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Waunakee subcommittee approves testing schedule changes; adds fall preACT for grades 9–11
Summary
The Waunakee Community School District curriculum subcommittee voted to forward the district’s 2025–26 testing and assessment schedule to the full school board. The schedule adds a new local fall preACT for grades 9–11 to provide item-level data for teachers; other state and local assessments continue largely unchanged.
The Waunakee Community School District curriculum subcommittee voted to send the district’s 2025–26 testing and assessment schedule to the full board, including a new fall local preACT for ninth, 10th and 11th graders.
The new fall assessment is a “non secure version” of the preACT that district staff said will return item-analysis data so teachers can see strengths and growth areas for students as they prepare for the spring ACT, Tim (district staff member) said. The district is planning the assessment for early October; staff said they prefer to administer all three grades on the same day if information technology can support it, but they may spread testing over a week if needed.
The change is the only substantive addition to a schedule staff said is otherwise unchanged from the prior year. The subcommittee motion to forward the schedule to the full school board passed on the record.
Why it matters: district staff told the subcommittee the fall preACT will give teachers more timely, item-level diagnostic information to guide instruction during the school year, rather than relying only on spring results.
Key context and supporting details: staff said the fall preACT will be given to ninth through 11th graders and, unlike the spring preACT, the fall version will be a non‑secure administration that produces item analysis. District staff said they are still finalizing the exact day with IT and may need a multi‑day window if simultaneous testing across three grades is not feasible. The district will continue to use other local and state screeners and assessments in 2025–26 as before.
Assessment names and student groups: subcommittee members asked how the district’s QRI (Qualitative Reading Inventory) differs from AIMSweb. Staff explained QRI is an individual reading inventory—teachers listen to oral reading, ask for retell and comprehension questions and score accuracy, rate and comprehension—whereas AIMSweb’s oral reading fluency measure reports correct words per minute in a one‑minute probe. Staff also explained the DLM (Dynamic Learning Maps), formerly referenced locally as the WAA (Wisconsin Alternate Assessment), is the alternate state assessment used only for students with significant cognitive disabilities who are designated by their IEP teams (approximately 1% of the district’s students), and that participation in the DLM is an IEP team decision.
Discussion versus formal action: the subcommittee discussed the schedule and clarifying questions about assessments. A motion to forward the testing and assessment schedule to the full board was made and seconded; the recorded outcome was “aye.” No new policy was adopted at the subcommittee meeting; the item will next appear on the full board agenda.
Ending: The subcommittee advanced the schedule with a recommendation to the full board and moved on to an in‑depth presentation on the Elevate student‑voice program.
