Assessments
Smarter Balanced Testing GENERAL INFORMATION
The Smarter Balanced assessment system provides educators, students and parents meaningful results with actionable data to help students succeed. The assessment is aligned to Common Core State Standards and consists of three major components, all designed to improve teaching and learning.
The Smarter Balanced Summative assessments are required. They will take place during the last 12 weeks of the school year. These computer-based tests will help schools evaluate how well their students performed by comparing them with students from other schools across the nation. The end-of-year assessments also will empower families by providing them with a clear indication of how well their children are progressing toward mastering the academic knowledge and skills necessary for college and career readiness.
Smarter Balanced assessments replaced the math, reading and writing portions of the MSP students in grades 3-8. The science portion of the MSP (tested in grades 5 and 8) remained the same. 11th graders will take the high school level of the new Smarter Balanced tests, but meeting standard on the tests is not a graduation requirement until the Class of 2019. Students will not take the new Smarter Balanced tests in grades K-2, 9, or 12. 10th graders will only take the English Language Arts Smarter Balanced test.
The Skyview Middle School Testing Dates are as follows:
English - October 11 & 12 (Monday & Tuesday)
Math - October 14 & 15 (Thursday & Friday)
Science - October 21 & 22 (Thursday & Friday) - 6th grade only
To fulfill the state assessment requirement for the spring of 2021, OSPI postponed the Smarter Balanced (SBA)/Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) until fall of 2021. Because fall of 2021 testing is a postponement of the spring 2021 testing window, students will be assessed at the grade level they were enrolled in last spring. OPSI has worked with the Smarter Balanced Consortium and WCAS to reduce the amount of testing time by 20 to 30%. Time spent testing this fall is estimated by the state at 75-minutes for English/Language Arts, 60-minutes for math, and 45-minutes for science.
These assessments are used for state and federal accountability as well as an option for high school students to meet their Graduation Pathways requirement. The English/Language Arts (ELA) and math Smarter Balanced Assessments are administered in grades 3 through 8 and 10, while the Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) is administered in grades 5, 8, and 11. The following information details the state testing by grade level for the 2021-22 school year, including the fall testing due to last spring’s postponement.
Grade 6 Grade - 5 ELA & Math SBA / Grade 5 WCAS Grade 6 ELA & Math SBA
Grade 7 Grade - 6 ELA & Math SBA Grade 7 ELA & Math SBA
Grade 8 Grade 7 ELA & Math SBA Grade 8 ELA & Math SBA / Grade 8 WCAS
As we want each student to perform at their best, we encourage students to get good sleep and nutrition during these times. It is also important for families to minimize student absences during the testing schedule.
If you have any questions about your child’s fall assessments or schedules please feel free to contact Susan Haver, our school testing coordinator, for your specific testing questions.
Susan Haver: shaver@nsd.org
Skyview & NSD SBAC Additional Testing Information
The Skyview Middle School Testing Dates are as follows:
English - October 11 & 12 (Monday & Tuesday)
Math - October 14 & 15 (Thursday & Friday)
Science - October 21 & 22 (Thursday & Friday) - 6th grade only
To fulfill the state assessment requirement for the spring of 2021, OSPI postponed the Smarter Balanced (SBA)/Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) until fall of 2021. Because fall of 2021 testing is a postponement of the spring 2021 testing window, students will be assessed at the grade level they were enrolled in last spring. OPSI has worked with the Smarter Balanced Consortium and WCAS to reduce the amount of testing time by 20 to 30%. Time spent testing this fall is estimated by the state at 75-minutes for English/Language Arts, 60-minutes for math, and 45-minutes for science.
These assessments are used for state and federal accountability as well as an option for high school students to meet their Graduation Pathways requirement. The English/Language Arts (ELA) and math Smarter Balanced Assessments are administered in grades 3 through 8 and 10, while the Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) is administered in grades 5, 8, and 11. The following information details the state testing by grade level for the 2021-22 school year, including the fall testing due to last spring’s postponement.
Grade 6 Grade - 5 ELA & Math SBA / Grade 5 WCAS Grade 6 ELA & Math SBA
Grade 7 Grade - 6 ELA & Math SBA Grade 7 ELA & Math SBA
Grade 8 Grade 7 ELA & Math SBA Grade 8 ELA & Math SBA / Grade 8 WCAS
As we want each student to perform at their best, we encourage students to get good sleep and nutrition during these times. It is also important for families to minimize student absences during the testing schedule.
If you have any questions about your child’s fall assessments or schedules please feel free to contact Susan Haver, our school testing coordinator, for your specific testing questions.
Susan Haver: shaver@nsd.org
For some additional information about the tests you can follow any of the links below:
Northshore School District website on testing
More information about the Smarter Balanced tests
Try out a WCAS (science) training