Standardized Testing

Progress Testing

To ensure the overall quality of the curriculum at Good Shepherd Catholic School and to monitor the progress of each individual student, diagnostic and standardized achievement tests are given annually to students. Parents generally receive a copy of test results, and scores are recorded in the child’s cumulative record folder. 

Good Shepherd Testing

VPK

State law requires the use of the Florida VPK Assessment, as a pre- and post-assessment in all VPK programs for Assessment Period 1 (the month of September; scores submitted by October 31) and Assessment Period 3 (month of April/May; scores submitted by June 15). GSCS also conducts a voluntary, third assessment during Assessment Period 2 (month of January).

Kindergarten

A test of basic concepts (FLKRS) is given to children in the fall of the Kindergarten year. All data is submitted to the state of Florida and individual results are not shared with parents. GSCS receives an overall rating of performance by its students.

Grades 2-8 Standardized Tests

Using Terra Nova Testing, standardized assessments are administered to students in grades 2-8 in spring of each year as an integral part of the total instructional program. The testing, however, is not “high stakes”— test results/scores are simply one measure of the of the total composite of a child’s individual academic progress.

The results are not used to determine teacher efficacy, nor are they used solely to determine a child’s promotion or retention. Rather, the information is used to assist teachers in meeting the specific and targeted learning expectations for a child’s appropriate developmental level. This information is critical in helping our teachers provide the best educational opportunities for our students.

Given the number of benefits derived from the standardized testing, the Diocese of Orlando does not allow a parent or a student the choice of “opt-out” testing. Students who are absent for any reason, including medical absences, during the schools’s designated testing window, will be rescheduled upon his/her return to school. Students will not be exempted from taking standardized tests.

Accommodations or modifications will be offered as required to meet the qualified child’s learning needs. Accommodations or modifications are allowed only when specifically indicated through testing via a professional evaluation compelled as part of the IDEA Child Find process by the public school district, or through a private psychological-education evaluation approved by the Office of Catholic Schools. In addition, Catholic schools in the Diocese of Orlando do not write 504 plans. Accommodations or modifications are offered at the sole discretion of the school staff and will be based on an evaluation of the documentation provided and other factors deemed relevant by the school staff.

ACRE Testing

The National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) began offering religious education assessments for students in the late 1970’s. Used by Catholic schools and parish-based religious education programs, NCEA Assessment of Catechesis Religious Education (ACRE) is an integrated approach to assessment offering both faith knowledge (cognitive domain) as well as beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, and practices (affective domain) sections.

Students in grades 5 and 8 participate annually in the NCEA ACRE. This assessment is another tool used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Good Shepherd School Religious Education Program.