Assessment & Accountability
TISD is committed to providing an educational system that will enable all students to reach their full potential. The Department of Testing shares this commitment by supporting a comprehensive testing program which includes local, state and national assessments.
Credit by Exam
Credit by Exam for Credit Recovery
Credit by exam for credit recovery is for students enrolled in grades 6-12 with previous instruction in a course. Students are eligible to gain credit by such examination if they received a grade of at least 60 in the course failed and score at least 70% on the exam. Written parent/ guardian approval and school district representative recommendation are also required. On approval of the Attendance Review Committee (ARC), a student who has excessive absences may be permitted to earn or regain course credit lost due to absenteeism. Credit by Examination shall not be used to gain eligibility for participation in extracurricular activities but the grade does figure into grade point average (GPA). Exams are ordered through Texas Tech University. Further information is available through campus counselors.
Credit by Exam for Acceleration
Credit by exam for acceleration is for students enrolled in grades K-12 with no previous instruction in a course. Districts are required by State law to provide this testing to students that request it and meet required criteria. A minimum score of 90% is required for a student to accelerate to 1st grade. For a student to accelerate in grades 1-12, a minimum of 80% is required. Additionally, written parental approval and school district recommendation is required. Costs associated with this testing are a district expense. Any score for which credit is awarded will be recorded on the academic achievement record but no grade points will be awarded. If the student does not meet the required score, nothing is recorded on the academic achievement record. Examinations are secured through the University of Texas or Texas Tech University. Both universities provide study guides that can be obtained on their respective websites. Further information is available through campus counselors.
PAST/NMSQT
The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a program cosponsored by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). It's a standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT®. It also gives you a chance to enter NMSC scholarship programs and gain access to college and career planning tools.
The PSAT/NMSQT measures
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Critical reading skills
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Math problem-solving skills
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Writing Skills
PSAT 8/9
The PSAT 8/9 is a test that will help you and your teachers figure out what you need to work on most so that you’re ready for college when you graduate from high school. It tests the same skills and knowledge as the SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, and PSAT 10 — in a way that makes sense for your grade level.
TELPAS
Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS)
TELPAS is an assessment program for students in Texas public schools who are learning the English language. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) developed TELPAS to meet state and federal testing requirements. Texas assesses English language learners (ELLs) annually in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students learning the English language begin participating in TELPAS in kindergarten and stop participating when their language proficiency assessment committee (LPAC) determines that they are proficient in the English language.
For students in kindergarten through grade 1, TELPAS consists of holistically rated assessments in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The holistically rated assessments use classroom observations to measure students' progress in listening, speaking, and writing in English.
For students in grades 2-12, TELPAS has multiple-choice reading tests and holistically rated assessments in listening, speaking, and writing. TELPAS assesses the progress that students are making in learning English. The multiple-choice reading test is a one-day test that measures students' annual progress in learning to read in English. The assessments of listening, speaking, and writing are based on classroom observations and a collection of the students' writing.
Test Tips
Physical Readiness
- Get a good night’s sleep.
- Eat a healthy breakfast.
- Wear comfortable clothing, as long as they follow school dress code.
- Do not forget to take medications as prescribed by your doctor.
- If you are supposed to wear glasses or contacts, wear them.
Reduce Anxiety
- Be on time to school.
- Pace yourself during the test. Remember you have as much time as you need.
- Don’t worry about the whole test at once – tackle questions one at a time.
- Don’t “score” yourself as you take the test.
- Don’t look for letter patterns of correct answers.
- Don’t panic if you have a memory lapse or mental block. This is normal. Go on to the next item and come back to the trouble spot later.
- Don’t expect to know the answer to every question. Expect some items to be too hard. Just do your best.
- Avoid unnecessary clock-watching, but do be aware of the time.
- Ignore other test takers.
- Think positively.
- Don’t give up!
Follow Directions
- Read all directions carefully.
- Do the sample questions even though you think you understand.
- If you don’t completely understand what to do, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification.
- Sometimes you will need to reread the directions or the questions to be sure you are answering what is being asked.
- Don’t assume that all the questions in the same section follow the same pattern. One question may ask for a true statement, the next many ask which statement is not true.
- Don’t guess wildly on a question. Try to eliminate one or two choices to a question. If you guess, make an “educated guess.”
- Make sure that your answers are on the answer document.
Test-Taking Strategies
- Read the passage.
- Highlight important ideas.
- Read the question.
- Go back and read the passage again.
- Look for answers, one question at a time.
- Before answering, go back to the passage to check your choice.
- Eliminate any answer that you know is not correct.
- Once you get the choice down to two, look at the passage again and make a decision.
- Answer all questions: don’t leave anything blank.
- If you get tired during the test, get a drink of water.
- If you need to use the restroom, ask the proctor to allow you to go.
- Do not rush.
- Even if everyone else is finished, work at your own pace in order to do the best you can.