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To: Superintendents, Principals, District Test Coordinators, Title III Coordinators, Special Education Directors
From: Dan Farley, Director of Assessment
Date: February 18, 2022
Re: Oregon’s State Assessment System Update - 2022
Dear Partners,
Given recent questions we have received, ODE must emphasize that state testing is required for all public schools in Oregon for spring 2022 under both state and federal law. All Oregon districts are expected to provide both the general and alternate assessments in the required Grades (3-8 & 11) in the content areas of English language arts and math, as well as science in Grades 5, 8, & 11. ELPA testing is also required in order to identify students as eligible for, or exit students from, English language services. ODE’s Assessment 2021-22 FAQ, published in fall of 2021, remains a good reference.
Participation in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is also required for identified districts that accept Title 1A funding (see the Every Student Succeeds Act [Section 1112(c)(3)]). Districts that accept Title 1A funding must provide assurance that they will comply with this expectation.
Data from state assessments form the basis for many important decisions at the state, district, and, in the case of the English language proficiency assessment (ELPA), student levels.
- Statewide summative assessments give districts and schools information about strengths and opportunities for growth within systems of teaching and learning.
- Summative assessment results, when supplemented by robust classroom assessment practices, can provide vital information about how districts and schools can continue to respond to the needs of students throughout pandemic-impacted education.
Low participation rates at the school and district level also has the potential to identify a school for Comprehensive School Improvement (CSI) and Targeted School Improvement (TSI). Low participation rates may make schools and districts ineligible to receive appropriate district and school improvement resources, such as Title I funding.
In order to comply with federal testing requirements, districts must ensure that they have a plan in place to administer required state assessments to eligible students during the spring 2022 statewide testing window.
- In the 2020-21 school year, factors arising from the COVID pandemic led some districts or school boards to reduce or eliminate administration of these required assessments, resulting in some districts being out of compliance with state and federal testing requirements. In addition to federal non-compliance with ESSA requirements, failure to administer required state assessments constitutes non-compliance with three related Division 22 rules:
- Continuing to be out-of-compliance with OAR Chapter 581, Division 22 standards can lead to withholding of state school funds.
Per ORS 329.479, only parents or adult students have the authority to opt out of participation in state assessments. Districts that do not administer the state assessments in spring 2022 risk losing funding both under the ESEA and through the state school fund. Please note that continued non-compliance with the Division 22 rules listed above may result in withholding of some or all state school funding. There may also be federal Title 1 administrative funding consequences.
The Oregon Department of Education is committed to supporting districts in implementing balanced approaches to assessment that are comprehensive, coherent, and support continuous learning and growth. ODE makes several high-quality assessment resources that are aligned to our content standards available for all of Oregon’s districts and charter schools. These resources help educators and students derive and appropriately respond to evidence of learning in the classroom, including Tools for Teachers formative resources and a statewide interim assessment system. Educators and students have full access to these resources, at no district expense. Students are able to leverage all accessibility supports that are available on our summative assessments in order to demonstrate what they know and can do, as well.
It is no longer the case that Oregon’s summative assessments command our entire assessment footprint. That said, summative assessments still maintain a critical systems-level role within a balanced approach to assessment, as they can provide comparable information about how well our education system is serving all of Oregon’s students, particularly those who have historically and continue to be underserved.
Please contact ODE’s Assessment Team with questions regarding federal and state assessment requirements.
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