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Annual Assessments
The current Sioux Falls School District assessment program includes both district driven and state mandated achievement testing.
State Mandated Achievement Tests*
The South Dakota Math and English Language Arts Assessments and the SD Math and English Language Arts Alternate Assessments
The South Dakota Science and Science Alternate Assessment for Science
The WIDA ACCESS for ELLs test for English language proficiency
District Driven Tests*
Semester tests for selected high school courses
NWEA MAP Growth for reading and math
NWEA MAP Reading Fluency for early reading skills
*A description of each test is provided in the table.
American College Test (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
High school students MAY ELECT to take college entrance tests such as the the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT). This is available to students who wish to be considered for a National Merit Scholarship. Students (and/or parents) should reach out to the high school with any additional questions regarding ACT or SAT testing.
Dates, locations, and how to get registered online may be found here:
Multiple factors impact student achievement and serve as indicators of effective schools. The SD State Report Card is prepared to provide parents, educators, and the community with a profile of various school effectiveness indicators. The State Report Card should be used as one source of data for identifying a school's present status and assessing overall student progress.
Annual Assessments
Date | Assessment | Grade Levels | Purpose | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
May 29 - Aug. 21 | Course Equivalency Exams (at Central Services) | 9 through 12 | Option for high school students to receive credit for DOE approved courses prior to attending the class (Estimated test time = 90 minutes) | Assessment and Evaluation |
Aug. 22 - May 21 | Course Equivalency Exams (in Buildings) | *Individual results are shared with parents/guardians within 15 days | CE proctor in building | |
Aug. 22 – May 2 | SD Interim Assessments (IAB’s & FIAB’s) | 3 through 12 | Formative assessments available within the Smarter Balanced system (Estimated test time = 20 minutes) | Curriculum Services |
Aug 26 - Sept. 13 | K through 2 (math only) 3 through 8 | Formative assessment to guide instruction and measure student growth in reading and math (Estimated test time = 60 min per test) | Assessment and Evaluation | |
*Individual results are shared with parents/guardians at conferences | ||||
Aug 26 - Sept. 13 | K through 2 | Formative assessment to guide instruction and measure student growth in early reading skills (phonological awareness, phonics & word recognition, vocabulary, listening comprehension, decoding, and literal comprehension) (Estimated test time = 25 to 40 min per test) | Assessment and Evaluation | |
*Individual results are shared with parents/guardians at conferences | ||||
Oct. 16 | 12 | The ACT® NCRC is a national credential designed to offer an accurate prediction about the success of people in the workplace. | Assessment and Evaluation | |
Oct. 16 | STAMP - Spanish Immersion | 11 | Summative assessment to measure language proficiency (Estimated test time = 1.5 to 3 hours) | Curriculum Services |
Fall 2025 (Every Other Year) (Survey) | Youth Risk Behavior Survey | 9 through 12 (Schools selected by SD Dept. of Health) | Federally funded research with support from SD School Administrators | SD Dept. of Health |
Dec. 2 - 20 | K through 2 (math only) 3 through 8 | Formative assessment to guide instruction and measure student growth in reading and math (Estimated test time = 60 min per test) | Assessment and Evaluation | |
*Individual results are shared with parents/guardians at conferences | ||||
Dec. 2 - 20 | K through 2 | Formative assessment to guide instruction and measure student growth in early reading skills (phonological awareness, phonics & word recognition, vocabulary, listening comprehension, decoding, and literal comprehension) (Estimated test time = 25 to 40 min per test) | Assessment and Evaluation | |
*Individual results are shared with parents/guardians at conferences | ||||
Dec. 2 - 20 (Survey) | Staff Survey | All Staff | To gather feedback from staff regarding their experience in the Sioux Falls School District. | Data Services |
Jan. 7 - 9 (Middle School) | District Semester One Tests | 7 through 12 | Summative assessments for selected high school courses offered across the district (Estimated test time = 90 minutes) | Assessment and Evaluation |
Jan. 8 - 9 (High School) | ||||
Jan. 28 - Feb. 28 (State-Mandated Assessments) | All EL students (K through 12) | State required assessment to measure English language proficiency for students identified as EL (Estimated test time = 3 hours) | Assessment and Evaluation | |
*Individual results are shared with parents/guardians at the end of the year | ||||
