USBE explains RISE test types, availability and expiration rules in training

Alyce Frey, test administration informative assessment specialist with the Utah State Board of Education, outlined the four RISE assessment types — training tests, benchmark modules, interim assessments and summative assessments — and explained how each is intended to be used and when each is available.

Frey told attendees during the recorded remote training that "the training tests are always available" and are intended to familiarize students and staff with system functionality, while benchmark modules, interims and summatives have specific windows and different uses. She emphasized that benchmark modules and interims are optional and intended for local use, and that USBE does not collect benchmark or interim reporting for statewide storage.

Why it matters: the distinctions affect how districts schedule testing, what data USBE collects, and how schools protect test security. Frey repeatedly warned that testing opportunities expire and that expired interim or summative opportunities generally require a formal appeal to reopen, a procedural detail that can affect students' ability to complete a test if a session is interrupted.

Training tests: Frey said training tests "should never be used to…