Classroom-Based Assessments and Performance Assessments (CBAs & CBPAs)

What are CBAs and CBPAs? OSPI, in response to the 2004 HB2195, has developed assessments that can be used in the classroom and throughout the school year by classroom teachers to gauge student understanding of the learning standards (EALRs/GLEs).

What subjects are included? Classroom-based assessments and performance assessments are now being used to make sure students are getting key skills and knowledge in social studies, the arts, and health/fitness.

What are they based on? Classroom-based assessments are built from the state’s learning standards. Committees of full-time, practicing Washington state teachers, in conjunction with state curriculum specialists, create tasks and questions that model good assessments and provide these to local school districts.

Who gives them? These assessments are given in the classroom by a teacher.

What is the role of the district? By the end of the 2008-09 school year, school districts will have in place in elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools assessments or other strategies to assure that students have an opportunity to learn the essential academic learning requirements in social studies (includes history, geography, civics, economics, and social studies skills), the arts, and health and fitness. The law also requires districts to have classroom based assessments in civics at particular grade levels.

Verification Requirements

Is reporting required? Beginning with the 2008-09 school year, school districts will annually submit an implementation verification report to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Which RCW addresses this? In response to requirements in RCW 28A.230.095, districts will report what assessments or other strategies in social studies, the arts, and health and fitness through OSPI's iGrants system.

OSPI recommends the following steps in completing the iGrants reporting form:

1. Designate a person at the district level responsible for inputting the data into iGrants.
2. Have the district designee distribute the teacher worksheets (see below) to any school level assessment coordinators for distribution to teachers. If no coordinator exists, the district designee should submit the forms to school principals or directly to the teachers implementing the assessments or other strategies.
3. Collect teacher worksheets and return forms to district designee.
4. Have district designee input data through OSPI's iGrants reporting system, Form Package 408, by July 31.

For additional guidelines, please refer to Guidelines for Reporting (Word).