Classroom Diagnostic tools

What are the Classroom Diagnostic Tools (CDT)?

The Pennsylvania Classroom Diagnostic Tools (CDT) is a set of online adaptive assessments, divided by content area, designed to provide diagnostic information in order to guide instruction and remediation.

What is the purpose of the CDT?

The purpose of the CDT is to provide information that will help guide instruction by providing support to students and teachers. The CDT reports are designed to provide a picture or snapshot of how students are performing in relation to the Pennsylvania Assessment Anchors and Eligible Content and Keystone Assessment Anchors and Eligible Content. The CDT goes beyond focusing only on what students should know and be able to do at a particular grade and/or course. It also provides a snapshot of how and why students may still be struggling or extending beyond the grade and/or course Eligible Content. Content assessed on the CDT is similar to the content assessed by the PSSA and Keystone exams.

What types of questions are on the CDT?

Multiple-choice

Evidence-based selected-response

Technology enhanced

How much time is needed to administer the CDT?

The CDT is untimed. In the computer adaptive format for the full CDT, each student may receive up to 50-60 items. Teachers may want to plan for 50-90 minutes to administer the full CDT.

If a break is needed, a pause feature is available for a student to take a short break.

If a students needs to complete the assessment at another time, the exit feature allows the student to complete the assessment another day.

What should I tell the students preparing to take a CDT?

It is important to inform students that the CDT questions may be challenging. Students should not be frustrated if they encounter questions they cannot easily answer. Since the CDTs are not restricted to Eligible Content at a given grade level or course, each CDT may allow a student to be presented with more advanced Eligible Content if the student demonstrates that he or she is advancing beyond the standards at a given grade or course. Conversely, a student who is struggling to answer questions correctly may be presented with Eligible Content at a lower grade level.

When do students and teachers receive CDT results?

Once a student completes an assessment, results are immediately available. Students are presented with an "Immediate Score Page" when they complete the CDT. The Immediate Score Page populates with information associated with the student's scores in each reporting category. The Immediate Score Page only lists the content area and either Areas of Need or Strengths to Improve on.

The teachers access student results in the CDT Interactive Reports on the DRC INSIGHT Portal. Teachers must have a Portal user account and be associated with students via Student Groups to view student results.

Additionally, all CDT data will be uploaded to LinkIt!.