Instruments
Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0 (TSIA2)
The Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0 (TSIA2) was introduced in 2021, replacing the previous version utilized since 2013. As per the Texas State Legislature mandate, all students entering Texas public higher education institutions must undergo TSIA2 or qualify for one of its exemptions. The TSIA2 evaluates students' readiness for college-level coursework by testing them in English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) and Mathematics.
In ELAR, TSIA2 focuses on two key areas: reading and writing. The reading portion assesses comprehension and analysis of literary, informational, and argumentative texts, including paired passages. Meanwhile, the writing portion evaluates skills in revising and editing sentences, paragraphs, and early drafts of essays.
In mathematics, TSIA2 focuses on four key areas: quantitative reasoning, algebraic reasoning, geometric and spatial reasoning, and probabilistic and statistical reasoning.
Students taking the TSIA2 begin by completing College Readiness Classification (CRC) tests in ELAR and mathematics, comprising multiple-choice questions. If students fail to meet the college readiness benchmarks on these CRC tests, they proceed with the multiple-choice diagnostic tests in ELAR and Mathematics. These diagnostic tests present an additional chance for the students to demonstrate their preparedness for college-level coursework. They also highlight students' strengths and weaknesses in specific content areas, thus facilitating their placement into suitable courses and enabling them to receive the necessary remedial support and interventions.
Year developed: 2021 (TSIA2 replaced TSIA introduced in 2013).
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: Post secondary
The Hemingway Measure of Adolescent Connectedness
The full 78-item Hemingway includes 15 ecological subscales measuring three domains of adolescent connectedness - connectedness to self, connectedness to others, and connectedness to society.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Belonging
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
The Scale for Teachers' Assessment of Routines Engagement (STARE)
The Scale for Teachers’ Assessment of Routines Engagement (STARE) documents teachers’ perspectives of a child’s engagement in classroom activities. Suitable for both typically developing children and children with disabilities, STARE focuses on how much time the child was engaged with adults, peers, and materials (toys, art supplies, environment in general). In addition, STARE explores how complex the engagement was. STARE is completed after a specific classroom activity and takes about 20 seconds. The STARE can be completed as frequently as necessary.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Belonging
Grades: < 3 Years, Pre-Kindergarten
The School Success Profile (SSP)
The SSP, available in both English and Spanish, is an online survey questionnaire with 195 multiple-choice items. These items address students’ beliefs about their social environment—neighborhoods, schools, friends, and families—and about their own physical and psychological health and school performance (individual adaptation). The survey is divided into six modules: About You (6 items), Neighborhood (26 items), School (54 items), Friends (25 items), Family (45 items), and Health and Well-Being (39 items).
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Belonging
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
The Social Connectedness Scale
The Social Connectedness Scale includes 8 items and measures students' sense of connectedness, affiliation, and companionship to provide a broad picture of belongingness. The authors have an accompanying Social Assurance scale (which measures students' sense of companionship and affiliation) often administered in tandem with the Social Connectedness Scale.
Category: Student Well-Being
Sub-Category: Belonging
Grades: Post secondary
ThinkReady
ThinkReady is an instrument measuring the development of cognitive competencies that students need for college success. Previously known as College-Readiness Performance Assessment System (C-PAS), ThinkReady focuses on David Conley’s Key Cognitive Strategies for college and career readiness: problem formulation, research, interpretation, communication, and precision/accuracy. These cognitive strategies are measured via a series of performance tasks.
Year developed: 2009 as College-Readiness Performance Assessment System (C-PAS).
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) - Mathematics
The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) math assessment is an international standardized test that measures math reasoning and problem solving in algebra, geometry, data analysis, and probability. TIMSS is in the process of transitioning to a digitally-based assessment called eTIMSS.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: Math
Grades: 4th Grade, 8th Grade
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test - Fourth Edition (WIAT-4) - Math
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test - Fourth Edition (WIAT-4) is an individually administered achievement test sold by Pearson for use in a variety of clinical, education, and research settings.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: Math
Grades: Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
Wide Range Achievement Test, Fifth Edition (WRAT5) - Math
The Wide Range Achievement Test, Fifth Edition (WRAT5) is an assessment sold by Pearson that measures math skills, in addition to reading and spelling, and helps identify possible learning disabilities.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: Math
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
Woodcock-Johnson IV - Math
Woodcock-Johnson IV, sold by Riverside Insights, includes individually-adminstered tests of achievement designed to measure strengths and weaknesses and diagnose learning abilities. In addition to mathematics, the WJ IV assesses oral language, reading, and writing.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: Math
Grades: < 3 Years, Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary