• Oregon State Assessments

    Access the ½ûÂþÌìÌà Assessments webpage or the specific ½ûÂþÌìÌà Smarter Balanced Assessment webpage. 

    Access the ½ûÂþÌìÌà Department of Instruction, Curriculum & Assessment's webpage, which contains a wealth of curricular information on all subject areas in ½ûÂþÌìÌà schools. 

     

    Smarter Balanced Assessments
    On the above ½ûÂþÌìÌà Smarter Balanced Assessment webpage, you will also find the below links for more Smarter Balanced information and tools families can explore together:

    To or do  (use the pre-populated 'Guest' for both user and password) 

    For more information about Smarter Balanced Assessments go to the and look for the 'For Parents and Students' header column.

    To help a student become more familiar with using the embedded Smarter Balanced calculator practice using the Smarter Balanced Calculator .

    ODE 2017-18 Family Advisory Notice for Statewide Tests

    (Info below also contained in the district-supplied exemption packets located in multiple languages on the ½ûÂþÌìÌà site and sent home at the beginning of the year and again just before Winter Break)

    In 2010, Oregon adopted higher K-12 standards in English Language Arts & Math to ensure all students move from grade to grade with the academic knowledge and skills necessary for success beyond high school. Because we raised the bar for what we expect students to know and be able to do, we have also changed the way we measure student progress through our state tests, known as Smarter Balanced.

    How much time do the tests take? The tests are not timed so your child can take as much time as they need to fully demonstrate what they know and can do. With our new exams, your child tests only once per year, unlike our previous exams which many students took multiple times. Learn more about the estimated time your child may take to complete the tests on page 35 of .

    What do the results mean and where do I get my child’s results? Test results identify your child’s strengths and areas for improvement in English Language Arts and Math. Each subject will be broken into categories and will show how well your child performed in each area. The test measures student learning on a 4- point scale. Your child’s scores will be shared with you at the beginning of the next school year to help support your child’s success as they move from grade to grade.

    Why does participation matter? While no single test can give a complete picture of your child’s progress, having your child take the state test provides educators and administrators with information about what educational approaches are working and where additional resources are needed. Your child’s participation is important to ensure schools and districts receive the targeted resources they need to help all schools succeed.

    When will my child take the tests? Students will be tested after at least two-thirds of the school year has been completed. Schools determine the specific testing dates for students within the statewide testing window:
    February 6 - June 8 for Smarter Balanced English Language Arts & Math and OAKS Science
    February 15 - April 27 for Oregon Extended Assessments in English Language Arts & Math

    Stay Informed
    Talk to your child's teacher or school principal if you have questions or want to learn more. Patience and persistence will be required to help our students and school continue toward success.

    Resources
    To learn more about what your child should know and be able to do in English Language Arts and Math see the and .

    To view sample test questions use the .  

    The will give you information about your child's results. 

    ½ûÂþÌìÌà Family Advisory on State Tests and Family Rights

    (The district-created document containing the below information was also sent home at the beginning of the school year in the school-opening packet and again just before the Winter Break.)

    State tests and family rights
    State Law requires that each Oregon school district notify families of their right to exempt (opt-out) their child from the summative English language arts and/or math tests given this spring, including the Smarter Balanced and Extended Assessments. The state has created a form available at your school which families can use to opt their child out of the testing. For many years, the state has allowed families to refuse to test for their students based only on reasons of religion or disability. In the past session, the legislature passed a law that parents could opt their children out of the summative English language arts and/or math tests, including the Smarter Balanced and Extended Assessments, without stating a reason.

    The Smarter Balance Tests are mandated by the state and the content contained in the state forms and ODE Notice for Statewide Tests does not necessarily reflect the views of ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ.

    The purpose of the assessments is to allow school districts to evaluate how well students are learning the Common Core State Standards. Learning targets and achievement level descriptors which make up the Common Core Standards, can be found on the webpage. Results of the Smarter Balanced Assessments administered each year are anticipated to be publicly available the following September and can be found on the webpage.

    The Smarter Balanced Test may be administered beginning March 12, 2018, in ½ûÂþÌìÌà schools, but each school determines when testing will be done in their building. For specific testing dates for your child, please connect with the school. The Smarter Balanced Assessments are untimed tests, and the approximate class time a student is anticipated to spend testing is eight hours. Some students may spend less or more time, depending on their individual progress through the assessment.

