Portland Public Schools

The Assessment department administers districtwide testing programs (Oregon ELA, Mathematics and Science assessments, English proficiency tests for English language learners) and other tests used by a large number of schools (for example, ACT, PSAT). We also provide reports to a wide variety of audiences and serve as an information resource about State Report Cards and other accountability related to student achievement.

Oregon ELA and Mathematics: Oregon's ELA and math summative assessments go beyond multiple-choice questions to include extended response and technology enhanced items, as well as performance tasks that allow students to demonstrate critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Performance tasks challenge students to apply their knowledge and skills to respond to complex real-world problems. They can best be described as collections of questions and activities that are coherently connected to a single theme or scenario. These activities are meant to measure capacities such as depth of understanding, writing and research skills, and complex analysis, which cannot be adequately assessed with traditional assessment questions. The performance tasks will be taken on a computer (but will not be computer adaptive) and will take one to two class periods to complete. Smarter Balanced capitalizes on the precision and efficiency of computer adaptive testing (CAT). This approach represents a significant improvement over traditional paper-and-pencil assessments used in many states today, providing more accurate scores for all students across the full range of the achievement continuum.

ELPA Summative: Oregon is a member and lead state of the English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century (ELPA21), a group of states committed to supporting educators, school administrators, and communities as they adopt and implement the new English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards and college- and career-ready standards.

The ELPA Summative assessment measures and reports on students’ English language proficiency overall, as well as in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and comprehension. Delivered online, ELPA Summative is designed to be interactive and includes questions that reflect real-world scenarios.

NWEA MAP: Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) has several MAP (Measures of Annual Progress) available that are being used in PPS currently. 

MAP Growth is used three times per year to assess student learning and progress in reading and mathematics. Growth data help inform students, parents and educators about progress students are making in these core instructional areas. MAP Growth is currently used in grades 2-8 in math and 3-8 in reading.

MAP Algebra is used at the beginning and end of the year for students enrolled in high school algebra coursework (some students in grade 8 and in high school).

MAP Accelerator is a resource that connects student performance on MAP Growth assessments with math resources in Khan Academy. It is currently used predominantly with TAG students.

MAP Fluency is an early literacy assessment measuring oral reading fluency, literal comprehension and reading skills. It is currently used in PPS with struggling readers.

PSAT: The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®) is a rigorous, national assessment that measures the critical reading, mathematics, and writing skills your students will need for higher education and careers after high school.

ACT: The ACT is a national college admissions examination that consists of subject area tests in English, Mathematics, Reading, Science and Writing. ACT results are accepted by all four-year colleges and universities in the US. Through the 2018-19 school year, PPS offered ACT to all juniors. Beginning 2019-20, PPS switched from ACT to SAT for juniors. Individual students may continue to take the ACT at their own cost.

SAT: The SAT is a national college admissions examination that consists of subject area tests in English, Mathematics, Reading, and Writing. SAT results are accepted by all four-year colleges and universities in the US. Beginning 2019-20 PPS offers SAT to all juniors at no cost to individual students.

easyCBM: The assessment principles behind the easyCBM system are the result of over 30 years of published, peer-reviewed educational research. This system is designed and supported by Dr. Gerald Tindal, an expert on classroom measurement, assessment, and formative evaluation. PPS discontinued district-wide use of easyCBM at the end of 2019-20.

DIBELS: The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) are a set of procedures and measures for assessing the acquisition of early literacy skills from kindergarten through sixth grade. They are designed to be short (one minute) fluency measures used to regularly monitor the development of early literacy and early reading skills.

DIBELS were developed to measure recognized and empirically validated skills related to reading outcomes. Each measure has been thoroughly researched and demonstrated to be reliable and valid indicators of early literacy development and predictive of later reading proficiency to aid in the early identification of students who are not progressing as expected. When used as recommended, the results can be used to evaluate individual student development as well as provide grade-level feedback toward validated instructional objectives.

PPS currently uses DIBELS primarily as a reading difficulty/dyslexia screen in grades K-1.

Assessment related questions please contact.

503-916-3208

testinghelp@pps.net