Key Assessments

Students receive a report card every nine weeks that indicates how well they are performing in each of their courses. In addition to the information provided on the report cards, the following assessments have been identified as critical for monitoring student performance.

Eighth-grade students participate in a variety of assessments in the areas of of reading, mathematics, and civics and economics.

• The Houghton-Mifflin Reading Inventory (RI) measures reading comprehension and indicates your child’s grade level performance standard and his Lexile measure score. A Lexile indicates the ability to read text at a specific level with approximately 75 percent comprehension.
• The Grade 8 Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Civics and Economics, and Science Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments measure how well students are meeting the state’s expectations for learning in the areas of reading, writing, mathematics, civics and economics, and science. Learn More
  
  For all students with disabilities identified under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team determines whether the student will participate in the SOL assessment or the Virginia Alternative Assessment Program (VAAP). Students may receive testing accommodations for the SOL under an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan. Parents should check with their child’s case manage to ensure these supports are in place prior to the testing date. Learn More
• The Preliminary SAT 8/9 (PSAT 8/9) is aligned with the new SAT and the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). It is a standardized, multiple-choice test that assesses students in the areas of reading, mathematics, writing and language and establishes a baseline for college and career readiness before students enter high school. Students who take the PSAT 8/9 are provided with a personalized SAT resource, the Kahn Academy, that gives students individually adapted SAT practice based on their PSAT 8/9 test results. The test is administered in October during regular school hours. Learn More

Click here for a full list of assessments administered in the school division.