IOWA Assessment Information

Each year all students in the Diocese of Pittsburgh in grades 2nd through 8th take the IOWA Tests.  These nationally standardized achievement tests are given in mid-September and provide valuable information to our teachers.  With this information our educators can adjust their classroom experiences to address the specific educational needs of their students.

What are IOWA Assessments?
IOWA testing is done in English Language Arts, Math, Social Studies and Science.  They are achievement tests that are meant to assess a child’s knowledge of what they have learned in school and are not cognitive or IQ tests.  Students in 2nd, 4th, and 6th grade receive the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). This is an aptitude test which is intended to estimate students' learned reasoning and problem solving abilities through a battery of verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal test items.

How are IOWA tests different from PSSA's?
IOWA assessments are a normed-referenced test.  Scores on the Iowa Assessment can be compared with scores earned by a nationally representative sample of students who took the test (the norm group). The Iowa Assessment score that reflects this comparison is called a national percentile rank (NPR). If a student’s national percentile rank in Reading is 62, then the student scored as well as or higher on this subtest than 62% of his/her same-grade peers in the national norm group. The percentile ranks range from 1 to 99. The national average in all subtests is 50%.

PSSA assessments are criterion-referenced tests, as opposed to norm-referenced tests. Thus, your child will only compete against him or herself, rather than be compared against the group. The PSSA tests measure how well students have mastered the Pennsylvania Academic Content Standards and report student performance using the four levels:  Advanced, Proficient, Basic, and Below Basic.

The testing period is determined by the central office and generally is given during mid- September.  Parents are urged to consult the school calendar in scheduling vacations and time out of school in order to avoid any absences during this important activity.

Saints Peter & Paul IOWA Test Results - 2019

Acre Testing

Assessment of Catholic Religious Education– (Grades Five and Eight)

The ACRE Exam measures students’ knowledge about the Catholic faith, beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, and practices.  Scores on this test are determined by what percentile the students place compared to Catholic school peers on the same level of the exam.  Fifth grade students take the Level 1 exam and Eighth grade students take the Level 2 exam.  Scores below the 64th suggest improvement is needed, scores between the 64th and 86th percentile reflect proficiency, and scores above 86th percentile indicate advanced knowledge.

The test provides information regarding our students’ understanding and living of their faith. Students in grades Five and Eight are tested in early spring of each school year. 

Check out test taking tips on line:

http://www.testtakingtips.com/parents/index.htm