Assessments Overview
Below is a list of assessments administered by Monument Academy, grade levels assessed, times of the year the assessments are administered, and what each assessment is used for.
| Assessment | Grade Levels | Time Frames
| Description |
| DIBELS | K – 5th | Aug – Sep
Dec
Apr - May | DIBELS is used to monitor how young elementary students are progressing in basic reading fluency skills.
Students in 4th & 5th grades are assessed only at the beginning and end of the year. Individual students in any grade may have their progress monitored as necessary during the year. |
| NWEA | 3rd – 8th | Aug - Sep
Apr - May
| NWEA is the primary assessment used by faculty at Monument Academy to track the growth and development of students in grades 3 through 8 over time. Subject areas assessed include Math, Reading Comprehension, Language for all students in the listed grade levels. Science is also assessed for students in grades 5-8. Assessments may be given at mid year. |
| CogAt | 3rd, 6th | Oct/Nov | CogAt is used to help fulfill a state requirement to screen for students that may qualify for Advanced Learning Plans (ALPs). CogAt is an achievement assessment that measures a student's learned reasoning and problem-solving abilities in verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal cognitive domains. |
CMAS:
ELA, Math,
Science, SS | 3rd
8th
11th | March/Apr | State law requires that CMAS Mathematics and English/Language Arts assessments are administered to all students in the listed grade levels.* Additionally, 5th, 8th, and 11th grade students are assessed in Science, and in some years 4th and 7th grade students are assessed in Social Studies. |
| CoAlt DLM | 3rd – 8th | March/Apr | Administered to students in the listed grade levels with significant cognitive disabilities to measure Math and English Language Arts performance. Additionally, 5th and 8th grade students are assessed in Science, and in some years 4th and 7th grade students are assessed in Social Studies. |
| NAEP | 4th, 8th | Jan - Mar
| NAEP is a nationally administered assessment. Schools are randomly selected for participation, and are mandated to administer the assessment. Monument Academy was selected to participate in the 2018-2019 school year in eighth grade only. The assessment date will be February 5th, 2019. Please visit https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/ for more information. |
| ACCESS | K – 12th | Jan | ACCESS is administered to students that are English Language Learners to monitor a student’s progress in English language proficiency. |
| PSAT/NMSQT | 10th-11th | Oct | The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test is a standardized test administered by the College Board and cosponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. The PSAT tests the same skills and knowledge as the SAT in a way that makes sense for 9th and 10th-graders. It builds on the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) tests in English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. The PSAT also aligns with Colorado Academic Standards (CAS) and with the SAT that students will take in 11th grade. |
| CO PSAT | 9th, 10th | Apr | The PSAT tests the same skills and knowledge as the SAT in a way that makes sense for 9th and 10th-graders. It builds on the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) tests in English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. The PSAT also aligns with Colorado Academic Standards (CAS) and with the SAT that students will take in 11th grade. |
| CO SAT | 11th | Apr | The SAT is a standardized test used for college admissions. It is closely aligned to challenging classroom work of Colorado schools and focuses on the key skills and concepts that evidence shows matter most for college and career readiness, including:
-mathematical concepts, skills, and practices important for success in career training programs.
-reading, comprehending, and writing high-quality essays supported by evidence. |
| State Standardized Assessments*
Visit the CDE General Information website for more. |
| * Colorado state law (HB 15-1323) grants parents the right to refuse having their children complete state standardized tests. Please see our Assessment Refusal: Frequently Asked Questions page for more information |
State Standardized Assessments
During the month of April, Monument Academy administers the CMAS/CoAlt standardized assessments. Colorado Law requires students in grades 3 through 8 to complete CMAS assessments, with an additional requirement for students in 11th grade to complete a CMAS science assessment. Students eligible for CoAlt assessments are required to complete them in grades 3 through 12. Per board policy and State Legislation, parents/guardians may choose to excuse their student(s) from participation in the state-mandated standardized tests by completing and submitting the online “Assessment Refusal” linked below no less than 3 days before the day of testing, although for planning purposes we do ask that refusals are submitted prior to spring break. All refusals must be submitted online, per Monument Academy Board Policy #1525 we will not accept paper refusal forms. Links to our Assessment Refusal: Frequently Asked Questions page and Online Assessment Refusal Instructions are found below, or can be picked up at the school’s main office. Please contact the Assessment Coordinators at your child’s respective campus with any questions you may have.
