Interim Diagnostic FAQs
What’s the difference between the Initial Diagnostic and the Interim Diagnostic?
The Initial Diagnostic is an assessment used to understand a student’s opportunity for learning when starting the Roadmaps program. This information is used to build the student’s personalized Roadmap(s). The Initial Diagnostic only happens one time per student, which is at the start of the Roadmaps implementation.
The Interim Diagnostic refers to any diagnostic that a student takes after finishing their Initial Diagnostic, unless a student is assigned a retake of their Initial Diagnostic (that's called a retake) or if the student's grade level changes (that's called a grade change diagnostic). Interim Diagnostics can be assigned throughout the school year. This assessment gives students the opportunity to jumpstart their progress on their Roadmap by allowing them to place out of new skills that they haven’t worked on yet without requiring them to take a skill assessment on those skills. It provides a fresher understanding of what the student already knows and what remains to be learned.
Although both assessments are similar, the main difference is that the Initial Diagnostic assessment is only taken at the start of implementing the Roadmaps program. The Interim Diagnostic assessment is used to monitor progress throughout the school year and can be assigned multiple times in the course of the year.
When should I assign my student a Retake on their Initial or Interim Diagnostic?
Once a student completes the Initial Diagnostic or an Interim Diagnostic assessment, teachers have the ability to assign a retake. The retake assessment replaces the results of the most recent diagnostic that the student completed, so you may choose to assign a retake in any of the following cases. This list is not exhaustive!
- if the student underperformed on the assessment,
- if the student cheated on the assessment,
- if you would like your student to take a new diagnostic, and it hasn't been 30 days since they completed their most recent diagnostic.
Please note that once you assign a retake, students must complete the Diagnostic prior to being able to access their Roadmap, unless you cancel it before they begin. Assigning a retake is only possible within the same testing window. Visit this article for steps on how to assign a diagnostic retake.
Do I need to create Interim Diagnostic Windows?
Once a student completes their Initial Diagnostic, their current Roadmap will update as they pass skill assessments on the skills they’re learning. It can be helpful to assign an Interim Diagnostic every few months after starting Roadmaps as it can help provide a better understanding of what the student is retaining and what remains for them to learn.
During predefined Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring periods, Site and District Administrators can choose to open an Interim Diagnostic Window. When the Interim Diagnostic Window opens on the start date that the Site or District Administrator sets, all eligible students at the school will be offered an Interim Diagnostic to take. The window will not open for any student unless an administrator selects a start date - the Window Start info in the leftmost column only refers to the earliest possible start date for the seasonal window. For more info on setting Interim Diagnostic windows at your school(s), check out this article!
Is it possible to reschedule the Interim assessment or not have it accessible until a certain date?
Yes! Site and District Administrators are able to set specific Interim Diagnostic Window start dates. Use the Opening Diagnostic Windows article to learn more.
How long is the Interim assessment available for?
Once a student starts their Interim Diagnostic, it will be available until they complete the entire assessment. If a student has started their interim and you do not want them to finish it, please reach out to the Help Center for options.
My student(s) are new to Roadmaps, what do I need to know/do?
If your students have recently been registered to Roadmaps and it has not yet been 90 days since they completed their Initial Diagnostic, and you are assigning an Interim Diagnostic Window for all of your other students, the Interim Diagnostic will not be available for the more recent students to take until they become eligible at that 90 day marker.
My student(s) used Roadmaps in a previous year, what should I expect in terms of the Diagnostic?
Students with a grade level change will be required to take the Diagnostic before accessing their new Roadmap. If such students have taken a Diagnostic in the past 60 days, they will only be directed to take only one or two parts of the grade change diagnostic, rather than all three parts.
If 90 days have passed since their original Diagnostic was completed, and there is an active open Interim Diagnostic Window, students will be eligible to take the Interim assessment. When they log into their account, they will see a pop up message that explains that it is time for the interim. If their grade level has not changed, they may choose to “Start It Now” or “Take It Later.” Once started, all parts of the Interim assessment must be completed before they can access their roadmap.
If they choose “Take It Later,” they will be able to access the Interim at a later date by clicking on the three Interim assessment badges off to the side of their Dashboard.
How many questions are on the Interim Diagnostic? How is it structured?
The Interim Diagnostic is organized into 3 parts. The first and second parts will adaptively gauge where students are on their algebra and grade level ladders, while the third part will address any additional skills needed based on performance in parts 1 and 2. The first part is approximately 15-20 questions and should take about 40 minutes. The second part is approximately 8-10 questions and should take about 20 minutes. The final part will vary widely by student but will have no more than 20 questions.
How will my student know to take the Interim assessment?
On the selected start date for a given Interim Diagnostic Window, the Interim assessment will become available for eligible students to take.
When they log into their account after the window begins, if they are eligible, they will see a pop up message that explains that it is time for the interim. They may choose to “Start It Now” or “Take It Later.” Once started, all parts of the Interim assessment must be completed before they can access their roadmap.
If they choose “Take It Later,” they will be able to access the Interim at a later date by clicking on the three Interim assessment badges off to the side of their Dashboard.
Can my student still access their Roadmap while they take the Interim Diagnostic?
Once students click to begin the Interim assessment, the student will not be able to access their Roadmap or work on skills until the Interim assessment is complete. Prior to starting (even when the Interim is available) students can continue to work on skills on their Roadmap as they normally would. The Interim assessment is not automatically started so you can instruct students to take the Interim on a specific date.
What should I do if I do not want my student(s) to take the Interim Diagnostic?
We strongly encourage all students to take the Interim assessment as it will provide the most up to date information about what students know.
For teachers, if you do not want your student(s) to take the Diagnostic assessment, you can cancel it from the three dot menu on your student's card. This option is not available for students who have started the interim assessment.
If you would like to bulk cancel the interim diagnostic for multiple students, you can select the students on your Students page using the box on the upper left of their card and select the "Cancel Diagnostics" option on the bottom menu bar that pops up.
What will happen after my student takes the Interim Diagnostic?
After your student has finished the Interim assessment, their Roadmap will be updated accordingly.
- Any skills that were previously in the Remaining category that they demonstrate an understanding of will be moved to “Placed Out”
Any skills that were previously in the Completed category that the student did NOT demonstrate an understanding of will be Recommended for Review.
Where can I see the results of the Interim Diagnostic?
Your students’ ladders (algebra and grade level) will update as a result of the Interim assessment. You can also check out the Diagnostic Report for more detailed information on how your students performed on assessments in a given time frame - more on that here. We are working to develop additional resources as well and hope to be able to share more on this soon.