Caution
This article does not apply to students taking the embedded Imagine Language & Literacy Benchmark or the NWEA™ MAP® Growth Assessment. It only applies to students taking the Imagine Galileo ELA Benchmark in Imagine Language & Literacy (IL&L). If you aren't sure which assessment your school is using, read Checking which assessment option your organization is using.
Before students take the Imagine Galileo ELA Benchmark test, Administrators and Teachers should understand what the Benchmark test measures, how the test is structured and when the test will be administered. Watch this short video for a quick overview of what the Imagine Galileo ELA Benchmark is, how it works, and how to interpret and act on student scores. Students in Kindergarten and 1st grade receive one form of the Imagine Galileo ELA Benchmark test, while students in grades 2+ receive a different form of the test.
Note
The Imagine Galileo ELA Benchmark is not available for students in Grade PreK. Any PreK students in your school or district will receive the Imagine Language & Literacy Placement/Benchmark test instead of the Imagine Galileo ELA Benchmark.
When the Imagine Galileo ELA Benchmark test is administered
The ELA Benchmark is administered during 3 different testing windows throughout the school year. The Beginning-of-Year Benchmark places students into their personalized learning path in Imagine Language & Literacy. Teachers or Administrators must schedule the ELA Benchmark. Imagine Galileo ELA Benchmark testing windows are determined by each individual organization.
New students who enroll in your class after a test window has started will receive the Benchmark if it has been scheduled. If a student enrolls in your class after the testing window closes, you need to reassign the most recent Imagine Galileo ELA Benchmark test to the class. The rescheduled test filters out new students who have not taken the test yet and makes it available to them, without changing other students' status or results.
Recommendation
To ensure that your Imagine Galileo ELA Benchmark test results are valid, familiarize yourself with all testing materials and create a standardized testing environment for student testing.
What the Imagine Galileo ELA Benchmark test measures
The ELA Benchmark test is a comprehensive assessment that measures student capabilities relative to grade-level standards in English language arts. Imagine Galileo ELA Benchmark results are used to measure student growth and achievement and refine where a student is placed in the Imagine Language & Literacy curriculum.
The test measures student performance in two key domains: Literacy and Language.
| Literacy Domain | Language Domain | |
|---|---|---|
| Reading (Foundational) | Reading (Literature & Informational) | |
| Print Concepts | Comprehension | Conventions |
| Phonemic Awareness | Ideas & Details | Vocabulary Acquisition & Use |
| Phonics | Craft & Structure | Grammar |
| Word Recognition | Knowledge & Facts | Listening Comprehension (Grades K-1) |
How the Imagine Galileo ELA Benchmark test is structured
The Imagine Galileo ELA Benchmark test is a fixed-form test where all students in the same grade level respond to the same set of 33-36 test items, depending on whether they are taking the Grade K-1 or Grade 2+ Benchmark. The test includes both multiple-choice and technology-enhanced item types, similar to the test items that students will encounter on standardized state tests.