Student Assessments

 

Horizons fosters a culture of continuous improvement, using multiple data sources—including demographics, student outcomes, and program performance—to guide decision-making and identify best practices across the Network.

To support consistent, high-quality programming, affiliate directors and program leaders receive training and professional development focused on program planning, design, evaluation, and instructional strategy.

Measuring What Matters: How We Assess Student Growth

Horizons programs use a suite of adaptive STAR assessments to inform instruction, identify student needs, and track academic progress:

• STAR Early Literacy for Pre-K through 1st grade
  

• STAR Reading for 2nd through 8th grade
  

• STAR Math for 3rd through 8th grade

In addition to STAR, many programs use diagnostic tools to pinpoint individual learning needs in reading and math. Students are assessed at the beginning of the summer to help tailor curriculum and support and a second round of testing at the end of the session measures progress and informs ongoing program refinement.

To ensure consistency and rigor, Horizons National partnered with Renaissance Learning to generate customized reports from each assessment, and worked with Project Evident to review and strengthen our data processing guidelines. Student, family, and teacher surveys also provide valuable opinions about student growth as well as overall satisfaction with the program.

All of this data is captured in a centralized platform, providing real-time access to student, staff, and program information—empowering affiliates and Horizons National to make timely, informed decisions that help students thrive.

STAR Assessments and Results

STAR assessments have consistently demonstrated impressive gains for all Horizons students. On average, Horizons students improve 6-12 weeks in reading and math skills over the 6-week summer session.