Curriculum and Assessment

At Bismarck Public Schools, our curriculum is based on North Dakota state standards and Life and Work Ready skills. Teachers work together across the district to identify prioritized standards, the most important skills and knowledge students need for future success. This collaboration ensures consistent, high-quality learning experiences for every student.

BPS uses standards-referenced reporting to clearly communicate student progress. Elementary students receive progress information using proficiency scales, which communicate the progression of what learners need to know and be able to do for each prioritized standard. Middle and high school students receive letter grades that reflect progress toward prioritized standards. Families can monitor progress through the online parent portal, and school secretaries can help set up your parent account. You are also encouraged to contact teachers with any questions.

Our goal is to partner with families and ensure every student is supported, challenged, and prepared to thrive.

Elementary Curriculum

Middle School Curriculum

High School Curriculum

Standardized Assessments

Student Assessments at Bismarck Public Schools

Bismarck Public Schools uses different assessments to help understand how students are learning from PreK-12 . These assessments help teachers plan lessons, support students, and share progress with families.

What assessments does my child take?

Some assessments are used in classrooms, and some are required by the state.
You can see a full list of assessments by grade level using this printable guide:

Assessments by Grade Level (printable)

How can I learn more about school and district data?

Insights.nd.gov is the State of North Dakota’s website for school information. Families can use this site to learn more about:

School and district data
Student performance
Graduation and attendance information

Can I choose for my child not to take a state test?

Yes. North Dakota law allows parents to choose not to have their child take a state test or state assessment. Only the state’s official form can be used.

To do this:

A Parental Directive Form must be completed, see guidance here.
The parent directive form must be signed by a custodial parent
The school must receive the form before the assessment

If you have questions, please contact your child’s school or the district office. We are happy to help.

Grading Practices

Grading at Bismarck Public Schools: What to Expect

As students learn, grades are used to show their progress across content areas. These areas include skills and knowledge that BPS believes are most important for school, work, and life. The following points may be helpful to know:

Grading and assessment expectations are communicated to learners and families through a variety of channels, including syllabi, newsletters, email updates, and more. Questions regarding grading practices should first be directed to your learner’s teacher, and then to building administration if further support is needed.
BPS strives to provide clear and consistent grading practices to promote equitable learning outcomes.
Although BPS schools are aligned on important common grading practices, each school has individualized grading policies. Feel free to reach out to teachers for information specific to your learner.
Grading is not meant to be punitive in nature; learners are provided equitable opportunities to demonstrate growth.
BPS works to ensure grading practices provide a reliable assessment of learner progress. Student performance on external assessments (such as state testing) is referenced against BPS-provided grades to ensure consistency.
Parents are encouraged to follow their learner’s progress in their online gradebook.

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)

Defining MTSS: Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) is systemic continuous improvement framework, in which data based problem solving and decision making is practiced across all levels of the educational system for supporting Academics and Social Emotional Learning (SEL). The voice of and collaboration with students, family, and community, is foundational to the MTSS framework.

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