* Assessment Refusal: Frequently Asked Questions
Click below to be taken directly to the Online Assessment Refusal Form. These links will be active starting in February:
* CMAS/CoAlt Online Assessment Refusal
Spring Assessments at a Glance!
2023 Colorado State Standardized Assessments
CMAS English Language Arts (ELA) and Math assessments will be administered to all participating students in grades 3-8. CMAS Science will be administered to all participating students in grades 5,8, and 11. PSAT/NMSQT will be administered to MA Sophomore and Junior classes in October, 2022. PSAT will be administered to the Monument Academy Freshman and Sophomore classes. SAT will be administered to Junior classes.
Here is a schedule for when state standardized assessments (CMAS/CoAlt and PSAT, PSAT/NMSQT, SAT) will be administered at each of the Monument Academy campuses.
West Campus Standardized Assessment Schedule
| Assessment | Grade Level(s) Assessed | Assessment Window |
| CMAS ELA/CoAlt | 3rd | April 20, 2022 |
| CMAS ELA/CoAlt | 4th | April 19, 2022 |
| CMAS ELA/CoAlt | 5th | April 12, 2022 |
| CMAS Math/CoAlt | 3rd | April 21, 2022 |
| CMAS Math/CoAlt | 4th | April 18, 2022 |
| CMAS Math/CoAlt | 5th | April 13, 2022 |
| CMAS Science | 5th | April 11, 2022 |
| All students, whether completing the assessments or not, will attend school at MA West normally on these days. |
East Campus Standardized Assessment Schedule
| Assessment | Grade Level(s) Assessed | Assessment Window |
| CMAS ELA/CoAlt | 6th, 7th, 8th | March 20, 2023 - April 28, 2023 |
| CMAS Math/CoAlt | 6th, 7th, 8th | March 20, 2023 - April 28, 2023 |
| CMAS Science/CoAlt | 8th, 11th | April 10-28, 2023 |
| PSAT | 9th and 10th | April 12-14, 2023
Makeups:
April 25-27, 2023 |
| SAT | 11th | April 12, 2023 |
All students, whether completing the assessments or not, will attend school at MA East normally on these days.
* Specific dates will be determined after Spring Break. |
PLEASE have students who are completing assessments in school and on-time. Please avoid scheduling appointments on their scheduled assessment days. When the school has to “make-up” state standardized assessments for students who are late or must leave during the assessments we often have no choice but to significantly interrupt their regular instructional time. Thank you.
General information about assessments administered at Monument Academy throughout the year can be found at: https://www.monumentacademy.net/assessments
2023 Colorado State Standardized Assessment Refusals
Monument Academy accepts online refusals ONLY per MA Board Policy #1525. If you plan to refuse allowing your students to participate in standardized assessments this spring, regardless of the reason, please complete the applicable online refusal found at the links below so that Monument Academy may comply with CDE requirements and avoid negative consequences to our school. Thank you.
Links to the assessment refusal forms will be active starting in February.
* Refusal for CMAS/CoAlt Assessments
NWEA Assessment Dates
NWEA is the primary, internal assessment used to inform instruction at Monument Academy in grades three through ten. Younger grade levels sometimes take NWEA assessments appropriate for their grade level. Please do your best to have your child/children in school and on time for their NWEA assessment days. All students attend school normally on NWEA assessment days. Assessments may be given at mid year. Thank you.
