Interim Assessments
Interim assessments generally occur between summative and formative assessments and aim to evaluate students’ progress
on academic goals or standards. While policymakers have a clear picture of assessments mandated at the state level in
Tennessee, assessment practices at the district and school level—specifically related to the selection and implementation
of interim assessments—are less clear. For this reason, questions asked on surveys as well as in interviews and focus groups
aimed to gain a deeper understanding of interim assessment practices in districts and schools.
In this section, we summarize primary findings from educator surveys, focus groups, and interviews related to interim
assessments. During focus groups and interviews, educators were asked to speak about (1) the assessments implemented in
their schools or districts; (2) interim assessment selection processes; (3) benefits from interim assessments; and (4) challenges
faced with interim assessments.
In a holistic analysis of survey, focus group, and interview data, it is important to note that challenges with interim
assessments and benefits from interim assessments were both top themes. While teachers, principals, and district leaders see
the underlying value of interim assessments, they also see many opportunities for improvement in state and district practices
related to interim assessments.
District-Level Assessments
Figures 12 and 13 report survey results regarding the number of district-level interim assessments implemented and the
number of times per year each of those assessments is administered. Most districts indicated they implement two or three
such assessments each year, and that 60 percent of these assessments are administered three times per year. Survey results
also indicate that most of these assessments take less than 50 minutes to administer.
Number of Respondents
Number of District-Level Interim Assessments
20
15
10
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Number of Assessments
Figure 12
*Survey Question: How many assessments does your district implement? This number should only include assessments your
district office selects. Please do not include state mandated assessments, school selected assessments, or teacher created
assessments.
15