Benchmark assessments

[Anonymous]

I am receiving my child's assessment results but not the assessment so I have no way to understand what dc struggled with and why. Are the assessments available online? Are you receiving assessment items with your results?

[Anonymous]

No but I can tell you this, the assessments are a complete joke. They are made to be insanely difficult and not grade level appropriate. It is normal for an entire class to score <80% on a test. Why FCPS requires them is a mystery.

[Anonymous]

Benchmark sucks.

[Anonymous]

I also struggle to understand the results. Some codes and percentages and zero explanation

[Anonymous]

I have a HS senior and was looking at their long-rang benchmark assessment curve from grade school to junior year. I've never been one huge into standardized testing, but it's so wild how one subject was low in grade school and just took off in middle school and is now is one of kid's best subjects. It's also funny to look at it and see a curve that's always been consistently high and now that is going to be the kid's college major. You can definitely see through lines as you read it long range. It was the same for our other kids, too. They would get perfect SOL scores and very high assessments in one area and that became their college major and they're rocking it.

[Anonymous]

it's so wild how one subject was low in grade school...so low the kid flunked the SOL in that core subject. Now gets As in AP courses in that area. You never know where life will take your kid...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am receiving my child's assessment results but not the assessment so I have no way to understand what dc struggled with and why. Are the assessments available online? Are you receiving assessment items with your results?

What grade? Are you talking about the LA Benchmark curriculum for elementary school?

[Anonymous]

I have to say benchmarking has been great for my dyslexic child. She’s actually been scoring some of the highest marks in her grade. She’s getting higher marks on benchmarking than the AAP kids. She’s at a center school in Gen Ed. She says it’s all the stuff that she’s been taught in her pullouts phonics breaking up words to figure out the meanings. Sometimes she’s only missing like a half a question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a HS senior and was looking at their long-rang benchmark assessment curve from grade school to junior year. I've never been one huge into standardized testing, but it's so wild how one subject was low in grade school and just took off in middle school and is now is one of kid's best subjects. It's also funny to look at it and see a curve that's always been consistently high and now that is going to be the kid's college major. You can definitely see through lines as you read it long range. It was the same for our other kids, too. They would get perfect SOL scores and very high assessments in one area and that became their college major and they're rocking it.

How? Benchmark was new in the past few years, was it not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am receiving my child's assessment results but not the assessment so I have no way to understand what dc struggled with and why. Are the assessments available online? Are you receiving assessment items with your results?

I'm with you! We receive a single percentage and a photocopied note saying that 60%-69% indicates high likelihood of passing the SOLs. And that's it... Feels almost pointless to even send home. Also the 60-69% passing likelihood threshold seems way too low? If anyone has reached out to teachers for more info, I would love if you shared what you found! Or if you are a teacher and have more info!

[Anonymous]

They don’t use the Benchmark curriculum in middle or high school. OP, can you please clarify what benchmark you are referring to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a HS senior and was looking at their long-rang benchmark assessment curve from grade school to junior year. I've never been one huge into standardized testing, but it's so wild how one subject was low in grade school and just took off in middle school and is now is one of kid's best subjects. It's also funny to look at it and see a curve that's always been consistently high and now that is going to be the kid's college major. You can definitely see through lines as you read it long range. It was the same for our other kids, too. They would get perfect SOL scores and very high assessments in one area and that became their college major and they're rocking it.

How? Benchmark was new in the past few years, was it not?

It started in 2024-2025, so this is year 2 for FCPS.

[Anonymous]

I kind of love that the tests are hard. It gives teachers insight into all the kids- rather than just the bottom half. (Because the kids who usually ace everything have to work to act these tests!)

We can see the benchmark tests and answers through our child’s logon on schoology. Apparently the teacher has to authorize the test to be seen once it’s done? But it is possible

[Anonymous]

I have a 4th grader and I have no idea what you're talking about - what is a benchmark assessment? Is it related to the language arts curriculum? I've never seen any assessment results. I see spelling tests and some worksheets. Every once in a while one of the booklets comes home. But no assessments that I am aware of.

[Anonymous]

I have zero clue how to read these print outs. The only numbers I understood is something like 49% on one and 70% and told my son to stop messing around and actually take the test seriously (3rd grade).