Nebraska State Accountability (NeSA)
by Brandy Thompson
August 25, 2010
In Nebraska, students in grade 3-8 & 11 are required to participate in Nebraska’s new single, statewide testing system known as Nebraska State Accountability or NeSA. The NeSA testing system is replacing the previous local assessment system known as STARS. The NeSA system will assess students in the areas of reading, mathematics, and science.
During the 2009-2010 school year, students were assessed on NeSA-R, which is the reading assessment. NeSA-R results this year will provide a first-year baseline and are considered the “initial” results for this assessment for school districts and accountability purposes. The assessment results help provide school districts with information needed to adapt reading instruction with the goal of improving student reading skills. NeSA testing also provides an effective tool to improve instruction for every student on an individual basis.
It is important to note that this type of testing does not tell us the full detail of performance for every individual student, as there are many outside factors that may influence testing. NeSA testing has been designed to be a one-time, drop-in and check of student performance on state standards.
Parents will receive a print out for their students showcasing individual results for the NeSA-R taken this past spring. The report includes the student’s overall performance with a total reading scale score. It also includes a break down by content standards: comprehension and vocabulary.
The Nebraska Department of Education plans to release district and state NeSA results to the public on August 25, 2010. Results will also be part of the State of Schools Report, which will be released on October 1, 2010.
Click on the link below to view results for Sutton.
