Throughout the duration of the Governor’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” directive, OSPI will continue serving the public via phone, email, and the website.
See OSPI’s COVID-19 guidance and resources for educators, students, and families.
On March 24, 2020 OSPI requested a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education to waive statewide assessment, accountability and reporting requirements in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) for the 2019-2020 school year due to widespread school closures related to the novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). On March 27, 2020 the U.S. Department of Education granted the waiver.
The response from the U.S. Department of Education is linked below:
Public Notice-Notice to the public and school districts of the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction's (OSPI's) application to the U.S. Department of Education (ED) for waivers of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) assessment, accountability, and school identification requirements for the 2019–20 school year.
Response from U.S. Dept. of Education-Granted
The following assessments are no longer available for the 2019-2020 school year:
The 2019-20 Test Calendar can still be accessed at the link below. This calendar is for reference only.
This section outlines the state testing windows for 2020-21:
| Grade(s) | Subjects | Requirement/Availability | Testing Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-8 | ELA and math | Required for federal and state accountability. |
Online: March 1–June 4* Paper/Pencil: April 12–May 21** |
| 10 | ELA and math | Required for federal and state accountability for all students in grade 10. |
Online: March 1–June 4* Paper/Pencil: April 26–May 21** |
| 11 and 12 | ELA and math | Available to students who have not yet passed the ELA and/or math assessment and want to use as a pathway to demonstrating post-secondary career or college readiness or who previously tested and would like to attempt a higher score. |
Online: March 1–June 4* Paper/Pencil: April 26–May 21** |
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Students in the classes of 2019 and earlier have up to two opportunities to take the Smarter Balanced ELA and math tests in spring 2021 Questions about your local school district test schedule should be directed to your school district office. * Smarter Balanced is administered within the last 12 weeks of the school year, but no later than June 4. For example, if the last day of school is June 4, the testing window will be March 12 - June 4, or if the last day of school is May 25, the testing window will be March 2 - May 25. ** Paper testing is available only to support large print, braille, and standard print forms for students whose IEP or 504 plan states paper. |
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| Grade(s) | Requirement/Availability | Testing Window |
|---|---|---|
| 5 and 8 | Required for federal and state accountability. |
Online: April 12 - June 4 |
| 11 | Required for federal and state accountability for all students in grade 11. |
Online: April 12 - June 4 |
| ** Paper testing is available only to support large print, braille, and standard print forms for students whose IEP or 504 plan states paper. | ||
| Grade(s) | Subjects | Requirement/Availability | Testing Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 and 12 | ELA and math | Fall retakes are specific to students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, in grades 11 or 12, to use as a pathway to demonstrating post-secondary career or college readiness. |
Online: TBD Paper/Pencil: Not available |
| Grade(s) | Subjects | Requirement/Availability | Testing Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-8 and 10 | ELA and math | The WA-AIM ELA and Math is required for federal and state accountability for eligible students. | Online: TBD Paper/Pencil: Not available |
| 5, 8, and 11 | Science | The WA-AIM Science is required for federal and state accountability for eligible students. | Online: TBD Paper/Pencil: Not available |
| Grade(s) | Subjects | Requirement/Availability | Testing Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 and 12 | ELA and math | Off-grade testing is a pathway for some students with disabilities to demonstrate their readiness for post-secondary career or college. | Online: March 1 - June 4 Paper/Pencil: April 12 - May 21** |
| ** Paper testing is available only to support large print, braille, and standard print forms for students whose IEP or 504 plan states paper. | |||
| Grade(s) | Subjects | Requirement/Availability | Testing Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| K-12 | Writing, Reading, Listening, and Speaking | Required for federal and state accountability for EL students who qualify for the State Transitional Bilingual Program. |
Online: February 1 - March 26 Paper/Pencil: February 1 - March 26** |
| ** Paper testing is available only to support large print, braille, and standard print forms for students whose IEP or 504 plan states paper. | |||
| Grade(s) | Subjecs | Requirement/Availability | Testing Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| K-12 | Writing, Reading, Listening, and Speaking | Required for federal and state accountability for EL students who are eligible and qualify for the State Transitional Bilingual Program. |
Paper/Pencil: February 1 - March 26 |
(GOLDTM by Teaching Strategies)
| Grade(s) | Subjects | Requirement/Availability | Testing Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| K | Six areas of development and learning: social-emotional, physical, language, cognitive, math, and literacy | Required for students in state-funded, full-day kindergarten; available to any public school that volunteers, pending available funding (see M037-15). | WaKIDS isn't a "test." Kindergarten teachers observe children during everyday classroom activities and take an inventory of their skills by October 31. |