The New Meridian
Start Strong Assessment

The New Meridian Start Strong Assessment provides states and districts with initial data on students’ support needs so they may better target resources to accelerate student learning. Start the school year off right with Start Strong.

Overcoming the Start of the School Year Challenge With the Start Strong Assessment

Now more than ever, educators must be intentional about how they allocate time and direct student attention. Resources must be targeted with precision—which is no simple task without data from a year-end summative assessment and other locally-administered tests. New Meridian recognized this particularly acute need and developed a solution to quickly provide teachers, principals, and district leaders with the data they need to allocate time and resources equitably and efficiently. The Start Strong Assessment is a flexible and powerful tool designed specifically to address this unique time in our history, giving every teacher, district, and state the information they need to allocate time and resources equitably and efficiently.

A Powerful and Flexible Solution for Both Administrators and Educators

Start Strong is available for grades 3 to 8 and high school in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics, testing students on content delivered in the past year. It is specifically designed to provide the information that an educator needs to deliver “just in time” support.

Experience the benefits of the Start Strong assessment

Strong alignment – Start Strong’s design is based on the most critical content standards from the student’s previous year of learning, allowing educators to quickly identify the areas where more support is needed in the context of the grade-level standards.
Quick delivery – The assessment is designed to be delivered in a class period. This expedites access to quality assessment information to help educators plan their lessons and units.
Fast feedback – Start Strong’s multiple-choice and technology-enhanced assessment items are machine scorable, offering teachers, schools and districts fast feedback on where students stand in the learning process.
Ultimate flexibility – Start Strong offers seamless online delivery and it can be administered at school or at home, allowing educators to gather assessment data regardless of the circumstances in your district when school starts in the fall.
Dedicated support – Expert consultation, training, and a full suite of documentation are built in to the Start Strong assessment, allowing for quick, seamless implementation.

Districts use Start Strong data to:

Help you allocate supplemental funding and services.

Assign math and ELA coaches where they are needed most.

Plan professional learning days and PLCs.

Select appropriate supplemental instructional materials.

Teachers use Start Strong data to:

Focus your teaching and scaffolds on the needs of students.

Supplement your instructional material selections.

Provide the right level of support to your students.

Inform parents on the needs of their children.

A Rich Set of Data That Drives Better Teaching and Learning Strategies

Start Strong provides a rich data set that offers educators information that is easy to understand and can be put to use immediately.

The assessment offers:

Support level classifications, which indicate the level of a support a student will likely need as they begin the new school year.
Major content scores for all the major content standards in each grade level.
Multiple views of the data, including by district, school, class, and student, as well as by a variety of important demographic categories.

Documentation is also available to ensure that all teachers and district administrators know how to use and interpret results.. This includes administration manuals and a comprehensive report interpretation guide for teachers and district administrators, which will help translate student scores directly into strategies for teaching and learning.

“We developed Start Strong to catch students before they fall through the cracks – ensuring that students, teachers, districts, and parents have the data they need to support every child.”

Kristopher John, Vice President of Product Strategy

Start the School Year With Start Strong

Partner with New Meridian and get the data you need to start the school year off right. With Start Strong, you’ll be able to see where students stand and get the information needed to make better decisions. Contact us today to learn more about the Start Strong Assessment for your educational system.

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