Established by the State Board of Education in 1996, the
Vermont Comprehensive Assessment System (CAS) uses Vermont’s
Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities to evaluate
student performance in the state’s schools, with the
goal of improving teaching and learning. Statewide assessments
include:
- Vermont Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA), administered
in grade 2
- New Standards Reference Exams (NSRE) in English/language
arts and mathematics, administered in grades 4, 8 and 10
- VT-PASS (science assessment), administered in grades
5, 9 and 11
Schools also assess student performance in additional subject
areas and at additional grade levels using portfolios (collections
of student work), norm-referenced standardized tests, and
locally developed assessments.
Beginning in fall 2005, the Vermont Department of Education
will introduce a new state testing program for students in
grades 3 through 8. The New England Common Assessment Program
(NECAP), a series of custom-designed tests developed in collaboration
with the Rhode Island and New Hampshire departments of education,
will measure students’ proficiency in reading, math
and writing grade level expectations (GLEs). Reading and math
will be assessed annually in grades 3 through 8, and writing
will be assessed in grades 5 and 8.
Merit’s language arts and math software programs correlate
to Vermont’s Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities
and can help students prepare for State assessments. 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: March 2005 |
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