Joel P. Jensen Middle

The Utah Aspire Plus Summative assessment is administered to students in grades 9-10 as an end-of-level assessment.  Operating under a legislative mandate, the UA+ test provides a predictive ACT score range to individual students as well as a proficiency score at the school level and for individual students in English, Math, Reading and Science as they prepare to take the ACT college entrance exam in 11th grade.  UA+ question items assess students’ capacity to think analytically, make inferences, and connect learning and concepts across subjects.  Utah Aspire Plus assessments provide information to assist in determining students’ educational progress towards being ready for college and careers upon completion of secondary school. Due to the school soft closure in March 2020, scores are not available for the 2019-20 school year.

RISE is a collection of computer-adaptive assessments given to Utah students beginning in grade 3 (science in grade 4) in English language arts (ELA), math and science. RISE assessments provide questions that assess students’ ability to apply higher-order thinking skills and better emulate real tasks students may encounter in education and in life.

RISE assessments were developed through a joint effort on the part of Utah teachers, parents, test development experts, and the Utah State Board of Education (USBE). The RISE assessment, together with the state’s suite of assessments in grades K-12, provide information to assist in determining students’ progress towards being prepared for college and careers upon completion of secondary school. Due to the school soft closure in March 2020, scores are not available for the 2019-20 school year.

School Accountability Report Cards are issued for each public school once a year by the State of Utah. Elementary and middle school report cards have four main grade categories: achievement, growth, English learner progress, and growth of the lowest 25%. High schools have one additional grade category entitled postsecondary readiness. Achievement and growth was calculated from the new Readiness. Improvement. Success. Empowerment. (RISE) assessment for grades 3-8 and the Utah Aspire Plus assessment for grades 9-10. The English learner progress category score is calculated from the annual administration of the WIDA test, which assesses students’ language proficiency in English. For high schools, the postsecondary readiness score is calculated from 11th grade performance on the ACT, advanced coursework performance, and graduation rates. The state’s School Accountability Report Cards are intended to inform educators, parents, and community stakeholders about school performance as they work collaboratively to improve student outcomes. Due to the school soft closure in March 2020, scores are not available for the 2019-20 and the 2020-21 school years.