Placement Unit Assessment
The Placement Unit Assessment for ChalkTalk's English I/9, English II/10, and Algebra 1 curricula is not a traditional pre-test. Instead, it uses Adaptive Practice to evaluate students.
This assessment focuses specifically on the skills that will be addressed throughout the unit, rather than the entire curriculum. Because it is adaptive, the questions change based on each student’s answers, giving a clearer picture of their skill level.
This method provides a more precise and personalized measure of each student's current understanding of the unit's skills. It helps to identify what a student already knows and where they need to focus their learning.
Administering the Placement Unit Assessment
From the curriculum view, locate and select the first lesson tile for the unit you wish to assess. This tile serves as the entry point for the placement assessment.
Once inside the lesson, click on the Lesson tab.
Although this tab may look like a regular lesson, you will see a slide or a screen directing you to the Practice feature. This indicates that the assessment is not a traditional lesson to be taught, but a tool for measuring student knowledge.
Follow the on-screen instructions and click on the Adaptive Practice tab. Before you administer the unit placement assessment, you have the option to review the skills and question types your students will see.
The assessment covers all of the skills that will be addressed within that specific unit. Click the carat (or dropdown arrow).
This action will expand a list, showing you all the specific skills that are covered in the unit placement assessment.
The assessment is made up of Adaptive Practice sessions, each with five multiple-choice questions. Since the questions are adaptive, they will change based on how the student performs. You can preview some of these questions to get a sense of the style and content.
Click the Preview button. This will display a sample of questions from the assessment. Please note that you will only see five questions during this preview. This gives you a quick look at the format and types of questions students will encounter.
Once you click Preview, a pop-up or new screen will appear, and you will be prompted to Start the assessment.
To navigate the questions in this preview mode, use the Next and Back buttons to move between the sample questions.
To return to the main Adaptive Practice screen from the question preview, simply click the Go Back button.
Assigning the Placement Unit Assessment (Adaptive Practice)
Assigning the Placement Unit Assessment is important because it ensures the assessment is prominently displayed on your students' Dashboards, reducing confusion about what they need to complete. This clear visibility helps guide students to the correct task.
Here are two methods to assign Adaptive Practice to your students.
Method 1: Assigning from the Intervention Tab
This method is recommended for those who prefer a more direct, visual approach to assigning work.
Navigate to the Intervention tab within the specific Placement Unit Assessment.
You have the flexibility to assign it to individual students or the entire class.
Click the Assign button next to each student's name.
Method 2: Assigning from the Dashboard
This method is ideal for assigning the placement assessment to your entire class at once.
From the left sidebar, go to the Dashboard.
Click on Practice Details.
Make sure you select the correct Subject (e.g., English 9, Algebra 1) for which you want to assign the assessment.
Within the Practice Details area, move from the default Student tab to the Lesson tab.
Find and select the Placement Unit Assessment tile for the appropriate unit.
Click the checkbox next to the heading Students. This will automatically select every student in the class by checking the box next to each of their names.
The number of students selected will appear next to the Assign button. Click this button to assign the assessment to the entire class in one action.
You have full control over how many times you want students to complete the assessment. The Adaptive Practice feature allows you to assign as many sessions as you need. This flexibility lets you re-assess students or have them try it multiple times if you want to track their progress.
To review your students' scores and see which skills they demonstrated on the placement unit assessment, remain in the Practice Details area or return to the Intervention tab within the lesson.