Planning and Assessment

Educational Planning and Assessment System

Craig High School uses the Educational Planning and Assessment System (EPAS) as both a resource for content guidance and as a measuring stick to convey student progress and program effectiveness.  The system is made up of a series of assessments whose content has been integrated into the academic program at CHS.  These EPAS assessments are curriculum-based achievement tests designed to measure the knowledge and skills taught through traditional rigorous high school course work.  There are four content areas to each EPAS component where achievement and growth are measured: 

  • English
  • Math
  • Reading
  • Science

Students in grades 9 to 11 take both a fall pre-test and a spring post-test.  The results of each test administration are reviewed by the student’s subject area teachers and the results are used to:

  • Gauge individual student progress
  • Provide guidance and direction in determining their specific academic needs
  • Measure College readiness
  • Determine the effectiveness of our classroom instruction

The tests are based on a continuum.  Students take the EXPLORE in 9th grade, the PLAN in 10th and 11th grade, and the ACT in the spring of 11th grade and/or the fall of senior year.  As students move through the assessment system, their progress is measured and compared at each level and the results are used to provide guidance and direction in determining effective interventions and content focus.  Recent research confirms that schools and students who use the EPAS see more meaningful improvements in both academic growth and transition readiness to their next educational level.    

The EPAS, which is designed by the ACT, is also used as the key element to our ACT preparation program for students in grades 9-11.  For those not familiar with the ACT, the ACT is a nationally recognized test that measures the academic readiness of students and gauges the probability that they will make a successful transition to college.  The ACT is accepted by all colleges, and is a viable alternative to the SAT.  Craig High School is both an official ACT as well as SAT test site center for our students, which allows all of our students to take these important college prep indicators in a familiar setting, facilitated by familiar faces. 
 

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