Testing & Evaluation

The Department of Testing & Evaluation at LPS is comprised of two (2) distinct components which are intricately related and purposely aimed at improving the academic performance of students in the District. In the simplest definition, the Testing component is primarily concerned with facilitating all group assessment activities while the Evaluation component focuses on data analysis of the test results and other data for program effectiveness.

The LPS testing program, like others in the State of Texas, is primarily determined by the many and varied components of the State assessment program. While many districts throughout the State choose to use only the State-mandated tests such as STAAR, and EOC tests, LPS has long felt that local-option testing programs are vital to provide information that is crucial to further excellence in teaching.

The Testing & Evaluation Office provides a number of services to the campuses and the central administration of Leadership Prep School. We invite you to contact us with any questions you may have. You are also welcome to call 972-370-3650 to set up a time to visit our office to discuss the District and/or State testing program.

The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) program, which was implemented in spring 2012, includes annual assessments for 

• reading and mathematics, grades 3–8
• writing at grades 4 and 7
• science at grades 5 and 8
• social studies at grade 8
• end-of-course (EOC) assessments for English I, English II, Algebra I, biology and U.S history.

STAAR Alternate 2 assesses students in grades 3–8 and high school who have significant cognitive disabilities and are receiving special education services. Click the STAAR icon below for more information and resources.

• Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System
• Is designed to assess the progress that limited English proficient (LEP) students make in learning the English language.
• Is taken in kindergarten through grade 12 in four language domains: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
• Assesses students in alignment with the Texas English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS), which are part of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). The ELPS proficiency level descriptors (PLDs) present the major characteristics of each language proficiency level in each language domain. The PLDs define how well ELLs at the four proficiency levels are able to understand and use English in grade-level academic settings.

Student performance is reported in terms of four English language proficiency levels: beginning, intermediate, advanced, and advanced high.

For more information click the TELPAS icon below.

MAP® is a computer adaptive test created by NWEA™ that kids take two to three times per school year. The results provide teachers with information to help them deliver appropriate content for each student and determine each student’s academic growth over time.

Click the MAP logo below for more information and resources.

Click the mClass icon below for more information and resources.

The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a program co-sponsored by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). 

It's a standardized test that provides first-hand practice for the SAT®. It also gives you a chance to enter NMSC scholarship programs and gain access to college and career planning tools.

LPS  currently offers the PSAT test to all sophomores and juniors as a tool to prepare for the SAT and National Merit Scholarship program.  The test is given once a year in October. For questions regarding signing up for this test, please contact the high school Counselor.

Click the PSAT logo below for more information and resources on the test.

The SAT is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. The SAT is a multiple-choice, pencil-and-paper test created and administered by the College Board. 

The purpose of the SAT is to measure a high school student's readiness for college, and provide colleges with one common data point that can be used to compare all applicants. College admissions officers will review standardized test scores alongside your high school GPA, the classes you took in high school, letters of recommendation from teachers or mentors, extracurricular activities, admissions interviews, and personal essays. How important SAT scores are in the college application process varies from school to school.

Overall, the higher you score on the SAT and/or ACT, the more options for attending and paying for college will be available to you.

LPS offers the SAT to our students twice a year. For more information about how to sign up for the test contact your high school counselor. 

For more information about the test, click the SAT logo below. 

The Cognitive Abilities Test™ (CogAT) measures general reasoning abilities in three domains: verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal.  CogAT’s measurement of three different content domains ensures that educators receive a balanced view of the child.

Leadership Prep uses this test to help place students in the Gifted and Talented program. For more information click the CogAT icon below. 

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a multiple-aptitude battery that measures developed abilities and helps predict future academic and occupational success in the military. It is administered annually to more than one million military applicants, high school, and post-secondary students.

Leadership Prep partners with the US Military to offer this test to our students once a year. If you are interested in having your student take this test, please contact the high school counselor. 

For more information on the test, click the ASVAB logo below.

What is it?

• Texas Middle School Fluency Assessment (TMSFA) is a screening assessment that consists of two subtests: Passage Reading Fluency, and Word Reading Fluency. The range of difficulty levels used in both the Passage Reading and Word Reading Fluency subtest is intended to reflect authentic reading requirements.
• For many students, the administration of the TMSFA will end after the Passage Reading Fluency subtest. Students who do not read at least 80 words within the 60-second time limit on two of the three Reading Fluency passages will then be administered the Word Reading Fluency subtest.
• The TMSFA provides each student screened with an average retelling score, and average equated scores in the areas of Passage Reading Fluency and Word Reading Fluency. 

Why is it important to monitor the TMSFA?

• The TEA requires districts to administer a diagnostic assessment to all 7th-grade students who did not meet the passing standard on their Spring 6th Grade Reading STAAR to identify reading difficulties.
• HISD satisfies the state requirements by utilizing the Texas Middle School Fluency Assessment. The TMSFA helps identify reading deficits in decoding, fluency, and comprehension. 

Who will participate and how?

• The assessments will be available to all 7th Grade students who did not meet standard on their Spring 6th Grade Reading STAAR will be screened to identify reading difficulties and make intervention determinations. 

The school administration will reach out with more information if your child will be administered this assessment.

Program Evaluation is a component of the Testing and Evaluation Department.  This office responds to federal, state, and other grant-funded program requirements and directly supports Charter Improvement Plans by using data to inform and drive instructional decision-making.  Accountability reports, program evaluations, and other ad hoc reports provide important information used to evaluate instructional and program effectiveness and to increase student achievement.

• Accountability Ratings
• School Scores

For more information, click the Accountability icon below.