Assessments in a BASD K-12 serve a variety of important purposes, each contributing to the overall educational experience and ensuring that students are supported in their learning and development.

1. Monitoring Student Progress : Formative Assessments (e.g., quizzes, classroom activities, homework) are used regularly to gauge students' understanding and progress on a daily or weekly basis. These assessments help teachers adjust instruction in real-time to meet students' needs. Summative Assessments (e.g., end-of-term exams, standardized tests) provide a snapshot of what students have learned over a longer period and help measure achievement against learning goals or standards.
    
2. Guiding Instructional Decisions : Assessments help teachers identify areas where students are excelling and where they may be struggling. By analyzing the results, educators can adjust their teaching strategies, group students differently, or provide additional resources to help students succeed.
    
3. Identifying Learning Gaps 
    
4. Measuring Achievement and Accountability: Standardized Assessments (Forward State Assessment, PreACT, ACT) are often used to measure how well students, schools, and districts are performing relative to a set of established academic standards. These assessments provide a way to assess whether students are meeting learning benchmarks and can inform broader district, state, and national educational policy. Districts use assessment data to track the effectiveness of their curriculum and educational programs and ensure compliance with state or federal regulations (e.g., Title I funding, No Child Left Behind).
    
5. Supporting Educational Equity
    
6. Involving Parents and Stakeholders: Assessments provide valuable information to parents, guardians, and the community about a student’s progress and the effectiveness of educational programs.
    
7. Evaluation of Curriculum and Instruction: Districts use assessment data to evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum and teaching methods.
8. Supporting College and Career Readiness : As students progress through their education, assessments (e.g., standardized tests, college entrance exams) are often used to evaluate their readiness for postsecondary education and careers. These assessments help identify students’ strengths and areas that may need further development before they transition out of K-12 education.

ACT 20 in BASD

ACT 20 is a reading law that moves the state toward phonics-oriented literacy instruction. Act 20 received bipartisan support and approval from the state’s education department. The proposal aligns WI with dozens of other states that are reconsidering their approach to literacy education.  See PDF to learn more about ACT 20 and the shifts being made in BASD around the Science of Reading!

Our 10-year curriculum review cycle is a structured process BASD uses to regularly evaluates and updates its educational programs to ensure they meet current standards, reflect best practices, and address the evolving needs of students. This process involves gathering feedback from educators & students, as well as analyzing student performance data to identify areas for improvement. Having a curriculum review cycle is important because it helps maintain high educational standards, ensures that instructional materials stay relevant and engaging, and allows schools to adapt to changes in educational research, technology, and society. Use the link to view BASD's 10-year curriculum review cycle.