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Piper presents fall interim assessment findings; staff commits to one-week data turnaround
Summary
District curriculum and assessment leaders told the board that fall interim assessments for grades 3–8 and 10 give actionable standard-level data; the district pledged a one-week turnaround for future interim windows to inform instruction and avoid double-testing.
District curriculum leaders presented fall interim assessment results to the board on Dec. 9, describing how the KITE/CAP interims will be used to align instruction with state standards and to identify gaps across grades 3–8 and grade 10.
Dr. John Wynne introduced the goals for using interims as diagnostic tools to inform instruction rather than as summative reports to parents, and he turned the presentation over to the district’s curriculum and assessment coordinator, Meg Richard, for a deeper dive into ELA, math and the new science interims for grades 5 and 8. Richard said the interim blueprints allow the district to measure specific standards and that science interims are newly available.
On data turnaround, Richard told the board the first fall window took about three weeks to process but said the district has committed to a one-week turnaround for future windows so schools can make quicker instructional adjustments. Board members asked whether the interim items match the district’s scope and sequence and whether teachers risk 'double-testing' students. Staff said many mini assessments are created by the state (KSDE) and can be used flexibly—as exit tickets, bell-ringers or formative checks—so teachers can extract practice items without adding secure summative tests.
Why it matters: Faster turnaround and clear alignment between local curriculum (GVCs) and interim blueprints are intended to help teachers identify standards-level gaps and target instruction. Staff emphasized that interims are diagnostic and will be embedded into guaranteed and viable curriculum work and that professional development will support teachers on new courses and assessments.
Quotes from the meeting: "We took the first round of interim tests with our students, grades 3 through 8 and grade 10," Dr. John Wynne said as he introduced the presentation. "Since they were brand new, it took us probably three weeks on this first window, but I have promised buildings a one-week turnaround moving forward," Meg Richard said in response to board questions.
Next steps: Staff will share the presentation materials on request, continue aligning interims to the district’s scope and sequence, and provide the promised faster turnaround for subsequent windows.
