Assessment Information & Links

Advanced Placement (AP)

All AP Info Document

AP Exam Inoformation

Registration Information

Enrolling in an AP course/class does not automatically sign you up to take your AP exam(s). Student registration for your AP exam(s) is required! Since the CollegeBoard does not collect fees directly, there are TWO steps required to complete registration for EACH exam. Students, when going though both steps, please be sure to enter ALL information asked and be accurate. Use the same email address for both accounts and use your FULL name (not shortened):

1) Sign up for each course in your CollegeBoard account. Students will log into their collegeboard account through MyAP. Students will be given a "Join Code" from each of their AP teachers to join their AP classroom. 

2) Pay for your exam(s) through Total Registration. Students will go through a short registraion process, select all of their AP exams, and pay for all exams (Note: Students eligible for Free/Reduced Priced Meals will be able to indicate this during the registration process; if approved, your AP exam fees will be covered. 

The CollegeBoard has hard deadlines for registration. Students who register after the deadline will inquire a $40 late fee (CollegeBoard Policy) so do not wait!!!!

CollegeBoard Links

• AP Program Overview
• MyAP: This is a site that ALL AP students will need. Students MUST use this site as one of a two part registration process.
• Joining Your AP Class Section

The state of Minnesota requires that all public school districts provide high school students an opportunity to take a college entrance exam during the school day. St. Michael-Albertville schools offer the ACT exam on a school day at no cost to students. This exam typically takes place sometime in March/April (please see district testing calendars for exact date).

In January, students/parents will receive an email with registration information. Students themselves must register for this opportunity through a link provided in the communication. There are NO make-ups for this exam/opportunity. 

Links

ACT Test Prep

2024-2025 District ACT Registration Letter

ACT offers many opportunities to take the ACT throughout the year. Students/families can register for an ACT exam at anytime. You can register here.

The ACCESS for ELLs and WIDA Alternate ACCESS are the assessments developed by the WIDA consortium and administered to English learners in order to measure progress toward meeting the WIDA English Language Development Standards adopted by Minnesota. Most English learners will take the ACCESS for ELLs, but English learners who receive special education services and meet the participation criteria may take the WIDA Alternate ACCESS. Participation criteria for the WIDA Alternate ACCESS are located in the WIDA Alternate ACCESS for ELLs section of the WIDA website.

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a multiple-aptitude battery that measures developed abilities and helps predict future academic and occupational success in the military. It is administered annually to more than one million military applicants, high school, and post-secondary students.

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ACCUPLACER is a series of tests that evaluate students’ skills in reading, writing, and math to help college administrators place them in courses that match their skills.

• ACCUPLACER makes it easier for advisors and counselors to determine whether a student is ready to take a college-level class, or if they need additional support before enrolling in credit-bearing courses.
• The ACCUPLACER Perspective Learning Resources is a free tool that provides hundreds of learning exercises to help strengthen students’ knowledge and gives faculty an increased ability to enhance student learning. Upon completion of ACCUPLACER testing, students are assigned Learning Locator™ codes that will deliver specific materials targeted to the growth areas identified on their Individual Score Reports (ISR). 
• Through the ACCUPLACER platform, you can incorporate multiple factors, such as a student’s high school GPA, course load, and learning strategies, with their test scores to make more meaningful and reliable placement decisions.

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FastBridge's valid and reliable assessments help educators identify students' academic and social-emotional behavior (SEB) needs faster, align the right interventions at the right time, and measure whether interventions are helping students catch up-all in one platform and in up to half the test time.

Below are assessments administered to students at STMA:

To provide these important snapshots of student learning, Minnesota students take some form of the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments, or MCAs. The MCAs are given in the spring of each year to students in grades 3–8 in reading and math. In high school, Minnesota students take one last Reading MCA in grade 10 and one last Math MCA in grade 11.

The Science MCAs are given in grades five and eight and once in high school. 

Students who receive special education services and meet eligibility requirements take the Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) in the same grades.

Most Minnesota students will take the MCA online during their school day, likely in their classrooms. The MTAS is given by a teacher or another school administrator in a paper format. Each Minnesota school district decides when students will take their assessments within a designated spring testing window.

