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Assessments

Assessments and Testing

The SPS Assessment Department collaborates with an array of stakeholders to implement and support a balanced assessment framework that includes academic as well as social-emotional measures. We promote the student-centered improvement of teaching that engages, empowers and educates all students with a specific focus on African American children and adolescents; as well as best practices for assessment literacy and data-driven decision making.

Assessments are used in Seattle Public Schools to help educators and families measure how students are meeting academic goals and grade level standards.

2024-2025 SPS Assessment Calendar- Coming Soon

Spring 2024 SBA and WCAS Scores

Smarter Balanced and WCAS scores from Spring 2024 are now available on the Source. Family report PDFs will post to the Source later in the fall.

Please reach out to SBACadmin@hzdl.net with any questions.

District Assessments

District assessments are typically given during the school year to help teachers see progress toward College and Career Readiness Standards in subjects such as math and language arts. Teachers can use the information from these assessments to work collaboratively with their colleagues to plan lessons and provide support for individual students.

In Seattle Public Schools, teachers use different types of formative assessments. The Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) interims will be available for use. Content and grade level recommendations for these interims align with the 2019-24 Strategic Plan. Data collected from these assessments will help inform classroom instruction and remediation and/or extension activities to meet the needs of all students. 

For detailed information on MAP, please see our Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) webpage.

State Assessments

State assessments are required for federal accountability and also provide a common measure of student progress at the school, district, and state levels. Our educators examine the results and use them to help determine which resources and supports are needed to close achievement gaps. For detailed information, please see the pages below:

DIBELS is the universal screener selected by Seattle Public Schools to meet Washington’s Early Screening of Dyslexia Law to elevate strong early literacy development. Universal screeners are proactive in helping teachers identify the needs and strengths of their students. Screeners are an essential component of a high-functioning Multi-Tiered System of Support. The ultimate goal is to support all students in accessing grade level content. For more information on the DIBELS screening window, please contact your school.

Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Resources

For Spring 2024, ELA, math, and science tests will be at grade level. Students in grades 3-8 and 10 are required to take the ELA and math assessments. Students in grades 5, 8, and 11 are required to take the science assessment. Students in grades 11 or 12 may elect to take ELA and/or math in order to fulfill a graduation pathway.

  • SBA English/Language Arts and Math: March 3-June 6, 2025
  • Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science: April 14-June 6, 2025

College and Career Readiness Assessments

School Day SAT and PSAT/NMSQT- October 2024 

Seattle Public Schools will again be administering the SAT and PSAT/NMSQT districtwide in October 2024.  Please see key details below and reach out to your school’s counselor or academic intervention specialist for more information and school specific testing dates. 

  • All 12th grade students will be registered for the SAT  
  • All 11th grade students for the PSAT/NMSQT.   
  • There is no cost to SPS students for the exams. 
  • The SAT and PSAT/NMSQT are now fully digital.  The digital exams are shorter, adaptive, and include an embedded calculator.  Students are required to use their SPS device to participate in the SAT and PSAT/NMSQT. Personal computers are not permitted. 
  • Exams will take place during a testing window throughout October 2024, determined by each high school.  Contact your student’s school for exact dates and times. 
  • Running Start students enrolled in SPS will be registered for the SAT or PSAT but must come to their high school at least a week in advance to receive an SPS device and install the College Board testing browser. 
  • Students who live within the SPS attendance area boundaries but attend private, online, or home based schools may be eligible to participate in the SAT (12th grade only) or PSAT (11th grade only) at their neighborhood SPS school.
    • The student must first enroll as part-time status to receive ancillary services  SPS Enrollment.  SPS Enrollment staff will then reach out with next steps including a high school assignment.
    • Contact the school no later than Friday, September 27 to request participation and details.
    • Confirm that the school is able to accommodate your request at least one week before testing begins. 
  • For any new accommodation requests, the parent/guardian must submit the consent form to the school to initiate the approval process.  Students who have had accommodations approved for previous College Board exams do not need to request again.  Only accommodations approved by the College Board in advance are permitted for the SAT and PSAT/NMSQT. 

Useful Links 

Advance Placement (AP) exams are administered around the district in the spring, though registration takes place in the fall.

Check out our AP exams schedule and registration page for more information about the following:

  • Exam registration and fees
  • Refund policy
  • Exam schedule
  • Requests for accommodations
  • Exams for courses not taught in SPS

ASVAB

SPS plans to host the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) Exam in spring 2025 as part of the Washington state’s graduation pathway options, per House Bill 1599. The administration of the ASVAB is open to all SPS 12th graders.

The ASVAB is an exam created by the Department of Defense that measures an individuals’ strengths. The ASVAB is a multi-aptitude battery test that helps identify different skills and competencies. It consists of eight short individual tests covering the following:

  • General Science
  • Arithmetic Reasoning
  • Word Knowledge
  • Paragraph Comprehension
  • Mathematics Knowledge
  • Electronics Information
  • Auto and Shop information

Students who participate in the ASVAB exam will receive scores on each of these individual tests, they will also receive the combined results to yield three career exploration scores: Verbal Skills, Math Skills, and Science and Technical Skills. Students must earn a minimum score of 31 on the AFQT portion of the exam to meet the Washington State graduation pathway option. 

Interested in participating in the ASVAB, please contact your student’s high school for registration information.

Seattle Public Schools is administering the ASVAB exam under reporting Option 8 – meaning that the exam results are released ONLY to your student and their school counselor. Students must opt in to release their results to the military.

If you have questions about the administration of the ASVAB, please contact the Office of Assessment and Instructional Improvement at studentachievement@hzdl.net.