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As in previous years, public school districts are asked to communicate their intended path for interim assessment administration for the 2026–2027 school year. This information is being collected through the 2026–2027 Interim Assessment Option Survey, which was distributed on April 28, 2026, to district superintendents and principals. The interim assessment requirement, as laid out in North Dakota Century Code § 15.1-21-17.1, provides two paths for public school districts to choose from: using the state-provided option (using the ND A+ Interim Assessments) or selecting an interim assessment(s) from the state-approved list.
Considerations:
- If a district chooses, the selection of interim assessments may be made at the school level rather than at the district level. Districts may create a plan for some schools and grade levels to participate in the ND A+ Interim Assessments while other schools in the district administer interim assessments from the state-approved list. School-specific and grade-level decisions may be noted in the 2026–2027 Interim Assessment Option Survey.
- Districts with schools participating in the ND A+ Interim Assessments will also have access to the ND A+ formative assessment tools, Navvy and WriteUp!.
Public school districts are asked to communicate their intended path for interim assessment administration for the 2026–2027 school year by completing the survey. Please designate one representative per district (or school, if applicable) to complete and submit the survey.
We kindly ask that the 2026–2027 Interim Assessment Option Survey be completed as soon as possible.
The ND A+ assessment platforms—LaunchPad, ADAM, and Navvy—are being updated and rolled over for the 2026–2027 school year. In addition to annual platform rollover activities and a redesigned ADAM interface, this year's updates include the transition of source data from PowerSchool to Infinite Campus.
Student Information System (SIS) Transition
The transition from PowerSchool to Infinite Campus is a significant change for the 2026–2027 school year. Student, teacher, course, and class information used by the ND A+ platforms will now be sourced from Infinite Campus rather than PowerSchool.
Because this transition affects data availability across LaunchPad, ADAM, and Navvy, districts should expect current-year information to appear only after student, teacher, course, and class data have been entered in Infinite Campus and teacher records have been entered and saved in the MIS03 report. NDDPI will continue providing guidance, documentation, and implementation updates as the statewide SIS transition progresses.
Current LaunchPad and ADAM Access
Existing organizations (districts and schools) have been carried over in the platforms for the new school year. Users with District Admin and Site Admin/School Coordinator roles have also been restored. These users can now log in to LaunchPad and access ADAM, where they can view district- and school-level aggregated data, as well as historical student performance data, based on their assigned role and associated permissions.
⚠️ Please note: At this time, users in North Dakota cannot yet view individual students under Rostering > Users or the Student Dashboard, or access Individual Student Reports (ISRs) under Reporting > Performance or the Student Dashboard in ADAM.
Platform Enhancements and Next Steps
As part of this year's update, ADAM features a refreshed interface designed to improve navigation and overall usability. Updated ND A+ Interim and Summative Assessment Test Administration Manuals and supporting documentation are currently in development and will be posted on the ND A+ Portal as soon as they become available.
As part of refreshed interface, the teacher view in ADAM is currently being finalized and will be released later this summer.
Later in August, NDDPI will resume daily uploads of student, teacher, course, and class data, making 2026–2027 school year data available across the platforms. At that time, teacher access will be restored, the updated ADAM teacher experience will be available, and administrators will gain access to 2026–2027 student rosters and Individual Student Reports (ISRs).
⚠️ Please note: The timing of teacher access depends on a teacher being entered in Infinite Campus as a licensed teacher assigned to course sections. Those section assignments must also match a valid MIS03 teacher record. The completeness of student, teacher, course, and class data depends on when districts enter information into Infinite Campus and the MIS03 report.
Navvy Update
Navvy is currently displaying 2025–2026 school year data and should be considered read-only until the annual rollover is complete. Please do not create Checks for the new school year until the rollover has been completed.
The platform will be rolled over to the 2026–2027 school year in the coming weeks. Once the rollover is complete, most Navvy data from the 2025–2026 school year will no longer be accessible. Competency Check data, however, will remain available within each student's Learning Map and will carry forward from one school year to the next.
Data for the 2026–2027 school year will begin flowing into Navvy after NDDPI begins daily data uploads through LaunchPad in August.
Thank you for your patience during this annual rollover process and the statewide SIS transition. We appreciate your partnership as we prepare the ND A+ platforms for the 2026–2027 school year.
Navvy Usage Across North Dakota
Navvy continued to see substantial growth during the 2025–2026 school year. Across North Dakota, educators administered 251,279 Checks, representing a 2.67-fold increase over the previous school year. April was the highest-use month, with 58,021 Checks administered.
