dates and times, needed accommodations, and/or your student’s participation in MCA/MTAS testing.

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) has the following resources to learn more about the assessments:

• Student Participation in statewide assessments

• MCA Parent Fact Sheets

  • English

  • Spanish

  • Hmong

  • Vietnamese

  • Chinese Mandarin

  • Somali

• MTAS Parent Fact Sheets

  • English

  • Spanish

  • Hmong

  • Vietnamese

  • Chinese Mandarin

  • Somali

• Additional translated Documents

The Seal of Biliteracy is awarded to students who demonstrate proficiency in English and another language. English proficiency is demonstrated by earning all required English Language Arts credits in high school, while proficiency in other languages are demonstrated by test results.

Currently, eligible languages for Minnesota's Seal of Biliteracy program include: Amharic, American Sign Language, Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese (Mandarin), Czech, Dakota/Lakota, Dari, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Hmong, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Karen, Korean, Latin, Ojibwe, Oromo, Pashto, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.

SoWashCo Schools does not administer testing for every eligible language. Students who want to test in Bulgarian, Hungarian, Latin, and Thai should contact Mao Thao Jacobson (mjacobso1@sowashco.org, 651-425-6228) for more information about where and how to test. Testing for Tamil can be taken with the MN Tamil School (typically in May) or Twin Cities Tamil Padasalai.

Benefits of the Seal of Biliteracy

• Students are recognized for their bilingual/bicultural or multilingual/multicultural identity.

• Students can earn college credits at Minnesota State College and Universities (Minnesota State). Minnesota State does not include the University of Minnesota.

• The Seal provides credentials for job and internship opportunities.

• The Seal provides recognition on college entrance applications.

Testing Registration and Cost

Testing is open to students in grades 11 and 12. Registration is open during the month of January each school year. 

SoWashCo Schools will cover the cost of testing in one language per school year. If students would like to test in multiple languages in the same school year, students/families will need to pay for the cost of additional tests.

In making the decision to test, students and families should review ACTFL’s guidelines on what learners can do at each proficiency level and additional resources from the MN Seal of Biliteracy Program:

• ACTFL Platinum Seal (advanced low) Can-do statements
• ACTFL Gold Seal (intermediate high) & World Language Proficiency Certificate (intermediate low) Can-do statements
• MN Seal of Biliteracy: Test Proficiency Standards
• MN Seal of Biliteracy: Am I ready for the test?
• MN Seal of Biliteracy: Proficiency Level Descriptors

Available Tests, Award Levels and Qualifying Test Scores

SoWashCo Schools offers the following tests for the Seal of Biliteracy program:

• Avant STAMP 4S: Assesses reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills in Arabic (Modern Standard), English, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin (simplified), Mandarin (traditional), Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, and Spanish.
   
• Avant STAMP for ASL: Assesses receptive and expressive skills in American Sign Language
   
• Avant STAMP WS: 
  • Assesses writing and speaking skills in Amharic, Czech, Hmong, Somali Maay Maay, Somali Maxaa, Tamil, Telugu, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese 
  • Assesses reading, writing, and speaking skills for Swahili
  • Students taking the STAMP WS must also take the accompanying Extempore/MN Department of Education (MDE) language assessments
     
• Extempore/MDE language assessments
  • Assesses reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills in Dakota/Lakota, Karen, Ojibwe, and Oromo
  • Assesses reading and listening skills in Amharic, Czech, Dari, Hmong, Pashto, Somali, Tamil, Telugu, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese
  • Assesses listening skills in Swahili
     
• ACTFL SOBL: Assesses speaking and writing for Dari and Pashto

In addition to these assessments, students can earn an award based on qualifying scores on the Advanced Placement Language and Culture exams and International Baccalaureate Language B exams. A student may also test outside of SoWashCo Schools and submit their qualifying score reports to receive an award upon graduation. Students should submit their score report to their high school counselor.

There are three award levels: Platinum Seal, Gold Seal, and World Language Proficiency Certificate. The highest award level students receive in a language will be documented on students’ transcripts upon graduation. Students must use their high school transcript to request college credits from post-secondary institutions. College credits must be requested within three years of graduating high school.

Below is a Table of Award Levels and corresponding ACTFL Proficiency Level, Eligible College Credits, and Qualifying Test Scores

Resources

• Department of MN: MN Bilingual Seals Program website
   
• Minnesota Bilingual Seals website for students, families, and educators
   
• National Seal of Biliteracy website
   
• Avant assessments (STAMP 4S, STAMP WS, and STAMP for ASL)
  • STAMP 4S and STAMP WS Sample Tests: https://avantassessment.com/sample-tests 
  • Test Taker Guide: https://www.avantassessment.com/guides/test-taker 
  • Power Up Guide: https://avantassessment.com/stamp-power-up-guide 
  • STAMP for ASL: https://www.avantassessment.com/tests/stamp/asl 

District Contacts for More Information

• For questions about the Seal of Biliteracy, please contact Mark McIlmoyle, Director of Teaching and Learning - Secondary at mmcilmoy@sowashco.org or 651-425-6353. 
   
• For questions about testing, please contact Mao Thao Jacobson, Director of Program Evaluation, Research and Assessment at mjacobso1@sowashco.org or 651-425-6228.