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.

2023-24 SPS Assessment Calendar

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:

• Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBA)
• Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science
• WIDA
• WA-AIM
• WaKIDS

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

• OSPI Report Card
• State of Washington Assessments Overview

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 4-June 7, 2024
• Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science: April 8-June 7, 2024

College and Career Readiness Assessments

12th Grade School Day SAT: October 11, 2023

11th Grade Digital School Day PSAT/NSMQT: October 16-31, 2023 test window

Check out our School-day SAT/PSAT webpage for more information about the following:

• Preparing for the SAT/PSAT and free resources
• How to create a free College Board account to access scores and send reports
• How to request accommodations if needed for students with an IEP or 504 plan
• Allowed calculators for SAT and PSAT
• SAT supports for English Learners including allowed bilingual dictionaries

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 will be hosting the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) Exam in the spring, 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@seattleschools.org.