Fourth- and seventh-grade teachers, be advised your students will soon be taking part in the spring administration of the Integrated Performance Task (IPT), a locally developed assessment modeled after the College and Work Readiness Assessment (CWRA) which is currently administered to 11^th grade students in Virginia Beach. The IPT, a problem-based test designed to measure critical thinking, problem solving and written communication skills, is administered in the fall and spring of each school year.  The skills assessed by the IPT are among the outcomes for student success identified in the school division’s strategic plan, Compass to 2015, as being essential for success as 21^st century learners, workers and citizens.

“The IPT is a performance assessment that gives students the opportunity to demonstrate several student learning outcomes that are part of our strategic plan,” said Dr. Don Robertson, assistant superintendent for the Department of Educational Leadership and Assessment.

Students’ responses to the fall performance task are scored by teachers at each school.  Responses to the spring performance task are scored over the summer by a cadre of highly trained teachers. Although students do not receive a formal grade, data gathered from the IPT are reviewed and used to improve instruction at individual schools and across the division. To obtain the most accurate data available, it is essential that all students enrolled in grades 4 and 7 participate in this mandatory assessment.

The IPT will be administered March 25 – April 19.  For more information about the IPT, please contact the Office of Student Assessment at 757-263-1030.