Usage was strongest among fourth- and fifth-grade students, with participation distributed fairly evenly between mathematics and English language arts (ELA). The number of students using Navvy more than doubled compared to last year, increasing by 2.06 times, while teacher participation grew by 2.15 times. Overall, 80 districts across North Dakota used Navvy during the 2025–2026 school year.
SmartSets Preview
Coming soon to Navvy Practice Checks, SmartSets will provide targeted, personalized standards practice tailored to each student's learning needs.
SmartSets can be administered in three ways:
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Teacher-directed: Teachers assign the standard students will practice.
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Student-directed: Students select the standard they want to practice.
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Navvy-directed: Navvy automatically recommends standards based on each student's previous progress.
Students receive practice items aligned to the specific domains and component levels where additional support is needed, creating a highly personalized learning experience. SmartSets can be customized at the teacher, class, or individual student level.
💡 Learn More: Educators can learn more about SmartSets and its classroom applications during the upcoming Navvy professional development series beginning this fall.
Navvy Coaching and Course Mapping Support
North Dakota districts now have access to a dedicated Success Partner to support healthy and successful Navvy implementation. Districts that choose to participate in implementation coaching will have regular opportunities to connect with their Success Partner to learn best practices, review district data, and receive ongoing guidance and support throughout the school year.
To help address one of the most common implementation barriers—course mapping—Navvy has introduced a new Course Manager permission. This optional role allows a designated staff member with course knowledge to map standards to courses within the platform, helping districts get started more efficiently. Training will be provided for individuals assigned this role.
📌 Interested? Districts interested in implementation coaching, assigning a Course Manager, or both are encouraged to complete the interest form here.
Navvy Professional Learning
Professional Development for the 2026–2027 School Year
Explore upcoming Navvy professional development opportunities designed to support successful implementation and instructional use.
On-Demand Learning
Access the Navvy Essentials and Extensions self-paced courses through the ND Educational Hub at your convenience.
Looking for More Support with Navvy Implementation?
Join one of the weekly Navvy Office Hours with Pearson's Navvy Success Partners:
- Tuesdays, 9:30–10:15 a.m. CT on Microsoft Teams | Join here
- Thursdays, 1:00–1:45 p.m. CT on Microsoft Teams | Join here
Navvy Alignment and Item Review
NDDPI, in partnership with Pearson, is seeking North Dakota educators to participate in a review of Navvy reading and mathematics items during the week of Oct. 5, 2026. This review will support the ongoing alignment of Navvy content to the North Dakota Content Standards, achievement level descriptors, grade-level expectations, and the broader ND A+ assessment system.
Participating educators will evaluate item alignment, grade-level appropriateness, content accuracy, and clarity and quality, as well as the instructional and assessment value of the items.
Committee Structure
Review committees will be organized by grade band and content area for reading and mathematics, with up to eight educators serving on each committee.
Committees include:
- Kindergarten–Grade 2 reading and mathematics (combined)
- Grades 3–5 reading
- Grades 3–5 mathematics
- Grades 6–8 reading
- Grades 6–8 mathematics
- Grades 9–10 reading
- Grades 9–10 mathematics
Participation Details
The review process includes:
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Sept. 21–25, 2026: Asynchronous independent pre-review of approximately 100 assigned assessment items. Participants will recommend whether each item should be accepted, accepted with edits, or rejected.
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Week of Oct. 5, 2026: Two-day facilitated virtual committee meetings where educators will discuss recommendations and reach consensus on item quality and alignment.
⚠️ Time Commitment: Participants should plan for approximately 16 hours of independent pre-review work in addition to the two days of virtual committee meetings.
Participant Compensation
- $225 honorarium for completing the pre-review work
- $225 per virtual meeting day
Interested in Participating?
Educators interested in participating in the Navvy item review are encouraged to submit their interest here.
We are excited to share several improvements coming to WriteUp! in August 2026 designed to enhance the student writing experience and further support classroom instruction.
One of the most significant updates in the August release addresses feedback provided within the Conventions rubric category. Since the statewide rollout of WriteUp!, North Dakota educators have shared valuable feedback about instances where student feedback in this area did not consistently align with the expectations outlined in North Dakota's writing rubrics, which evaluate conventions such as grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and sentence formation. In response, the WriteUp! team investigated the reported issues and implemented improvements to the underlying scoring and feedback models to increase accuracy and better align feedback with North Dakota's writing rubrics.
