For students who have received instruction in the SIPPS program:
Do not re-administer the placement assessment to students who are continuing instruction
in the SIPPS program; the data from the previous year are enough to place them in the program.
To correctly place students who did not complete all the lessons in a level, do the following:
- Look up the last-passed Mastery Test (or for Challenge Level the Progress Assessment) from the previous school year to determine the level and lesson in which to begin instruction.
- Use the data collected from the Progress Tracking form (if available) to identify sounds and sight words that the students have not yet mastered. Review those sounds and sight words prior to starting instruction.
- Begin instruction five to ten lessons before the last-passed Mastery Test from the previous school year. This review will give the students time to remember the routines and prepare them for new content.
- After you begin instruction, you may notice some students are struggling after the first Mastery Test. These students may not have had sufficient instruction or reading practice during the previous year. If you suspect this may be the case, you may wish to administer the last Mastery Test from the previous school year (or for Challenge Level the Progress Assessment) again to confirm whether students have retained previously taught material. You may also want to listen to students read the accompanying texts to verify placement as students who have mastered the content will make few errors.
If you have students in grades 1–3 who are new to the SIPPS program:
SIPPS Third or Fourth Edition: Go to Appendix C, “SIPPS Assessment and Placement, K–3” in the SIPPS Teacher’s Manual (Beginning, Extension, or Challenge Levels).
SIPPS Fifth Edition: Go to "K–1 and 2–3 Placement Assessment" in the Assessment and Placement section in the Implementation Handbook.
- Read the "Preparation," “Administering the Placement Assessment,” “Interpreting the Assessment Results,” and “Placement Considerations” sections.
- Scan the placement assessment.
- Read the assessment and note the “If the student...” suggestions after each section.
- After you have administered the placement assessment, use the “Placement Considerations” section and the “If the student...” suggestions at the end of each section of the placement assessment to group students for instruction.
If you have students in grades 4–12 who are new to the SIPPS program:
SIPPS Third or Fourth Edition: Go to Appendix C, “SIPPS Assessment and Placement: 4–12” in the SIPPS Plus Teacher’s Manual or Appendix D, “SIPPS Assessment and Placement: 4–12” in the SIPPS Challenge Level Teacher’s.
SIPPS Fifth Edition: Go to "4–12 Placement Assessment" in the Assessment and Placement section in the Implementation Handbook.
- Read the “Preparation,” “Administering the Placement Assessment,” and “Interpreting the Assessment Results” sections.
- Scan the placement assessment.
- Read the assessment and note the “If the student...” suggestions after each section.
- After you have administered the placement assessment, use the placement guidance in the “If the student...” suggestions at the end of each section of the placement assessment to group students for instruction.
Note: As students are transitioning from 3rd to 4th grade, we also want to transition them within the curriculum. The scope and sequence for SIPPS Plus aligns to the continuum of Beginning and Extension levels, but is designed for our older readers. To best support students with this transition, we recommend administering the 4-12 Placement Assessment to determine the appropriate instructional starting point.