i-Ready

The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions to capture your student’s individual capabilities. By adapting to your student's abilities, the test may feel really hard at times but that is because it is attempting to measure exactly what your student does and does not know. KSD will administer the Math Diagnostic to students in grades K-8, and the Reading Diagnostic to students in grades 3-8 to gather information specific to your student to help teachers know how best to support their learning. KSD uses the i-Ready Diagnostic three times a year to measure student learning and adjust instructional strategies accordingly. Students in grades K-2 are not required to participate in the Reading Diagnostic because they are participating in the DIBELS early literacy screener. Kindergarten students will not participate in the Fall Math Diagnostic because they will be assessed with WaKIDS. Some schools may opt to administer the diagnostic, so have a conversation with your student's teacher for exact details.  

For more information, frequently asked questions, and family resources, you can visit the i-Ready Family Center.  

DIBELS

KSD is using early literacy measurement tools in grades K-2 to screen students for indicators of future reading difficulty. In accordance with Washington state law, the assessment requirements include: screening (the initial assessment of literacy skills), Rapid Automatized Naming (assesses the ability to quickly name aloud a series of familiar items on a page), and progress monitoring (assigned as necessary and in alignment with vendor recommendations to measure skill acquisition). The 2022-23 school year will be the first full-year implementation of DIBLES as the screener. Students are screened in fall, winter, and spring, with the exception of kindergarten students in the fall as they will be participating in WaKIDS. The Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN) task is administered to students in kindergarten and grade 1 in winter. The KSD Dyslexia Screening page has more information about why students are screened and the general screening process. 

The OSPI Washington State Dyslexia Advisory Council provides information about Dyslexia, screening tools and best practices, and the Washington State Dyslexia Resource Guide for those who are interested.  

World Language Credits by Proficiency Testing

KSD is excited to offer students in grades 9-12 who can read, write, speak, and understand the world languages at the Novice Mid-Level or above the opportunity to earn high school credit for free when they complete world language proficiency assessments. The credits will help students meet high school graduation and college admissions requirements. More information can be found on our World Language Proficiency website.

For more information about the opportunity to earn Competency Based Credits, the Washington State Seal of Biliteracy, Assessment options, and FAQs, visit the OSPI Competency Credits for Students page. 

Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS)

Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS) is a whole-child assessment that provides a snapshot of where a kindergarten student is in their development as a learner to help teachers make decisions about how to best teach your student. Understanding each child's skills and strengths helps teachers and parents work together to support each student’s growth in kindergarten. The whole-child assessment is completed in the first few months of the school year.  

Families or administrators who would like more information and resources can visit the OSPI  WaKIDS Resources page. 

Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBA)

The summative Smarter Balanced ELA and Math assessments are given at the end of the school year to evaluate student learning in relation to grade-level academic standards. Students in grades 3-8 and 10 are expected to test for federal accountability. Students in grades 11 and 12 may test to meet a Graduation Pathway. SBAs, like many state assessments, are standardized in order to limit the extent to which extraneous factors (like the classroom environment) influence a student's performance on the test. Standardization allows educators to compare results across classrooms, schools, and districts, and from year-to-year, in order to set goals, continuously develop instructional practices, direct funding, and maintain educational equity. 

Interim assessments, shorter tests that provide instant feedback for teachers to adjust their teaching, may be given throughout the year. The structure of these short-length assessments mirrors the summative test items and can help students prepare for the test. 

Families can visit the Smarter Balanced webpage to view more information about the assessment, learn about accessibility supports, and gain access to sample items. Families can also look at sample test questions for a specific grade and subject on the Starting Smarter website. 

Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS)

Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) is a summative assessment of science proficiency given to students in grade 5, 8, and 11 at the end of the year, along with Smarter Balanced summative assessments. The WCAS is also a standardized assessment, with the purpose of informing educators about instructional practices, funding, and equity. 

Washington Access to Instruction & Measurement (WA-AIM) 

Washington Access to Instruction & Measurement (WA-AIM) is an alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards aligned to the Common Core State Standards for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The WA-AIM is used for federal accountability for students in grades 3-8 and 10 for ELA and Math, and 5, 8, and 11 for Science. This assessment can be used to meet a Graduation Pathway.  

The OSPI webpage has more information about the qualifications for WA-AIM and the Access Points Framework. 

WIDA Screener

WIDA Screener is used to determine initial eligibility for English language development services by assessing proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The screener must be administered within 10 calendar days of enrollment, based on responses to the Home Language Survey, indicating the language spoken at home. The kindergarten screener is paper-based and the assessment for students in grades 1-12 is online.  

WIDA Annual

WIDA Annual is the English language proficiency assessment administered to students who receive English language development (ELD) supports. The assessment measures English language proficiency in reading, listening, writing, and speaking. Results determine student eligibility to continuing receiving services. The kindergarten assessment is paper-based whereas the assessment for students in grades 1-12 is online (with the exception of the writing test for students in grades 1-3, which is paper-based). Students with significant cognitive disabilities will be administered the WIDA Alternate ACCESS, which is paper-based and designed specifically to address English language proficiency in students with the most severe cognitive disabilities.  

OSPI provides more information about WIDA on the Multilingual Education Program page.  

Classroom-based Assessments (CBAs)

Classroom-based Assessments (CBAs) are state-developed assessments for Art, EdTech, Health and PE, and Social Studies based on state learning standards. CBAs are required for students in 4th or 5th, 7th or 8th, and 11th or 12th grade. Schools fill out an annual form sent out by the district. The district will then submit a verification report containing all school information to OSPI.  

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is a federal organization housed within the U.S. Department of Education that collects and analyze data related to education progress nationally and internationally. To compare outcomes on a common measure, the NCES regularly conducts a sampling of student achievement among schools chosen at random across the United States.  

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is a representative survey of student achievement across core subject areas that is administered every two years. It provides a common standard to compare student achievement across state lines. NAEP assessments are given to students in grades 4 and 8 selected at random, at schools across the country selected at random, during regular school hours. Long-term trend assessments are administered periodically to students aged 9, 13, and 17. Students spend approximately 90-120 minutes completing an assessment in one core subject. Results are reported in the Nation's Report Card. Schools and students are selected by a NAEP test coordinator. The Assessment team facilitates initial communication between the coordinator and building leadership, then the NAEP state coordinator works directly with the building principal and NAEP-designated school coordinator. There is no option for schools that are chosen to opt-out of participation.  

For more information about NAEP, please visit the OSPI NAEP page.  

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international assessment that measures reading, math, and science literacy among 15-year-old students every three years. Whereas NAEP assessments are developed to assess curricular frameworks and mastery of specific knowledge, skills, and concepts, PISA is designed to measure literacy more broadly and domains such as problem-solving, financial literacy, and living systems. A PISA school coordinator will work with school principals and a PISA-designated school coordinator. Up to 52 students in each school will be selected at random to participate in the three-hour assessment (includes instructions, breaks, lunch, and additional questionnaire). The next administration of PISA is in fall 2022, with results reported at the end of 2023. 

For more information about PISA, please visit the NCES PISA page.