Standardized Tests

Textbook publisher and teacher created tests are used to assess student performance throughout the year. The tests, classroom performance (i.e., classwork, participation), and evidence of home study, comprise the basis for progress reports and report cards.

St. Jude Catholic School uses Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests which are given three times a year to students in Kindergarten-8th grade, to assess individual skills and growth in math and English and language arts.  Middle school students are also assessed in science. These tests give teachers an understanding of each student's academic level, allowing them to differentiate their instruction appropriately.  The MAP assessments are the tools that provide teachers with the detailed information they need to build curriculum and meet their students' needs.

DIBELS, Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, is an assessment given to students in Kindergarten-2nd grade three times a year to determine their acquisition of literacy and early reading skills.

Additionally, all schools in the Diocese of Peoria shall administer the NCEA ACRE assessment of religious knowledge, attitude, and practices each January to students enrolled in Grades 5 and 8. SJCS graduates who attend Peoria Notre Dame will be given the ACRE test again in the 11th grade.