State Assessments

The Forward Exam gauges how well students are doing relative to the Wisconsin Academic Standards and how well districts and the state are supporting students in meeting those standards.

Exam Website
 
Law/Policy Requiring the Assessment
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and Wisconsin State Statute 118.30

Subject Matter and Grade Levels Assessed
Grades 3-8 in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics
Grades 4 and 8 in science,
Grades 4, 8, and 10 in social studies
Time Spent Taking Assessment
The Forward Exam is untimed.

Assessment Schedule
The Forward Exam is administered annually in the spring. See the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Testing Calendar for more detailed information. 

Results Format and Schedule
Students receive individual reports.

DLM assesses the academic progress of students with significant cognitive disabilities. It is administered online.

Exam Website
 
Law/Policy Requiring the Assessment
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and Wisconsin State Statute 118.30

Subject Matter and Grade Levels Assessed
Grades 3-11 in ELA and mathematics
Grades 4, 8-11 in science
Grades 4, 8, and 10 in social studies
Time Spent Taking Assessment
DLM test is untimed.

Assessment Schedule
DLM is administered annually in the spring. See the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Testing Calendar for more detailed information. 

Results Format and Schedule
Students receive individual reports and learning profiles.

PreACT Secure can be used to predict future ACT scores and possible areas of strength and challenges. 

Exam Website
 
Law/Policy Requiring the Assessment
Wisconsin State Statute 118.30

Subject Matter and Grade Levels Assessed
Grades 9 and 10 for reading, English, mathematics, and science
Time Spent Taking Assessment
PreACT Secure assessments take 2 hours, 50 minutes to complete, including breaks.

Assessment Schedule
PreACT is administered annually in the spring. See the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Testing Calendar for more detailed information. 

Results Format and Schedule
Students receive individual reports. 

ACT with writing helps students understand what they need to learn next to build rigorous high school course plans and identify career areas that align with their interests. It can be used for college enrollment, scholarships, and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) eligibility requirements.

Exam Website
 
Law/Policy Requiring the Assessment
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and Wisconsin State Statute 118.30

Subject Matter and Grade Levels Assessed
Grade 11 for reading, English, mathematics, science, and writing
Time Spent Taking Assessment
ACT with writing takes 3 hours, 55 minutes to complete, including breaks. 

Assessment Schedule
ACT with Writing is administered annually in the spring. See the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Testing Calendar for more detailed information. 

Results Format and Schedule
Student Score Reports are available online and mailed 5-8 weeks after the assessment. This may be subject to change. See the assessment web page for the most up-to-date information.

ACCESS allows educators, English Learners (ELs), and families to monitor EL’s progress in acquiring academic English in the domains of speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

Exam Website
 
Law/Policy Requiring the Assessment
ESSA and Wisconsin State Statute 115.96(1)

Subject Matter and Grade Levels Assessed
Grades K-12, English language proficiency for students identified as English Learners (ELs)
Time Spent Taking Assessment
The ACCESS test is untimed, and students have the time needed to produce scorable content. ACCESS typically takes 1-4.5 hours to complete, depending on grade and test format.

Assessment Schedule
ACCESS is administered annually in the winter. See the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Testing Calendar for more detailed information. 

Results Format and Schedule
PDF student score reports are available in multiple languages, with paper copies provided in English during the spring. Districts distribute parent school reports either in late spring or early in the next school year.

School Districts are required to use AimswebPlus to assess fundamental reading skills in order to inform and identify students with early literacy needs. 

Exam Website
 
Law/Policy Requiring the Assessment
Wisconsin State Statute 118.016, Act 20

Subject Matter and Grade Levels Assessed
Grades 4K-3 for reading readiness
Time Spent Taking Assessment
AimswebPlus can take students between 5 and 30 minutes  with increased time for additional diagnostic measures.

Assessment Schedule
Reading Readiness assessments must be administered annually in the required grades as outlined in Act 20.

Results Format and Schedule
Results will be provided to all parents within 15 days of completion either in print or digitally, in the fall, winter, and spring.  If students fall below the 25th percentile, a personal reading plan to provide intervention support will be developed and shared with parents.