With the passage of SB 00-186, the Colorado Student Assessment Program now includes assessments in reading and writing in grades 3 through 10, assessments in mathematics in grades 5 through 10, and a science assessment at grade 8.

Below are links for the assessment frameworks in reading, writing, and mathematics for grades 3 - 10. The assessment frameworks list the knowledge and skills that will be assessed by CSAP at each grade level. They are not intended to be a new set of standards, but rather, a guide for test construction. The introduction attached to each assessment framework provides more detail about the relationship between the Colorado Model Content Standards, the suggested grade level expectations, and the assessment frameworks.

The Colorado Model Content Standards represent the fundamental knowledge and skills that Coloradoans expect students to possess at various intervals throughout their educational careers. These documents were developed with the help of thousands of Coloradoans over the course of two years. The Colorado Model Content Standards form the basis for the standards-based education movement in Colorado.

The Suggested Grade Level Expectations were derived from the Colorado Model Content Standards. They help define the knowledge and skills expected of students at each grade level as opposed to during grade ranges such as K-4. They were not as extensively reviewed as the Colorado Model Content Standards, and they were not developed to inform test construction.

The assessment frameworks are derived from the Colorado Model Content Standards as well. They define what can be assessed at each grade level by one particular assessment (CSAP). Because the CSAPs are limited to selected-response and constructed-response items, the framework is more limited in scope. The assessment frameworks are not intended to be a new set of standards, but rather, a guide for test construction.

Merit’s language arts and math software programs correlate Colorado Model Content Standards and can help students prepare for the CSAP. The content and format of Merit’s programs can help students develop and strengthen their test-taking skills as well as their reading, writing and math skills.

Merit reading software has been proven -- through rigorous, scientifically based research -- to increase both student reading comprehension and standardized test scores. Merit research study findings reveal that education software is an effective tool to improve test scores and academic performance.



Published: May 2005