State Board Adopts Reduction in Test Opportunities

4/26/2012 11:47:00 AM

On April 19, 2012, the State Board of Education adopted a reduction in the number of OAKS test opportunities for students in grades 3 - 8 from three to two annual test opportunities starting in 2012-13. This reduction will help districts transition to the Smarter Balanced Common Assessment in Math and English Language Arts, which will go into effect in 2014-15. Under the Common Assessment, students will likely have only one test opportunity per subject. Reducing the number of test opportunities will also help districts to most appropriately use the OAKS as a summative assessment as it was designed to be used and free up instructional time for teachers and students. In a survey administered to Oregon teachers, test administrators, test coordinators, principals, district superintendents, and parents in February 2012, 71% (1,789) of respondents supported this reduction.

Due to implications for the Essential Skills graduation requirement, students in high school will retain three annual test opportunities.

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