preview

Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Essay

Decent Essays

Students in Tennessee are assessed using a variety of different instruments. Such assessments are part of the overall Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, also referred to as TCAP. The TCAP testing is comprised of several different assessments for different grade levels. Assessments included in the TCAP are the Achievement Test for grades 3-8, End of Course High School Exams, and the soon to be implemented TNReady portion of the TCAP which will be introduced in the coming school year. The TCAP Achievement for grades 3-8 is a standardized test which focuses on the areas of reading, language arts, social studies, science, and math. This assessment is criterion-referenced and aligns with the Tennessee State Curriculum Content Standards. The TCAP Achievement Test is a timed assessment with the amount of time for each section varying depending on content area and grade level. Students who have completed their education and …show more content…

The determination process required before assessing a students with the TCAP-Alt PA is quite extensive and includes review of student assessment data, completion of various forms, and a determination by an IEP team (TN Department of Education). The TCAP-Alt PA documents a student's progress over time and is used to make a determination as to if the student is meeting necessary standards. For special education students who is unable to participate in End of Course assessment, and who have an active IEP, may choose to demonstrate mastery of core knowledge and skills rather than take the regular End of Course assessment (tn.gov). As with the TCAP-Alt PA, all attempts are made to provide students with accommodations which will allow them to complete the traditional assessment. The decision to use performance based assessment is made by the IEP team and should be considered in

Get Access