I bet you are wondering... What is the difference between a Benchmark and an Exam???
A Benchmark is an assessment that we give twice a year. This assessment covers everything that is taught during the year. Students are not expected to know everything on the Benchmark when it is given. This is similar to STAAR. We use this data to provide tutorials to students who are struggling, enrichment to students who are excelling, and reteaching concepts that were difficult.
An Exam is an assessment to simply check for understanding. Does the student understand what is being taught? Students take exams after a unit is taught, at the end of a nine week period, and semester.