1. Winter Benchmark Assessment Director of Secondary Programs
Christie Finley
Director of Secondary Programs
November 18, 2014

2. Standards Based Flow Chart
Pacing Guide
Lesson Plans
Formative Assessments
Classwork
Projects
Teacher Made Tests
SchoolNet

3. Benchmark Assessments Serve As A Formative Assessment To Form Next Steps For Instruction and Student Learning.
Administered four times per year
Next benchmark will be given December 9-12
Second and fourth benchmarks are cumulative for high school courses
Administered online using SchoolNet
As with all benchmark assessments, questions are drawn from NWEA test bank. Pacing guides were developed by HCS teachers to align instruction with the Alabama College and Career Readiness Standards.

4. HCS Guidelines For High School Benchmark And Semester Exams
Benchmark assessment are designed to test student mastery of course standards based on the HCS pacing guides.
Students scoring at least 70 percent on benchmark assessments may accept the benchmark score and exempt from their semester exam if their benchmark score is higher than their semester grade average.
Students will be awarded the higher of their benchmark exam score or their semester exam score.

5. HCS Guidelines For High School Benchmark And Teacher- Made Semester Exams
Semester exam will be given December
Any students whose benchmark score does not meet exemption criteria must take the semester exam.
Students may opt to take the semester exam, even if the benchmark score helps their average. The higher of the two grades will be entered as the semester exam score and used for calculating the semester average.

6. HCS Guidelines For Calculating Semester Averages
 40% (1st nine weeks grade) +40%(2nd nine weeks grade) + 20% (semester exam or benchmark exam, whichever is higher) = Semester Average

7. Examples Of Calculating Benchmark Assessment and Teacher- Made Semester Exams
1st Nine Weeks 85 60 75
2nd Nine Weeks 93 71 79
Benchmark
Assessment Grade 84
Exempt From Exam? No
Yes
Teacher Prepared Semester Exam 94
Student Opted To Exempt From The Teacher Made Exam 92
(Student Chose To Take The Teacher-Made Exam) 70
Exam Used To Calculate Final Semester Grade
Teacher-Made Semester Exam
Benchmark Assessment
Teacher-Made Semester Exam
Benchmark Exam
Final Average
85(.40)+93(.40)+94(.20)
=90.0
60(.40)+71(.40)+75(20)
= 67.4
75(.40)+79(.40)+92(.20)
= 80.0
85(.40)+79(.40)+75(.20)
= 80.6