    The new law only applies to summative English language arts and/or math tests, including the Smarter Balanced and Extended Assessments. If families wish to exempt their child from the science (8th-grade OAKS Science exam at da Vinci,) social science (not taken at da Vinci,) or ELPA tests (for Synergy identified emerging bilingual students,) it must be based on reasons of religion or disability. The form for these tests may be obtained from the school office or   (page 2 of the 'Summative Assessment Information Packet' on that page, available in multiple languages.) The form must be signed and returned to the school office.

    2017-18 Parent Request for Exemption from Required State Tests Processing Procedures

    Parents/guardians who wish to exempt their child from state tests may download and use the packet/opt-out form available on the district System Planning and Performance webpage available in  English, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese 

    This packet contains:
    • ½ûÂþÌìÌà Family Advisory: State tests and family rights
    • ½ûÂþÌìÌà Parent Request for Exemption Form for Oregon Science exam ( OAKS Science exam is 8Grade only- pg. 2) 
    • Oregon Department of Education 2017-18 30-Day Notice for Statewide Tests
    • Oregon Department of Education Opt-Out Form (for all grades ELA & Math SBA exams - pg. 4)  

    Parents/guardians who wish to opt out their child from state tests must inform their school office. Families are encouraged to submit the form by February 1, 2018, to support schools in accurate testing planning, but will be accepted at any time. School staff members must review and submit the form to the district office for further processing with the testing portal company. The state form to opt out can be obtained at your school office or online. If a family wishes to submit a letter or other documentation with a signature, the ODE form will be attached to the letter or other documentation to ensure the necessary information is included to properly identify the student who will not be testing. A student who is 18 years of age or over may opt himself or herself out of the test.

    Testing at da Vinci

    6th-8th grades take English Language Arts (ELA) & Mathematics Smarter Balanced exams for Oregon Common Core State Standards alignment. Each of the ELA and Math exams includes two parts. Students take both a Performance Task (PT) and a Computer Adaptive Test (CAT). 
    8th grade only: Science OAKS exam 
    Emerging bilingual students only: English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century (ELPA21)

    Teachers at da Vinci work with each other and administration each year to develop an overall school testing schedule that they feel will work best for students within our busy calendar of events and activities. Teachers identify the dates that will work best for their individual curricular plans and their preferences for testing technology and environment - computer lab or Chromebooks in classrooms. Teachers communicate specific testing information for their classes to students in school and as relevant to families through their usual (primarily synergy email) school-home communication channels. 

    There are two separate sections of each the Smarter Balanced ELA (reading) and Math assessments: a Performance Task (think extended written responses/research/essay writing in ELA); and the Computer Adaptive test (think multiple choice and short answer responses.) Students at da Vinci generally take the two test sections at different points in the year as determined by the teachers, usually separated by at least a week, and in some cases with a month or more between the two. 

    The two elements (PT and CAT) are, however, scored as ONE exam for each subject area. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that any family choosing to opt their student out of either subject area test (ELA or Math) do so BEFORE their child takes ANY portion (PT or CAT) of that subject area exam. Students who answer 1 item on the PT or 5 items on the CAT will be considered participants and will receive a score. Opting a student out of the ELA or Math exam after a student has begun it means the student will not continue testing, but they will receive a score if they have met the minimum participation threshold. Minimum participation threshold information includes the statement that students who do not complete enough items for a valid score to be calculated will be assigned an overall performance Level 1 score.

    With the change to Smarter Balanced testing, ODE was allowed through its waiver processes with the USDOE, to not factor student participation rates into School Report Card metrics. As of December 2017, we are however still awaiting information on how or whether reinstatement of the participation rate penalty will return to the metrics that ODE must apply when issuing School Report Card ratings. 

    To support students, teachers, staff, and the school it is very helpful if any and all completed opt-out exemption forms are received in the Main Office by February 1 because the school needs to organize the information received on each form, communicate it with the relevant teachers, and send the forms to the district so that they can be processed by district staff into the testing portal such that exempt students are effectively blocked from testing.

    In recent years, the Math Department has begun their state Smarter Balanced testing with their Performance Task test element in the weeks just BEFORE Spring Break. In most weeks thereafter, at least one group of students was engaged in state exams during the class periods agreed to by teachers, concluding with the Math CAT and 8th-grade OAKS Science exams in late spring. The 2017-18 Testing Schedule will likely be very similar with an overall confirmed schedule established following Winter Break. Your child's subject area teachers (Math & English Language Arts) are the best resources for specific information related to testing for their classes. 

    For state testing questions, please feel free to contact assistant principal Alicia McMillen wearing her da Vinci Site Testing Coordinator hat.