OSPI-Developed Assessments
Social Studies, The Arts, Health and Fitness, and Educational Technology

FAQs

What are the OSPI-Developed Assessments in Social Studies, The Arts, and Health and Fitness?
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). These assessments are commonly referred to as the Classroom-Based Assessments (CBAs) and Classroom-Based Performance Assessments (CBPAs).

Are the OSPI-Developed Assessments formative or summative assessments?
Summative. While the assessments can be used as both summative and formative assessments within the class, the assessment that is reported to the district and eventually to OSPI should be used as a summative assessment.

What subjects are included?
OSPI-Developed 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?
OSPI-Developed 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?
Since the 2008-09 school year, school districts are required to have in place in elementary, middle, 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 4th or 5th grade, 7th or 8th grade and 11th or 12th grade.

Verification Requirements

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

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 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 August 31.