IFG ACRE
The National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) is now working with a new company, My Catholic Faith Technologies to deliver a stronger online platform for the IFG ACRE Religious Education Assessment, to learn more, please click here.
What is the ACRE?
Since the late 1970’s NCEA has offered assessment instruments designed to strengthen catechetical/religious education programs. The ACRE (Assessment of Children/Youth Religious Education) helps schools, parishes and diocesan leaders evaluate the faith knowledge and attitudes of students in Catholic schools. As an integrated assessment tool, ACRE provides faith knowledge questions (cognitive domain) and questions related to religious beliefs, attitudes, practices, and perceptions (affective domain). The NCEA IFG: ACRE edition is based on the Catholic Church’s expectations for an organic, systematic, and comprehensive education in Christian discipleship. Currently, it is the only tool that provides national scores for comparison and processes for tracking religious education program data over time.
https://mycatholicschool.org/for-catholic-schools/catholic-identity/acre-assessment/
ITBS
The Iowa Assessments are a suite of standardized tests that measures a child’s growth, proficiency, readiness, and achievement throughout his/her scholastic career. For grades 9-11, the Iowa Assessments will be administered for measurement of achievement in all subjects. For grades 1-8, the Iowa Assessments will be administered across the Diocese for benchmark purposes in the core subjects. Benchmark results are useful for you and the school because they assist in identifying strengths in your child’s skill set as well as skills that require additional guidance or improvement. A benchmark should not be seen as a test in the “pass” or “fail” sense but rather as a tool to assess your child’s needs. Teachers will use these results to devise a plan that will help your child to develop proficiency in these skills.
On Spring grades K-8, the Iowa Assessments will be administered for measurement of achievement in all subjects.
How your student can prepare for test taking—and what you can do to help?
A student who is well rested and well fed and has a positive attitude about testing is best prepared for testing. You can help your student do his or her best by considering these tips:
The preLAS Observational AssessmentTM for 3 year olds, part of the preLAS® Assessment System, measures the English and Spanish language proficiency and pre-literacy skills of early learners. The preLAS Observational Assessment provides the ability to use early childhood language proficiency assessments at a young age, allowing for earlier identification and targeted language support.
Resource: https://www.datarecognitioncorp.com/Assessment-Solutions/Documents/preLAS%20Brochure.pdf
TSI Grades 9-11
What is TSI? How does it affect me?
Students are required to complete an approved Texas Success Initiative (TSI) exam prior to enrolling into college-level courses, unless exempt. The TSI is required by Texas law to ensure that students enrolled in Texas public colleges possess the academic skills needed to perform effectively in college-level course work. TSI includes a testing component designed to provide diagnostic information about the reading, mathematics, and writing skills of each student. If a student does not meet TSI requirements then that student may not be able to participate in certain courses such as MATH, ENGL, HIST, PSYC, POLS, CHEM, BIOL; which are all essential dual enrollment courses.
http://www.tamuk.edu/artsci/Dual%20Enrollment%20Program/QA%20-DEP.html