2026 (Every other Year) (State-Mandated Assessments) | 4 and 8 | The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subjects. Its two major goals are to measure student achievement and to report change in student performance over time (Estimated test time = 90 to 120 minutes) | SD DOE | |
Voluntary (Survey) | Tobacco Survey | 6 through 8 (Optional) | Research partnership with SDSDU and support from SD School Administrators | SD Dept. of Health |
March 10 - April 25 (State-Mandated Assessments) | 3 through 8, 11 | State required alternate, summative assessment measuring ELA and math achievement for identified SPED students (Estimated test time = 2.5 hours) | Special Services | |
*Individual results are shared with parents/guardians the following fall. | ||||
March 24 - April 25 | 2 | District-wide ability assessment for Gifted Ed identification (Estimated test time = 60 to 90 minutes) | Assessment and Evaluation | |
March 24 - May 2 (State-Mandated Assessments) | SD English Language Arts Assessment and SD Math Assessment | 3 through 8, 11 | State required summative assessment measuring ELA and math achievement Estimated test time = 2 to 4 hours per test) | Assessment and Evaluation |
*Individual results are sent home during the summer | ||||
March 24 - May 2 (State-Mandated Assessments) | 5, 8, 11 | State required summative assessment measuring science achievement (Estimated test time = 2 hours) | Assessment and Evaluation | |
*Individual results for the SD Science Assessment are sent home in the summer; SD Science Alternate individual results are shared the following fall. | ||||
March 31 - April 18 (Survey) | Parent Survey | Pre-K Through 21 | To gather feedback from parents/families regarding their experience in the Sioux Falls School District | Data Services |
March 31 - April 18 (Survey) | Student Survey | 3 through 12 | To gather feedback from students regarding their experience in the Sioux Falls School District | Data Services |
April 22 - May 9 | K through 2 (math only) 3 through 8 | Formative assessment to guide instruction and measure student growth in reading and math (Estimated test time = 60 min per test) | Assessment and Evaluation | |
*Individual results are sent home at the end of the school year | ||||
April 22 - May 9 | K through 2 | Formative assessment to guide instruction and measure student growth in early reading skills (phonological awareness, phonics & word recognition, vocabulary, listening comprehension, decoding, and literal comprehension (Estimated test time = 25 to 40 min per test) | Assessment and Evaluation | |
*Individual results are sent home at the end of the school year | ||||
April - May | STAMP - Spanish Immersion and High School World Language | 2, 5, 8, High School | Summative assessment to measure Spanish language proficiency (Estimated test time = 1.5 to 3 hours) | Curriculum Services |
May 1 - 9 | AP – Advanced Placement Exams | 9 through 12 | Optional tests for students in AP courses; colleges use scores to determine if students receive credit. | Curriculum Services |
May 19 - 21 (Middle School) | District High School Semester Two Tests | 7 through 12 | Summative assessments for selected high school courses offered across the district (Estimated test time = 90 minutes) | Assessment and Evaluation |
May 20 - 21 (High School) |
Please read the following in regards to state-mandated assessments. If you have any further questions, please contact your building principal.
SDCL 13-3-55. Academic achievement tests. Every public school district shall annually administer the same assessment to all students in grades three to eight, inclusive, and in grade eleven. The assessment shall measure the academic progress of each student. Every public school district shall annually administer to all students in at least two grade levels an achievement test to assess writing skills. The assessment instruments shall be provided by the Department of Education, and the department shall determine the two grade levels to be tested. The tests shall be administered within timelines established by the Department of Education by rules promulgated pursuant to chapter 1-26 starting in the spring of the 2002-2003 school year. Each state-designed test shall be correlated with the state's content standards. The South Dakota Board of Education Standards may promulgate rules pursuant to chapter 1-26 to provide for administration of all assessments.
ARSD 24:55:07:02. At least 95 percent assessed. A school shall administer the state academic assessment to at least 95 percent of the students and 95 percent of students within a student group who are enrolled in the tested grades for the state academic assessment on May first. If a school fails to administer the state assessments to 95 percent of students or of the members of a student group, those students necessary to be counted to reach 95 percent shall receive a value of zero in calculating the student achievement key indicator.