Assessment and the personalized learning path work as a loop: assessment results set the path, and the student's progress on that path feeds into the next assessment.
1. Placement diagnostics and the first time adaptive assessment set the starting point for a brand new student to the system. See this article for details.
2. Personalized Adaptive Practice under My Tasks and Phonics/First Steps on the student dashboard will move a student's practice level up in real time.
If a student practices consistently and answers correctly, the system recognizes their growth and moves their practice level up. They don't have to wait for the next assessment window. The same rule applies to Phonics/First Steps practice.
3. The next assessment starts from wherever practice left off or from the previous assessment.
When the next assessment window opens, the system uses either the last assessment result or the level the student has reached through practice. From there, it tests whether they've mastered that level and continues moving them up if they pass.
If the student demonstrate mastery during assessments at a higher level than their practice level, their practice level will be automatically adjusted to the new instructional level demonstrated during assessments.
To summarize,
Placement diagnostics and the first time adaptive assessment sets the initial practice path.
Practice can advance the path on its own.
The next assessment builds on whichever is the more advanced starting point — practice or the prior assessment. Practice level will be reset by assessment results if the students mastered as higher level during assessment.