Terra Nova Assessment

Beginning at Grade 2 and continuing through Grade 8, Northbrook District 27 students' academic performance is assessed annually using Terra Nova. Starting in December 2022, District 27 migrated to Terra Nova NEXT, a new version within the Terra Nova suite of assessments. Terra Nova NEXT is aligned to the Illinois Learning Standards (Common Core State Standards) and provides updated test questions.

The Terra Nova NEXT assessments are standardized, norm referenced tests used to provide information about students' achievement in math and reading as well as provide a comparison to the performance of students in the same grade level across the nation. 

Standardized achievement tests are designed to sample the skills and knowledge that students are typically expected to acquire as they progress through the grade levels. They can then serve as a basis for making inferences about overall achievement in the area(s) measured. However, no standardized test can measure all of the important outcomes of instruction in any given school or school year. The Terra Nova NEXT assessment is one component of a comprehensive assessment program that utilizes multiple standardized, classroom, and informal assessments.

Student performance is reported in the following areas on Terra Nova NEXT:

  • Reading
  • Mathematics

InView (Grades 2-5 only) measures the skills and abilities most directly related to academic success. A Cognitive Skills Index (CSI) score is derived from five sub-tests that assess the following cognitive areas:

  • Verbal Reasoning - Words
  • Verbal Reasoning - Context
  • Sequences
  • Analogies
  • Quantitative Reasoning

During the 2022-23 school year, students in grade 2 took the Terra Nova and InView assessment in a paper/pencil format. Grades 3-8 took their assessments online. In 2023-24, all students took the assessments online. 

Sample Terra Nova Individual Profile with InView & Score Explanation