Best Practices Guide for Administering the

Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills

December 1, 2011

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“The State Board of Education shall adopt guidelines for the best practices of administering statewide assessments of students. The guidelines must provide that a student who is in any grade from kindergarten through grade eight and who has met or exceeded state standards on a test is excused from being required to retake the test.”

Background – Senate Bill 801

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Summative assessment is defined as a periodic assessment that determines how much knowledge and skills groups of students have acquired over a long period of time

Summative assessment should be administered after instruction

Best Practices Guide emphasizes that most students should test in late winter or spring; testing in fall and early winter should be restricted to those students who have received accelerated instruction

OAKS is a Summative Assessment

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Restricts retesting students in grades 3 – 8 who have already met or exceeded the state achievement standard unless the district receives parental consent

Once adopted, this restriction will be added to the Test Administration Manual to give it force of law

This restriction does not apply to students in high school

Restriction on Retesting

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Emphasizes appropriate timing for administering OAKS as a summative assessment

Restricts retesting students in grades 3 – 8 who have already met or exceeded the state achievement standard (in conjunction with updated language in the Test Administration Manual)

Scope of Best Practices Guide

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For remainder of 2011-12: to ease transition, districts may rely on passive consent

For 2012-13 and beyond: districts must receive explicit consent

To facilitate, ODE will provide sample parent letters that districts may use to notify parents of the intent to retest

Parental Consent

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June 22: ODE posted draft Best Practices Guide to ODE Website

Aug. 9: ODE posted updated draft to ODE Website◦ Revised to give parents the ability to “opt out” of

additional testing if their child met or exceeded◦ Revision based on feedback from the field

Nov. 1: ODE posted updated draft to ODE Website◦ Revised to strengthen language around parental

consent so that parents “opt in” instead of opting out◦ Revision made to more clearly implement SB 801

Nov. 21: ODE posted updated draft to ODE Website◦ Revised to clarify appropriate use of OAKS as a

summative assessment (this draft is included in today’s docket)

Communication with the Field

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Dana Hepper, Stand for ChildrenOregon Advocacy Director

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Erin Whitlock, Oregon Education AssociationConsultant with Center for Teaching and Learning

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Bill Stewart, Gladstone SDDirector of Curriculum, Assessment, and Sustainability

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State Board adoption of Best Practices Guide in January 2012

Adopted Guide and revised Test Administration Manual go into effect in January 2012

ODE will continue working with districts to develop strategies for districts to effectively implement the practices described in the Best Practices Guide.

Next Steps

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Thank you

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