Assessment

The New Hampshire Statewide Assessment System (NH SAS) is the state's general summative assessment for students in grades 3-8 and 11. Students participate in the NH SAS, unless they qualify for the alternate assessment. NH SAS is given in each spring to measure student knowledge and skills in English language arts (grades 3-8), mathematics (grades 3-8), and science (grades 5, 8, and 11). The NH SAS for science is a computerized assessment where students answer questions related to Earth Space Science, Life Science, and Physical Science while utilizing their science skills such as modeling, arguing with evidence, asking questions, testing solutions, designing experiments, and more. This assessment is based off of the Next Generation Science Standards for high school.

Learn more here → NH SAS for Students & Families

KHS Contact: Director of Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment - Abby Blais
 

The digital SAT is composed of two sections: Reading and Writing and Math. Students have 64 minutes to complete the Reading and Writing section and 70 minutes to complete the Math section for a total of 2 hours and 14 minutes.

Each section is divided into 2 equal length modules, and there is a 10-minute break between the Reading and Writing section and the Math section. The first module of each section contains a broad mix of easy, medium, and hard questions. Based on how students perform on the first module, the second module of questions will either be more difficult or less difficult.
Compared to the ACT®, the SAT provides 68% more time per question.

Most of the questions are multiple choice, though some of the math questions ask you to enter the answer rather than select it. On all questions, there's no penalty for guessing: if you're not sure of the answer, it's better to guess than leave the response blank. 

Learn more here → SAT Suite of Assessments from CollegeBoard

KHS Contact: Director of Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment - Abby Blais

The PSAT NMSQT takes 2 hours and 14 minutes and consists of 2 sections: (1) the Reading and Writing Section, and (2) the Math Section. Most of the questions are multiple choice, though some math questions ask you to write in the answer rather than select it. Students who take the PSAT/NMSQT and meet other program entry requirements specified in the PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide will enter the National Merit Scholarship Program, an academic competition for recognition and scholarships conducted by National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). 

Learn more here → SAT Suite of Assessments from CollegeBoard

KHS Contact: Director of Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment - Abby Blais

The PSAT 10 takes 2 hours and 14 minutes and consists of 2 sections: (1) the Reading and Writing Section, and (2) the Math Section. Most of the questions are multiple choice, though some math questions ask you to write in the answer rather than select it. The PSAT 10 is scored the same way as the PSAT NMSQT and the SAT and is meant to prepare students for those assessments where they can then begin qualifying for merit scholarships and applying to various paths after high school. 

Learn more here → SAT Suite of Assessments from CollegeBoard

KHS Contact: Director of Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment - Abby Blais

Dynamic Learning Maps® (DLM®) assessments are for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities for whom general state assessments are not appropriate, even with accommodations. DLM assessments offer these students a way to show what they know and can do in English language arts, mathematics, and science. DLM assessments also help parents and educators set high academic expectations for their students. Results from DLM assessments are used to inform instruction and meet accountability requirements for reporting student achievement.

Learn more here → Dynamic Learning Maps

KHS Contact: Director of Special Services - Kristen Stroshine or your student’s Case Manager

Exact Path begins with each student taking a diagnostic assessment. The Exact Path diagnostic is a computer adaptive test. That means that the test adjusts based on how students are doing. If they get a question right, they will see a harder question next. If they get it wrong, they will get an easier question. As students answer more questions, the test learns more about what they know or don't know. The assessment will end after it has an overall understanding of the student’s ability level. This is approximately 50 questions.

The hope is that Exact Path will be able to assist students in filling in gaps in their learning that aren’t necessarily addressed in their academic classes. The results from this diagnostic test will help determine the learning paths that students will be working on for the year. Learning paths consist of video and written directions, formative questions, and a culminating assessment on that content. If a student is successful with that particular skill, they move on in their learning path. If the student isn’t successful, a new skill is chosen for the student and this skill will be addressed at a later date.

Learn more here → Exact Path from Edmentum

KHS Contact: Director of Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment - Abby Blais

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery is the most widely used multiple-aptitude test battery in the world. The ASVAB measures your strengths, weaknesses and potential for future success in four domains: verbal, math, science and technical, and spatial. The ASVAB includes tests in 10 areas: general science (GS), arithmetic reasoning (AR), word knowledge (WK), paragraph comprehension (PC), mathematics knowledge (MK), electronics information (EI), auto information (AI), shop information (SI), mechanical comprehension (MC) and assembling objects (AO). It provides career information for various civilian and military occupations and is an indicator for success in future endeavors, such as college, vocational school or a military career. 

Learn more here → ASVAB

KHS Contact: Director of Counseling - Jess Russ or your student’s Counselor

Each year, New Hampshire public and chartered public schools are required by state law (RSA 193-C) and federal accountability laws (Every StudentSucceedsAct) to assess students using a standardized assessment. Keene High School highly encourages all students to participate in state assessments. We utilize several assessments to comply with these requirements. For more details about our statewide assessments, please visit the Office of Assessment webpage.

Schools are working hard to coordinate the administration of the statewide assessments to ensure students have access to the assessments in a safe environment. If you have questions about test administration at your school, please contact the school principal/administrator.
Statewide assessments are an important part of a student's core educational program. They provide:

• An evaluation of student mastery of content and skills in core academic areas
• Serve as one tool for measuring the degree to which students are on track to graduate high school and be college- and career-ready
• Help inform future instruction in the classroom

Along with student work on classroom assignments, projects, essays, and local formative and summative assessments, statewide summative assessment results provide teachers and parents/guardians with important information about where students are on their path toward academic success. They also provide information on how to best support learning recovery.

 New Hampshire’s RSA 193-C:6 permits parents/guardians to exempt their public school student from participating in the required statewide assessments (English Language Arts, Mathematics, and/or Science) by submitting this completed form to the school their student attends. To exempt a student from participating in state-required standardized assessments, the parent/legal guardian must complete and submit this form to the student’s school. A parent/guardian’s advance notice will assist school administration in the planning of test administration. This form is maintained at the school and does not need to be sent to the New Hampshire Department of Education but must be made available during assessment monitoring. It is valid for only one school year and only the assessments the parent/guardian lists on the form.

Parent Notification of State Assessments Letter (PDF)
Link to KHS Opt-Out Form (PDF)