Assessments in the District

Mississippi Assessment Program (MAAP):

Grades 3 through 12. The Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) is designed to measure student achievement in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, Science, and US History. Students are assessed in grades 3 through 8 in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics, grades 5 and 8 Science, Algebra I, Biology I, English II, and US History. The results of all MAAP assessments provide information to be used for the improvement of student achievement.

Mississippi Academic Assessment Program - Alternate (MAAP-A):

Grades 3 through 12. Mississippi is required under the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) to provide high-quality alternate assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities (SCD). These alternate assessments must be aligned to academic content standards that apply to all students in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics in grades 3-8 and once in high school. They must also align to content standards for Science in at least one grade in each of the 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 grade ranges.

Other Assessments and Tests:

• College Prep:
  Grades 8 through 10. Given once each year to help better determine if students are prepared for the ACT.
• ACT:
  The ACT assessment is a curriculum- and standards-based educational planning tool that assesses students’ academic readiness for college. The ACT is administered in the spring semester to all students classified as eleventh-grade students during the academic year. The Oxford School District also provides an ACT in the Fall semester to tenth-grade students who qualify.
• PSAT/NMSQT:
  Grade 8 through 10. The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is structured similarly to the SAT. It has the same sections and timing, and measures the Reading and Writing and Math skills needed to succeed in college and career. It is available to students in 8th, 10th and 11th grades.
• A.P. Testing:
  Grades 9 through 12. Advanced Placement (A.P.) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course credit to students who obtain high scores on the examinations. All Oxford High School students who take an advanced placement course are required to take the advanced placement exam at the end of the school year. Advanced Placement courses are appropriate for students who have honed in on future career paths and want to explore content areas in depth as they relate to their career choices or who desire to develop deeper analytical, communication, and critical thinking skills.
• MKAS (Mississippi Kindergarten Readiness Assessment):
  Grades Pre-K through 3. The Kindergarten Readiness Assessment provides parents, teachers, and early childhood providers with a common understanding of what children know and are able to do upon entering school. The primary purpose of the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment is to improve the quality of classroom instruction and other services provided to students from birth to 3rd grade.
• LBPA (Literacy Based Promotion Act - “Reading Gate”):
  The 3rd Grade MAAP ELA Assessment component will be summative and will determine the minimum level of competency in reading. It is administered each spring.
• ELPT (English Language Proficiency Test):
  Grades K through 12. The DRC LAS Links Assessment System is a secure, large-scale, English language proficiency assessment administered to K-12 students who have been officially identified as English learners (E.L.). This assessment is administered annually to monitor English learners’ progress in acquiring academic English.
• NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress):
  The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America’s students know and can do in various subject areas. Assessments are conducted periodically in mathematics, reading, science, writing, the arts, civics, economics, geography, and U.S. History. Since NAEP assessments are administered uniformly using the same sets of test booklets across the nation, NAEP results serve as a common metric for all states and selected urban districts. The assessment stays essentially the same from year to year, with only carefully documented changes. This permits NAEP to provide a clear picture of student academic progress over time. Districts and schools in Mississippi are chosen at random. This is not an annual assessment.