Testing Dates 2024-2025
Parents- Please mark your calendars for these testing periods. Some of these dates are windows of time, and testing may only take place on specific days within the window.

Description of Tests

STAR Math 

Star Math is a customized math test for students to take on a computer. The test is designed for students in grades 1 through 12 and determines learning paths within the program.

This computer-adaptive test chooses each question from a large pool of test items, making subsequent questions more or less difficult than the prior question depending on whether the student answered the prior question correctly. The pool of test items is large, and the software tracks which questions a student has already seen, so a specific question will not be repeated for a student within a 120-day window.

Students can finish a Star Math test in about 20 minutes but are allowed a considerable amount of time to complete. Student scale scores and reports are given to parents by the classroom teacher and are available upon request. All Accommodations and Modifications set by IEPs and 504 Plans are embedded within the test. 

Star Math Assessments are required 3 times a year at minimum and can be administered to track student growth more frequently.

STAR Reading
Star Reading is a customized reading test for students to take on a computer. The test is designed for students in grades 1 through 12 and determines learning paths within the program.

This computer-adaptive test chooses each question from a large pool of test items, making subsequent questions more or less difficult than the prior question depending on whether the student answered the prior question correctly. The pool of test items is large, and the software tracks which questions a student has already seen, so a specific question will not be repeated for a student within a 120-day window.

Students can finish a Star Reading test in fewer than 30 minutes but area allowed a considerable amount of time to complete. Student scale scores and reports are given to parents by the classroom teacher and are available upon request. All Accommodations and Modifications set by IEPs and 504 Plans are embedded within the test. 

Star Reading Assessments are required 3 times a year at minimum and can be administered to track student growth more frequently. 

mCLASS

mCLASS is administered throughout grades kingergarten through third grade. mCLASS provides benchmark assessments, ongoing progress monitoring, and voice recognition technology to comprehensively support each student’s literacy development.

NC Check-Ins
NC Check-Ins are interim assessments aligned to North Carolina grade-level content standards in Reading for grades 3 and 6 developed by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI). There are three NC Check-Ins at each grade level.  It is suggested to have approximately nine weeks of instruction between administrations. For Reading, each NC Check-In focuses on a selected sub-set of grade-level content standards. 

The main purpose of NC Check-Ins is to provide students, teachers, parents, and stakeholders with immediate in-depth action-data and a reliable estimate of students’ current performance on the selected sub-set of content standards. A secondary purpose is derived from NC Check-Ins strong relationship with grade level end-of-grade (EOG) summative test. Both EOGs and NC Check-Ins share a common item bank, and performance on the NC Check-Ins serve as an early indicator of a student’s level of preparedness for the EOG summative test. 

The overall value of NC Check-Ins is the use of in-depth action-data for formative purposes throughout the year to help students and teachers adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students’ achievement of intended instructional outcomes. 

• Each Reading NC Check-In will contain 22–24 questions. Students will see four-response-option multiple-choice questions. Each question is worth 1 point. 

• All 25 items for Math NC Check-Ins at grade 3 are four-response multiple- choice items.

NC Check-Ins are administered near the end of each 9 weeks through the 3rd nine weeks. 

All Accommodations and Modifications set by IEPs and 504 Plans are embedded within the test. 

EOG
MATH

The Grades 3–8 End-of-Grade (EOG) Mathematics Tests measure students’ proficiency on the NC Standard Course of Study (NCSCOS) for Mathematics

Items on the EOG assessments cover the full breadth and depth of grade-level cognitive expectation that can be assessed using the current test format.

The grade 5 mathematics tests will include both calculator inactive and calculator active sections. Both sections will consist of four-response-option multiple-choice items and technology-enhanced items. All items will be worth one point each.

The EOG Mathematics Tests must be administered during the last ten days of the instructional year (traditional yearlong schedule).

The EOG Mathematics Tests at grades 3–8 will be required to be administered in online administrations.

READING

The Grades 3–8 End-of-Grade (EOG) Reading Tests measure students’ reading proficiency on the North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSCOS) for English Language Arts

Items on the EOG assessments cover the full breadth and depth of grade-level cognitive expectation that can be assessed using the current test format.

To balance between complexity and the reading load for grade 3 students, each selection within the Grade 3 EOG Reading Test is divided into two separate parts. Items within each selection have also been divided and presented at the end of each subsequent part.

Based on analysis of item-completion timing data, the NCDPI estimates it will take 2 hours (120 minutes) for most students to complete the EOG Reading Tests. The NCDPI requires all students be allowed ample opportunity to complete the test. The maximum amount of time allowed is 3 hours (180 minutes) except for students with documented special needs requiring accommodations, such as Scheduled Extended Time.

The EOG Reading Tests must be administered during the last ten days of the instructional year (traditional yearlong schedule).

The EOG Reading Tests at grades 3–8 will be required to be administered in online administrations.

SCIENCE

The Grades 5 and 8 End-of-Grade (EOG) Science Tests measure students’ proficiency on the North Carolina Essential Standards for Science.

Items on the EOG assessments cover the full breadth and depth of grade-level cognitive expectation that can be assessed using the current test format. The EOG Science Tests will consist of four-response-option multiple-choice and technology-enhanced item types.

Based on analysis of item-completion timing data, the NCDPI estimates it will take 2 hours (120 minutes) for most students to complete the EOG Science Tests. The NCDPI requires all students be allowed ample opportunity to complete the test. The maximum amount of time allowed is 3 hours (180 minutes) except for students with documented special needs requiring accommodations, such as Scheduled Extended Time

The EOG Science Tests must be administered during the last ten days of the instructional year (traditional yearlong schedule).

The EOG Science Tests will be required to be administered in online administrations.