To further strengthen the system, the WriteUp! team will also conduct further validation of the scoring model by having the human scoring team review a sample of 2025–2026 WriteUp! student responses against the North Dakota writing rubric to evaluate alignment and guide future model improvements.
Continuing to Improve Together
These enhancements are the result of ongoing collaboration between educators and the WriteUp! development team. We appreciate the feedback provided throughout the school year, which has helped guide continued improvements to the platform.
The August release represents another step in our commitment to providing students with meaningful writing support and helping educators strengthen writing instruction through timely, rubric-aligned feedback.
For additional information about WriteUp!, including resources and program information, visit the WriteUp! tab on the ND A+ Portal.
NDDPI and Pearson are seeking North Dakota educators to participate in an upcoming Educator Review Meeting. Educators are invited to participate in the upcoming opportunity to contribute their expertise to the ongoing development, quality, and continuous improvement of the ND A+ assessment system.
Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2 Educator Item Review
Participating educators will review newly developed ELA and math items for the ND A+ Interim Assessments and provide feedback to ensure the items align with and appropriately measure the North Dakota Content Standards.
Participation Details
- One-week asynchronous, independent pre-review of assessment items in ABBI
- Two-day synchronous, facilitated virtual review during the week of Sept. 14, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CDT each day
Participant Compensation
- $225 honorarium for completing the pre-review work
- $225 per virtual meeting day
Interested in Participating?
Educators interested in participating in this opportunity are encouraged to contact Kara Welk at (701) 328-1838 for additional information or to express interest.
Did you know...this summer, 78 North Dakota educators reviewed 2,416 items in the Pearson Asset Bank to ensure alignment with the North Dakota Content Standards. During the review, educators carefully evaluated each item to confirm it accurately assessed the intended standard, removing any items that did not meet alignment expectations.
Overall, educators approved 90% of the reviewed items, and the committee discussions provided valuable feedback that will strengthen future item development.
By content area:
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ELA: 83% of items were accepted as written, with 7% accepted with edits.
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Mathematics: 81% of items were accepted as written, with an additional 11% accepted with modifications and edits.
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Science: 73% of items were accepted as written, with 22% accepted with edits.
Approved items will be field tested in upcoming ND A+ Interim and Summative Assessments before being considered for operational use.
Calculator Expectations Clarified for Grades 6–8 Mathematics
This year's mathematics item review also reinforced the importance of consistently applying North Dakota's calculator expectations for grades 6–8.
Educators from across the state, serving on the North Dakota Mathematics Content Standards Writing Committee, established clear guidance for calculator use in grades 6–8 based on the state's content standards, and NDDPI has carried this guidance forward:
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Number and Operations: Calculators should not be used for all standards except 7.NO.NS.2, which explicitly requires calculator use.
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Algebraic Reasoning; Geometry and Measurement; and Data, Probability, & Statistics: Calculators should be permitted.
During the review, the process surfaced opportunities to improve consistency in how these calculator designations are applied during item development. This feedback will help ensure future mathematics items accurately reflect North Dakota's calculator expectations and remain aligned with the state's content standards.
Want to better understand the ND A+ (North Dakota Academic Progression of Learning and Understanding of Students) assessment system? A variety of helpful tools and resources are available to support your learning and implementation.
🔹 ND A+ Overview Video Get a quick introduction to the assessment system with a short video available on the ND A+ Portal.
🔹 ND A+ Blueprints Developed with input from North Dakota educators, these blueprints outline:
- The state standards assessed
- Reporting categories
- Distribution of items by reporting category and score points. They guide the design of both ND A+ Summative and ND A+ Interim assessments.
📍 Find them under the Administration Resources tab > Summative Resources on the ND A+ Portal.
🔹 Achievement Level Descriptors (ALDs) Also created with educator collaboration, ALDs describe what students at each achievement level are expected to know and do, based on North Dakota Content Standards.
📍 Available under Administration Resources > Summative Resources on the ND A+ Portal.
📌 Visit the ND A+ Portal to explore these and other helpful resources.
Monthly assessment newsletters are now conveniently stored in one central location: https://www.nd.gov/dpi/newsletters, under the Assessment Newsletter tab.
Starting with the 2025–2026 school year, newsletters will be available only for the current school year. This fresh-start approach helps keep content timely and relevant.
Be sure to check back regularly so you don’t miss any important updates!
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