Assessments

January 27 - March 7, 2026. This is given to selected 4th and 8th grade students at selected schools in Knox County.

NAEP is designed to be minimally disruptive to students, teachers, and schools. Students spend up to 90 minutes on most NAEP assessments. This includes setting up, taking the assessment (up to 60 minutes), and getting back to instructional activities.

NAEP is not designed to show individual results. Since the first NAEP assessment in 1969, students’ names have been kept completely confidential. After students complete the assessment, their names are physically removed from the booklets and never leave their schools. Instead of reporting individual scores, NAEP reports overall results for the nation, the states, and demographic groups of students.

Test schedules are released by the district prior to the start of each school year. They will likely mirror the dates below, but cannot be confirmed until after the school year starts.

• Screening Window #1: August 18-29, 2025 
• Screening Window #2: December 2-16, 2025  
• Screening Window #3: April 29-May 13, 2026   

This adaptive assessment has a reading/fluency and mathematics component – each lasting approximately 20 minutes.

Results of the screener will be shared with parents in a timely manner after the district testing window is completed.

Annual assessments play a key role in the teaching and learning process, and they are critical to ensure that all students are meeting higher standards and are making progress on their path to postsecondary and the workforce. The TCAP assessments are designed to provide Tennessee students, teachers, and families with better information about what students know and understand.

Each test (by subject) is divided into multiple subparts and will be administered on paper in a single administration window at the end of the school year.

• English language arts will consist of multiple choice and selected response items, as well as reading from texts and providing a written response.
• Mathematics will consist of multiple choice, multiple select, equation editor, matching tables, and graphing representations.
• Science will measure current content standards and consist of multiple choice items.
• Social Studies will be administered in grades 6-8 but not grades 3-5.
• Some middle school students will take End of Course (EOC) exams if they are enrolled in high school courses.

» TCAP Help Guide

The Tennessee State Board of Education has approved Special Education Guidelines and Standards regarding Evaluations for Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD). As stated in the Guiding Principles, RTI2 is a process focused on prevention and early intervention that uses assessment data for instruction, intervention, and transitions between tiers. Assessment is a major component of the RTI2 Framework. Data derived from assessment informs the data-based decision-making process.

An LEA must administer a nationally normed, skills-based universal screener. A universal screener is a brief screening assessment of academic skills (i.e. basic reading skills, reading fluency, reading comprehension, math calculation, math problem solving, written expression) administered to ALL students to determine whether students demonstrate the skills necessary to achieve grade-level standards.

For additional information about RTI2, please refer to this TDOE link. 

Most tests (by subject) are divided into multiple subparts and are administered in a single administration window at the end of the course.

• English I and English II will consist of multiple choice and selected response items as well as reading from texts and providing a written response.
• Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Integrated Math I, Integrated Math II and Integrated Math III will consist of multiple choice, multiple select, equation editor, matching tables, and graphing representations.
• Biology will measure current content standards and consist of multiple choice items.
• U.S. History/Geography

Administered in accordance with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 and T.C.A §49-1-602 pertaining to district and school accountability.  Modified assessments in Braille and large print are also provided in accordance with the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1990. 

State Board of Education High School Policy 2.103 – 5.b.iii states the following pertaining to End of Course (EOC) examinations.

•  End of Course examinations will be administered in the following subjects: English I, English II, Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Integrated Math I, Integrated Math II, Integrated Math III, U.S. History, and Biology I.
  • The state will report scores for schools and school systems for academic achievement and academic gain.
  • Students will take the examinations in the semester they complete the relevant course work or at the earliest available test administration. Only students who are enrolled in a course with an associated End of Course examination shall take the End of Course examination. Students enrolled in a substituting course without an End of Course examination explicitly tied to the State Board of Education approved content standards of that course shall not take an End of Course examination. This exemption applies to all substituting courses, including, but not limited to Advanced Placement, Cambridge AICE, International Baccalaureate, local and statewide dual enrollment, and local and statewide dual credit courses. 
  • Students enrolled in a course with an associated End of Course examination must take the examination to receive credit for the course.  

Administered in accordance with T.C.A §49-6-6001(b), these exams are used to measure college readiness and HOPE scholarship eligibility for 11th graders. Learn more about ACT here.

The Tennessee State Board of Education has approved Special Education Guidelines and Standards regarding Evaluations for Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD). As stated in the Guiding Principles, RTI2 is a process focused on prevention and early intervention that uses assessment data for instruction, intervention, and transitions between tiers. Assessment is a major component of the RTI2 Framework. Data derived from assessment informs the data-based decision-making process.

An LEA must administer a nationally normed, skills-based universal screener. A universal screener is a brief screening assessment of academic skills (i.e. basic reading skills, reading fluency, reading comprehension, math calculation, math problem solving, written expression) administered to ALL students to determine whether students demonstrate the skills necessary to achieve grade-level standards.

For additional information about RTI2, please refer to this TDOE link. 

Per state law (T.C.A. § 49-6-408), students must participate in the United States citizenship and immigration test during the student’s high school career. In order to meet the Social Studies course credit requirements to earn a full diploma upon graduation from high school, each student must take and pass the civics test developed by the LEA, pursuant to T.C.A. § 49-6-408. Schools in which all seniors earning a regular diploma also earn a passing grade (70 percent or higher) on the U.S. civics test will be recognized by the department as a U.S. Civics All-Star School.

Administration once during high school. Dates are determined at the school level.

The TCAP Alternative Science and Social Studies assessments for Grades 3-8 and EOC will be administered March 9–April 24, 2026 (paper). 

Fall: The TCAP-ALT ELA and Math assessments for Grades 3-8 and EOC will be administered from September 8–December 19, 2025. 

Spring: The TCAP-ALT ELA and Math assessments for Grades 3-8 and EOC will be administered February 2–May 7, 2026.

Students are given the assessment during class time throughout the window based on student needs and class schedules.

Districts receive individual performance reports which detail student performance in early summer. Districts can choose how and when to share these reports with parents. 

February 2 - March 27, 2026

The test is self-paced with target administration times for each section of the test as follows:

• Listening: Up to 40 minutes
• Reading: Up to 35 minutes
• Speaking: Up to 30 minutes
• Writing Tier A: Up to 45 minutes
• Writing Tiers B/C: Up to 60 minutes 

PreACT empowers 8^th grade students with a unique ACT test practice experience normed to the 8^th grade. Scores provide valuable insights into students’ predicted performance on the ACT and help inform important high school course decisions. PreACT reporting includes both academic and career indicators, which are designed to identify strength and areas for improvement, providing a complete view of students’ college and career readiness.

State or county-wide EOCs are administered to ascertain student mastery of course content in all Middle School courses receiving high school credit.

PreACT empowers 10th grade students with a unique ACT test practice experience normed to the 10th grade. Scores provide valuable insights into students’ predicted performance on the ACT and help inform important high school course decisions. PreACT reporting includes both academic and career indicators, which are designed to identify strength and areas for improvement, providing a complete view of students’ college and career readiness.

County-wide EOCs are administered to ascertain student mastery of course content in selected high school courses. All high school courses will administer a final exam.

Each assessment is designed to be completed in one class period, usually varying between 25-100 questions.

Exam answer sheets are scanned at the building level following the administration of the exams and results are recorded in teacher grade books. Teachers review results with students.