Beginning of Year Assessments

Welcome to the new school year! All K–8 students will participate in our fall benchmark assessments between August 10th and August 21st.  

Testing Schedule Overview

• Grades K–5: Classroom teachers will reach out directly with the exact dates and times their specific class will test during the August 10th–21st window.
• Grades 6–8: Middle school students will take their assessments on Wednesday, August 19th and Friday, August 21st.

What Your Child Will Take by Grade Level:

Kindergarten

• DIBELS (Literacy Screener): A brief, 1-on-1 check with a teacher measuring early reading skills like letter sounds and phonemic awareness.
• MAP Math: A short assessment measuring foundational math concepts like counting and patterns.

1st Grade

• DIBELS (Literacy Screener): A 1-on-1 assessment measuring early reading fluency and decoding.
• MAP Reading & MAP Math: Computer-based screeners measuring early reading comprehension and math concepts.

2nd & 3rd Grade

• Amira (Literacy Screener): An interactive reading assessment where students read aloud into a headset. It measures foundational skills, reading fluency, accuracy, and comprehension.  
• MAP Reading & MAP Math: Computer-based assessments evaluating reading comprehension, vocabulary, and math concepts.

4th – 8th Grade

• MAP Reading & MAP Math: Computer-based assessments measuring reading comprehension, text analysis, vocabulary, and grade-level mathematical problem-solving.

These screeners are not graded tests. Instead, they use national norms to help us understand where each student is in their learning journey and identify how we can best support their growth.

For our K–3 students, these assessments align with Georgia’s Early Literacy guidelines to ensure foundational reading skills are monitored early. If a student’s screening results show they would benefit from extra, targeted instruction in reading or math, your child’s teacher will reach out directly to partner with you on an individualized support plan.

How You Can Support Your Child

No studying or special preparation is necessary. You can help your student succeed by ensuring they:

• Get a restful night’s sleep before their testing days.
• Eat a healthy breakfast.
• Arrive at school on time with a positive, encouraged mindset.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me.  

Warmly,

Rhiannen Laurent
Dean of Student Supports
RLaurent@atlncs.org