Caution
This article does not apply to students taking the NWEA™ MAP® Growth Assessment.
Before students take the Imagine Math 3+ Benchmark test, Administrators and Teachers should understand what the Benchmark measures, how the test is structured, and when the test will be administered. Once you understand how the Benchmark works and how students experience the Benchmark test, you're ready to administer the Benchmark test. After testing, you can review student test results.
When the Benchmark test is administered
Three Benchmarks are available each school year. Students receive the Imagine Math 3+ Benchmark 1 the first time they log in to Imagine Math, provided they aren't taking the NWEA MAP Growth Assessment instead. Benchmark 1 is enabled by default and cannot be disabled. Benchmarks 2 and 3 are not mandatory. They are not enabled by default and must be assigned by a School Administrator or Teacher.
Recommendations
- If you only administer one Benchmark, you will be unable to view growth over time in your students' Quantile® measures. For this reason, Imagine Learning recommends that you administer all three Benchmarks even though only one is required.
- To allow sufficient time for student growth, administer each Benchmark at least 90 days apart.
What the Benchmark test measures
Benchmark 1 determines students’ proficiency in key skill areas and then places them in the Imagine Math curriculum so that they receive the instruction that they need. Benchmarks 2 and 3 can be administered throughout the school year to show evidence of student growth over time. When at least two Benchmarks have been administered, you can compare students' latest Benchmark results with previous results. Benchmark results are also used to refine where your students are placed in Imagine Math. The Benchmark test determines students' proficiency in these skill areas:
- Algebra and Algebraic Thinking
- Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability
- Geometry
- Measurement
- Number Sense
- Numerical Operations
Assessments are designed to determine what a student is ready to learn, not what standards a student has mastered. Students will see items at, above, and below their nominal grade-level on the assessments in order to determine their appropriate instructional level in general and not on a specific state standard. The results of the Benchmark test are reported as a Quantile® measure. Based on their Quantile measure, students are grouped into Performance Levels provided by MetaMetrics.
How the Benchmark test is structured
When students begin the Benchmark test, they initially receive test questions that are appropriate for their rostered grade level. As students work through the Benchmark, it adapts to their skill level, which means the students in your class will see test questions that vary from other students' questions. Student performance determines the level of difficulty of the test questions students receive.