Both the MCA and the MTAS measure student learning of the Minnesota Academic Standards. More detailed information about Minnesota’s K–12 Academic Standards can be found on the Academic Standards section of the MDE website. 

• MCA Parent Fact Sheet 
• MTAS Parent Fact Sheet

• Student Tutorial
• Item Samplers (practice)
• Formula Sheets (for math; allowed during testing)

The PSAT is a Pre-SAT,  administered to students who are in their junior year of high school.  Typically, Juniors who are ranked in the top twentieth percent of their class or historically have performed well on standardized testing are encouraged to take the PSAT/NMSQT. Exemplary results on this test can be used to identify elite student scholarship opportunities. Students who choose to take the test will be provided with essential information, including practice questions in the areas of reading, math, and writing.  Students should review PSAT/NMSQT practice questions to be sure they are familiar with the types of questions that will be asked.  To learn more about the test and why your child may choose to take the PSAT/NMSQT please visit www.collegeboard.org/psat.  

The PreACT assessment is administered to all STMA 10th graders.  Students will test at their home school. Additionally, students currently enrolled in STMA Online will need to test at Knights Academy (Community Education Building). 

The PreACT will give students an opportunity to take a practice version of the ACT that all Juniors will take in April of their 11th grade year. (For more information on the ACT please see the ACT page.) The PreACT is identical to the ACT in terms of both overall format, types of items and the 1-36 score range.  Research from ACT indicates that when students take the ACT assessment more than once, 57 percent achieve a higher composite score.  Since the PreACT is identical to the ACT, taking the PreACT could potentially lead to better scores for students on the ACT. As per the PreACT site: “PreACT simulates the ACT testing experience within a shorter test window on all four ACT test subjects: English, math, reading and science. Results predict future success on the ACT test, and provide both current achievement and projected future ACT test scores on the familiar 1-36 ACT score scale…”

The results of the PreACT offer several benefits to our students, including:

• Early practice for the ACT test
• PreACT score and predicted ACT score ranges align to the ACT 1–36 scale
• Students may opt to share their information with colleges and scholarship agencies
• ACT Interest Inventory results provide students with a personalized view of interests with college and career alignment
• Valuable results provide actionable insights to help educators, parents and students make important decisions for the future
• Rapid reporting turnaround within 5-10 days of receipt of answer documents allows for early and effective planning to ensure students can attain the future and career success they envision

Students will only need to bring two(2) items with them the morning of the test

• Some #2 Pencils
• An approved calculator if they have one

Please take some time to review the testing prohibited behaviors, and approved calculators list found in, Instructions for Completing Your Answer Folder: PreACT, and ACT-calculator-policy. As the PreACT mirrors the ACT, the policies and procedures of the ACT will apply to this test as well. Please review these with your student, particularly the rule prohibiting electronic devices- except allowed calculators.  Although all prohibited behaviors will result in the voiding of test scores for your student, the most common source of voiding test scores is a result of cell phones and electronic device usage.

Students will not be allowed to access their lockers that morning- they will report directly from the check in table in the commons to their testing room. Please help us be proactive and avoid any test prohibited behaviors by having students leave their phone and belongings at home or in their locked car. If a staff member sees a cell phone or anything electronic (whether in use or not) during testing or a break, that student will be dismissed from testing, their test will be voided, and an administrator will contact the parent of the student for removal.

There are several things parents can do to positively contribute to their child’s success.

• Encourage your child to put forth their best effort with positive statements, expressing confidence in their abilities and efforts.

• Make sure they get a good night’s sleep and a nutritious breakfast.

• Attendance during testing is very important.

Please reschedule any appointments that may take your child out of school on the testing dates. Your partnership is valuable in this effort, and we appreciate your support.  Please watch for additional information regarding the PreACT and ACT, and if you have questions, please feel free to contact your student’s counselor.

Any families not wanting their child to participate in this opportunity must complete the STMA Refusal for Local Assessments form and email a copy to Dr. Lloyd Komatsu, lloydk@mystma.org.