"Assessment is most productive when its purpose is for learning."  

- Rick Stiggins

Assessment of student learning is an integral part of the teaching and learning cycle. This website was one of the recommendations made by the Assessment Advisory Council to support communication about assessment with families around assessment in our District.

About Assessment

The purpose of the Assessment pages is to provide accurate and updated information to families about the assessments in Portland Public Schools.

Quality assessment for learning helps both educators and their students know where students are in their learning progression and determine where they need to go next.  Used appropriately, it is a key strategy to close the achievement gap. 

The PPS Quality Assessment Framework includes guidelines and principles that can effectively support the achievement of each student.

Two departments oversee assessment:

Instruction, Curriculum, and Assessment 

(ICA)

 Visit the ICA webpage for information about how we use assessments to support teachers and students. The department of Instruction, Curriculum, and Assessment (ICA) supports teachers in continuous improvement of their knowledge and skills. Visit their site to learn more about Common Core State Standards, Diploma Requirements, College and Career Readiness and more.

System Planning & Performance  

(SPP)

 Visit the SPP page for information about how assessments are administered and for reports on student achievement.The department of System Planning & Performance (SPP) administers districtwide testing programs, including statewide assessments, English proficiency tests for English language learners, and other tests used by a large number of schools (such as the PSAT).

This department also prepares reports of test results and other data and conducts program evaluations. Visit their site to learn more about how tests are administered and for reports on test results.

• State Assessments - Detailed information about how schools administer state tests
• Achievement data for summative tests (e.g., OAKS) - Reports on how well students are performing on state tests across the district