Planning on a beginning-of-year assessment over reading or writing skills?
Do you have any resources for that?
I’m sharing a few things here that I’ve gathered for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade ELA to help you out!
The following links are for previously-released state tests for Middle School ELA from New York, Ohio, Texas, and California.
No matter where you live or what specific standards you have to follow, any of these tests can be used to gain a little insight into where your students are and what they need help with.
Now I wouldn’t recommend just giving your new students a full, blown-out assessment like these on the first (or second or third) day of school!
I mean, Yikes, right??
What I do recommend is this: Pick a certain passage or a certain genre from any of the assessments below and just use them in parts over a period of time in the beginning.
Will the results be perfect and authentic?
Probably not.
I mean, think of these like one source of information taken into consideration along with other things you’re learning about your students in the beginning of the year.
Plus, even though these assessments are literally from all across the country, the bottom line is that students still have to be able to read certain types of passages, think critically, and make logical inferences using text evidence.
Here they are:
Resources for Practice Assessments – ELA Grade 8
Engage NY CCSS Released ELA Test
https://www.engageny.org/resource/released-2017-3-8-ela-and-mathematics-state-test-questions
Texas TEKS Released 8th Grade ELA Test
https://tea.texas.gov/student.assessment/STAAR_Released_Test_Questions/
Ohio State Released 8th Grade ELA Test
http://oh.portal.airast.org/core/fileparse.php/3094/urlt/OST_Practice_G8_ELA.pdf
California Released 8th Grade ELA Test
http://www.vannuysms.org/ourpages/auto/2017/12/6/51960774/8th%20ELA%20CST%20Released%20Test%20Questions%20for%202003-2006.pdf
Resources for Practice Assessments – ELA Grade 7
Engage NY CCSS Released ELA Test
https://www.engageny.org/resource/released-2017-3-8-ela-and-mathematics-state-test-questions
Texas TEKS Released 7th Grade ELA Test
https://tea.texas.gov/student.assessment/STAAR_Released_Test_Questions/
Ohio State Released 7th Grade ELA Test
http://oh.portal.airast.org/core/fileparse.php/3094/urlt/OST_Practice_G7_ELA.pdf
California Released 7th Grade ELA Test
http://www.vannuysms.org/ourpages/auto/2017/12/6/52650668/7th%20ELA%20CST%20Released%20Test%20Questions%202003%20-%202006.pdf
Resources for Practice Assessments – ELA Grade 6
Engage NY CCSS Released ELA Test
https://www.engageny.org/resource/released-2017-3-8-ela-and-mathematics-state-test-questions
Texas TEKS Released 6th Grade ELA Test
https://tea.texas.gov/student.assessment/STAAR_Released_Test_Questions/
Ohio State Released 6th Grade ELA Test
http://oh.portal.airast.org/core/fileparse.php/3094/urlt/OST_Practice_G6_ELA.pdf
California Released 6th Grade ELA Test
http://www.vannuysms.org/ourpages/auto/2017/12/6/56510502/6th%20ELA%20CST%20Released%20Test%20Questions%202003-2006.pdf
Ok, so that should help you get started if you’re looking for passages, questions, writing prompts, etc. to just see where your students are as you start the new school year and what you can think about as far as how to extend their learning if they’re on grade level or how to fill the gaps in they’re struggling.