Monument Academy NWEA Assessment Schedule
| Day / Date | Grade Assessed | Assessment Given |
| September and May | Elementary - 3rd, 4th | Reading, Language, Math |
| September and May | Elementary - 5th | Reading, Language, Math, Science |
| September and May | Middle School - 6th, 7th, 8th | Reading, Language, Math, Science |
| September and May | High School - 9th and 10th | Reading, Language, Math, Science |
Assessment Refusal FAQs
** Please Note: Monument Academy has a charter with Lewis-Palmer School District 38 but is governed by its own school board and policy regarding state standardized assessments. Because Monument Academy is a charter school, the word “school” can often be substituted for the word “district” in the answers found below.
Can parents excuse their children from taking the state tests?
Yes. Colorado law allows parents to excuse their child from the required state assessments (CMAS ELA in grades three-eight; CMAS Math in grades three-eight; CMAS Science in grades 5, 8, and 11; and PSAT/SAT in grades nine through 11. This law requires districts to have policies that explain how parents may excuse a student from participating in one or more of the required state assessment and notify parents of those policies. Your district can share its specific policy with you.
What are the consequences of excusing your child from participating in the state tests?
According to state law, districts cannot impose negative consequences on students or parents if a parent excuses his or her student from participating in a required assessment, including prohibiting school attendance, imposing an unexcused absence, or prohibiting participation in extracurricular activities. Likewise, districts cannot impose unreasonable burdens or requirements on a student to discourage the student from taking an assessment or to encourage the student’s parent to excuse his/her child from (or not have his/her child participate in) the assessment.
It is important to note that non-participation in state assessments means parents will not have information about their child’s attainment and growth on the state standards compared to other students in their school, district and state. Also, there is a chance that comparisons between schools and districts won’t be available as common state assessments are the most consistent way to compare performance.
Will my school or district’s accreditation rating be impacted by low participation on tests?
Federal law requires 95 percent of students overall, and in each demographic category, to take the required assessments. However, the Colorado State Board of Education passed a motion in February 2015 that says districts will not be held liable for parents choosing to excuse their children from testing.
As a result of these two policies, there is no impact on state accountability determinations for schools or districts that do not meet the federal requirement for 95 percent participation in two or more content areas due to parents excusing their students from testing. If, however, the school or district fails to meet the 95 percent participation rate requirement in two or more content areas for reasons such as students refusing to take the test without a parent excuse (no parent refusal on file), then the school or district’s plan type will be lowered one level.
Are there financial impacts on teachers or schools for low participation?
There is no fiscal impact on a district or teacher, at the state level, for parents excusing students from state assessments.
Additional Questions We Receive:
Will refusing standardized tests in elementary and middle school (CMAS/CoAlt) hurt my student in high school?
Any student whose parent has refused testing will have that noted on their records, but there is no negative impact to those students in high school.
Will refusing standardized tests in elementary and middle school (CMAS/CoAlt) affect how my student is viewed by colleges?
Ultimately this can only be answered by the individual colleges, but the vast majority of colleges and universities use the SAT and/or ACT entrance exams in combination with transcripts, AP exams, and extra-curricular activities to evaluate students that are applying to attend. We are unaware of any colleges or universities that are using Common Core based exams to evaluate students that apply.
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Sample & Practice Tests
NWEA Test Prep Resources
Monument Academy administers the online version of the NWEA MAP Growth Assessments to track the growth and development of students that attend Monument Academy. NWEA offers online sample tests so that students may become familiar with how the test is administered and the types of questions they may encounter while completing the assessments at school. These sample tests supply a mixture of questions from multiple disciplines, but do not include answer keys or results.
CMAS Test Prep Resources
Monument Academy will administer Colorado State Standardized Assessments as mandated by law. For the convenience of those families choosing to have their children complete these assessments CDE provides practice tests. Monument Academy will administer either the computer-based or paper-based test as time and resources allow. You can find computer-based practice tests through Pearson’s TestNav and paper-based practices tests at https://coassessments.com/practice-resources/. Other test-prep resources can be found at coassessments.com.
