District Assessments 2025-2026

Students in Lebanon Special School District (LSSD) participate in the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP), which assesses academic achievement for grades 2-8. TCAP includes state assessments in math, English language arts, social studies for grades 6-8, and science for grades 3-8 while only Reading language arts and math are assessed in grade 2.

The state has transitioned to higher academic standards over the past several years and tests have become more closely aligned to state standards. The assessments now include more rigorous questions that measure students’ writing, critical thinking, and problem solving skills.

2025-2026 District Testing Schedule

August 12-15 Universal Screener 1: DIBELS, iReady Grades K-8 (Reading/Math)

August 18-22 AIMS Web (3rd Grade Only)

August 4-22 Brigance CDC

September 22-29 Benchmark 1 Grades K-8 (All Content Areas & Writing)

December 1-5 Universal Screener DIBELS (K-3)

December 8-12 Benchmark 2 Grades K-8 (All Content Areas & Writing)

January 12-16 Universal Screener 2: iReady Grades K-8 (Reading/Math)

January 6-24 Brigance CDC

January 20-21 AIMS Web (3rd Grade Only)

February 2-20 ELPA 21 for ELs Grades K-8 (ELL only)

February 23-27 Benchmark 3 Grades K-8 (All Content Areas & Writing)

April 6-10 Benchmark 4 Grades K-1

April 28-May 16 Brigance CDC

April 20-29 TCAP Grades 3-8 (ELA, Math, Science, SS)
April 20-29 TCAP Grade 2 (ELA, Math)

April 28-30 AIMS Web (3rd Grade Only)
February 2 - April 2 TCAP Alternative Assessments Grades 2-8

May 4-8 Universal Screeners: iReady / DIBELS Grades K-8

May 11-15 Benchmark 5 Grades K-1

ELPA 21 for ELs

Purpose:
English Learners will take the ELPA 21 assessment to determine language proficiency. ELPA 21 measures the annual growth of an ELL student’s English development in the four language domains of reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
All states are required to assess the proficiency of all English Learner (EL) students.
Testing Window:
February 2 - February 20, 2026
Accessibility of Results:
ELPA 21 provides valuable information to help determine English Language Proficiency levels of ELs. These results will guide decisions regarding student participation in content area classrooms without program support and state academic content assessments without accommodations. Results are expected to be released during the summer and will be given to students' parents in the fall of the following year.

Multi-State Assessment (MSAA) and TCAP-Alt

Purpose: The Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA) is a comprehensive assessment system designed to promote increasing higher academic outcomes for students with significant cognitive disabilities in preparation for a broader array of post-secondary outcomes. The MSAA is designed to assess students with significant cognitive disability and measures academic content that is aligned to and derived from Tennessee’s content standards. This test contains many built-in supports that allow students to take the test using materials they are most familiar with and communicate what they know and can do as independently as possible.
The MSAA will be administered in the areas of ELA and Mathematics in grades 3-8.
Testing Window: February 2 - April 24, 2026
Accessibility of Results: A report detailing performance on specific objectives and a description of student performance on academic skills based on the grade span standards will be sent home in the fall of the following school year.

TCAP Grade 2 Assessment

Purpose: The Grade 2 assessment is designed to replace the SAT 10 assessment and will provide a benchmark of how students perform on basic Reading and Math foundational skills required for success in future grades. This assessment will assess the 2nd grade Tennessee State Standards, and will provide teachers and parents information on how our students are progressing toward the expected learning goals.
LSSD chooses to administer the Grade 2 Assessment to help teachers and school administrators determine the instructional needs of our students.
Testing Window: April 13 - April 24, 2026
Accessibility of Results: This assessment will provide invaluable data to both second and third grade teachers, ensuring that our youngest students are learning foundational literacy and math skills. Results are expected to be released during the summer and will be given to students’ parents in the fall of the following year.

TCAP Grades 3 - 8

The state requires all students in grades 3-8 to take the TCAP Achievement Assessment in Math, ELA, Science and Social Studies (grades 6-8 only).

Purpose: The TCAP tests are designed to assess true student understanding of Tennessee State Standards in grades 3-8. Each test (by subject) is divided into multiple subparts and will be administered on paper in a single administration window at the end of the school year.

- English Language Arts (4 subparts) will consist of multiple choice, and selected response items, as well as reading from texts and providing a written response.
- Mathematics (2 subparts) will consist of multiple choice, multiple select, equation editor, matching tables, and graphing representations.
- Science (2 subparts) will measure current content standards and consist of multiple-choice items.
Testing Window:
- Grades 3-5: April 13 - April 24, 2026 (administered over several days during this window)
- Grades 6-8: April 13 - April 24, 2026 (administered over several days during this window)
Accessibility of Results: The results of the assessment are provided to teachers and school administrators to help them address the instructional needs of our students. The results of each subject subtest will count a portion of the student’s second semester grade in that respective subject. Individual student reports will be given to students / parents in the fall of the following year. The new Student Reports will include the areas in which the student performed at high levels and the areas in which the student needs more practice.

Formative Assessments

Purpose: The Lebanon Special School District will monitor each student’s academic performance (learning) on each of the grade level standards taught during the said grading period with regular progress checks called benchmarks. Each check will occur within one class period, one day within the listed window. Benchmark results will be thoroughly analyzed. Grade Level PLC meetings will occur the week after each quarterly benchmark to collaborate on best practices, root causes, and determine extra help or enrichment needs for each child. Benchmarks will assess progress on Reading Language Arts and Math standards in grades K-2 and all four core content subjects, English Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, in grades 3-8.

Benchmark Window: One each quarter
Accessibility of Results: The results of the benchmarks will be thoroughly analyzed by teachers and school administrators to help them address the instructional needs of each student. Based on the student’s benchmark results, a plan of action will be developed for each student to either provide extra help or extend the learning for each of the measured standards.

Universal Screeners (skills)

Purpose: To determine the performance and progress of all students on grade level reading and math skills and assist schools with identifying students who may need additional instructional support. DIBELS will be used to screen Reading skills for students in grades K-3. IReady will be used to screen math skills for students in grades K-8 and reading skills for students in grades 4-8. If students in grades K-5 show a skill deficit in math, easyCBM will be used to monitor the student’s academic progress until the skill is mastered.
Nationally normed screener and progress-monitoring tools are a requirement of Tennessee’s “Response to Instruction and Intervention” (RTI2) framework.
Screening Window: First two 9 weeks and end of the year
Accessibility of Results: The results of the Universal Screeners will be thoroughly analyzed by teachers and school administrators to determine if any reading or math skill deficits exist in any student. Based on these results, said student will receive targeted intervention on needed skill in addition to their typical high quality core instruction. Parents will receive notification if the results of the universal screener indicate their child meets the requirements for additional academic support and intervention(s). If a student qualifies for said instructional intervention, his/her parents will be notified of their child’s progress every 4½ weeks.

Assessment Types & Links

TCAP Achievement: (April - May )

Student Assessment in Tennessee

Grades 3-8 TCAP (April - May)

Special Education Assessments: (March - April)

English Language Learners: (February - March)

ACCESS for English Learners

National Assessment of Educational Progress

Academic Standards

Assessment Parent Resources