Learning Results

District Assessments

Each spring, the Grand Island Public Schools administers districtwide assessments to measure all students’ reading, writing, speaking, and mathematics achievement.  More recently, summative assessments have been added for science and social studies at selected grades.

These District Assessments have been designed by GIPS staff to measure how well students have learned the district’s curriculum.  Thus, they represent our best summative measures of what students should know/understand and be able to apply at a “proficient” or “mastery” level.  Our District Assessments include a combination of 1) traditional structured response items (e.g., calculate the correct answer, fill in the blank), which measure knowledge and understanding, and 2) performance assessments, which measure how well students can use their knowledge and skills.

2003-08 Data Summaries       

ITBS & CogAT

The Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) is administered each year in late February to all GIPS students in grades 3-8.  This nationally normed, group administered achievement test has been given to GIPS students for the past nine years. The ITBS results are reported by grade level in four areas: Reading, Language, Mathematics, and Core (the composite of the three subtests).

For more information, go to http://www.riverpub.com/products/itbs/index.html

Students also take a 90-minute Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT), which is given to assess students’ abilities in reasoning and problem solving using verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal (spatial) symbols.  In addition to providing a good estimate of students’ cognitive abilities, the CogAT provides a predicted score for the ITBS, which is helpful in determining whether students are achieving to their abilities.

For more information, go to http://www.riverpub.com/products/cogAt/index.html

2000-08 ITBS Total
2000-08 ITBS Reading & Language Arts
2000-08 ITBS Mathematics

State Assessments

The State Report Card includes a collection of required data compiled annually by the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE).  This report provides Nebraskans with a snapshot of State Assessment results; enrollment, attendance, and graduation data; and various other school-related information. The NDE website makes it possible for stakeholders to view State Assessment results for every Nebraska school district and school.

To achieve state accountability requirements, a school must be rated at least “good” on 1) students’ performance on the State Reading and Mathematics Assessments and 2) the quality of the local assessments used to measure learning.

2007-08 State Report Card (external link)
2006-07 State Report Card (external link)
2005-06 State Report Card (external link)
2004-05 State Report Card (external link)
2003-04 State Report Card (external link)
2002-03 State Report Card (external link)
2001-02 State Report Card (external link)
2000-01 State Report Card (external link)

Federal Assessments (AYP)

In addition to the ways school districts already held themselves accountable for student learning, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) federal law was enacted in 2001 to hold U.S. states, school districts, and all K-12 schools more accountable for improved student learning.  Each state has been required to adopt a set of indicators -- which applies to every group or subgroup of students with at least 30 students -- to show how well school districts and schools are making the required Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).  Results must be reported by ethnicity, socioeconomic status, special education, and English Language Learners to help determine the equity of learning opportunities.

For more information about the No Child Left Behind Law, go to http://www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml

2007-08 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
2006-07 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
2005-06 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
2004-05 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
2003-04 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)