Testing Programs for Oregon Public Schools

Common Core State Standards

Oregon and 44 other states agreed to switch from their own standards for reading, writing and math to a tougher set called the Common Core State Standards.

Oregon schools will fully implement the Common Core in the 2013-2014 school year and  students, teachers and schools all will be judged by their scores on Common Core-aligned tests beginning in spring 2015. Their effects have been trickling into Oregon classrooms over the past year or two, but the 2013-2014 is the first school year that they will have broad impact on students in nearly every district, officials say.

Intended to ensure that U.S. high school graduates are prepared for college and the workplace, the new standards call for schools to be more intellectually challenging at every grade level, starting with kindergarten. The big change is the teaching of critical thinking skills. It all about how to help students become better problem-solvers and thinkers.

Under the Common Core, students are asked to write more, and to articulate and defend their reasoning a lot more. They're also expected to master skills such as multiplication, fractions and linear formulas at younger ages, use more advanced vocabulary, and read and synthesize a lot more nonfiction.

First-graders, for example, are expected to pull information from multiple written sources and write a cogent report using complete sentences and precise vocabulary. Nearly half of what students used to learn in Algebra I now will be required to pass ordinary middle school math. 

Examples of differences between Oregon standards and Common Core

Governors Push for Adopting Same Standards

The notion of encouraging states to adopt the same standards, and to ground them in what students need for college and what's expected in some top-performing nations, germinated at the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers.

Study after study showed that states had varying standards in reading and math, and that most, including Oregon, set the bar too low to detect whether student students were on track for college.

Even though Oregon's standards were low, many students weren't reaching them. Nevertheless, Oregon was one of the first to adopt the Common Core standards, which were written by researchers and academic experts and vetted by teachers, college professors and curriculum officials. Oregon's Board of Education approved them in fall 2010, giving districts nearly four years to complete the switch.

2013-2014 Last Academic Year of of the Oregon Assessment of Knowledge & Skills (OAKS)

Oregon has two testing programs. First is the OAKS given in different grade levels and the other is the high school Graduation Requirement Test (GRT).  In the spring of 2015 the OAKS tests will be replaced by the Common Core tests that 44 other states will be using also. This means comparing 'apples to apples' instead of 'apples to oranges.'

Beginning with the class of 2012, components of the state assessment system will be one means of demonstrating proficiency on Essential Skills required for receiving an Oregon diploma. Reading is the first Essential Skill to be implemented (Class of 2012), with writing (2013) and mathematics (2014) to follow. 

OAKS is different from national, norm-referenced tests used in many districts and states. OAKS is a criterion-referenced assessment based on the Oregon Content Standards. As a result, the types of scores produced from OAKS Assessments are somewhat different from those produced by national, norm-referenced tests.

For reading/literature, mathematics, science and social sciences, scores produced from the Oregon Statewide Assessment are based on an achievement scale widely used in the Northwest. The scale, with numbers ranging from about 150 to 300, is similar to other scales such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scale or other "growth" scales. Each point on the scale is at an equal distance from the previous point on the scale, so changes up or down can be charted and viewed as comparable from year to year.

The assessment scale is its connection to the Oregon Content and Achievement Standards. Achievement Standards were set by panels of teachers, curriculum specialists and community members who reviewed test items anchored to the achievement scale and determined the score a student would have to receive as evidence of having met challenging academic standards. Assessment scores are reported in specific skill areas, enabling educators to identify aspects of the curriculum needing improvement.

State Writing assessments rely on a model, which trains expert "judges," typically classroom teachers, to match student work to criteria for performance on a predetermined scale as outlined on an official state scoring guide. Writing is analyzed by two different raters on six elements or traits of good writing, and each trait is rated on a scale of 1 - 6 (low to high).

Nationally, 70 percent of high school students must pass exit exams to get a diploma, according to the Center on Education Policy, Oregon was a late comer to establish a graduation testing program.  It finally did so in 2008 but the state has push the dates back for implementation numerous times.

Oregon (along with the other states) are implementing the summative, interim, and formative assessment for mathematics and English language arts beginning in the 2014-2015 school year. Through the 2013-2014 school year Oregon students’ OAKS assessments will continue to be based on the 2003 English Language Arts content standards and 2007/2009 Mathematics content standards.

Associated Topics

• Academic Content Standards  Academic Content Standards identify what Oregon students are expected to know and be able to do in the content areas of English language arts, mathematics, health, physical education, science, second language, social sciences, and the arts.
• Achievement/Performance Standards  These standards define how well students must perform on state assessments leading to the high school diploma. 
• Traits of Good Writing

Online Testing System

Oregon has partnered with American Institutes for Research to create a new online testing system that will assess students' mastery of Oregon content standards. This new OAKS Online system will be available in mathematics, reading/literature, and later in the fall, science and social sciences starting in 2013.

The Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS)

The purposes of the Oregon Statewide Assessment Program are:

• To provide information on individual student achievement on performance standards set by the State Board of Education.
• To provide information for policy decisions by the legislature, the governor, the State Board of Education, and local school districts.
• To support instructional program improvement efforts.
• To inform the public about student achievement in Oregon schools.

Testing Grade Levels

Under Oregon’s assessment system, reading and math tests are given at grades 3-8 and at grade 11; writing tests are given at grades 4, 7, and 11.  Oregon is moving its 10th-grade tests in reading, writing, math and science to the 11th grade, saying many students need another year of high school to learn the skills covered on the tests. The tests were written for sophomores, and the minimum passing scores were set based on how sophomores performed on the tests. But, beginning with the 2010-1011 school year, they will be given to juniors, and the state's high schools will be judged by how many of their students pass the exams by the end of junior year. Oregon got permission from the U.S. Department of Education to make the standard easier for schools. 

When Oregon sophomores take the tests, a lot of them fail, particularly in math.  In 2009, 46 percent of 10th-graders flunked that test, 45 percent failed the writing test and 42 percent failed in science.

In 2007, the state delivered over 1.4 million tests through DE’s computer-based testing system, OAKS Online. The state-of-the-art testing system is unique among the 50 states and has several advantages over other online assessments and old-style pencil-and-paper testing. Students take tests online, and each test is individually adapted to the student taking the test. Students have up to three opportunities to take required tests in reading and mathematics. A major benefit of OAKS Online is that students and teachers receive immediate, detailed feedback and reports when tests are completed.

Subjects Tested

The assessment is made up of multiple-choice and performance assessments in these areas:

• English language arfs
• Mathematics
• Health
• Science
• Second language
• Social sciences
• The arts

Oregon law mandates that public school students be tested annually in grades 3, 5, 8, and 10.   The federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law mandates annual testing for all states by 2005-2006.  NCLB does not explicitly require states to administer the same test from year to year. 

For reading/literature and mathematics, scores produced from the Oregon Statewide Assessment are based on an achievement scale widely used in the Northwest. The scale, with numbers ranging from about 150 to 300, is similar to other scales such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scale or other "growth" scales. Each point on the scale is at an equal distance from the previous point on the scale, so changes up or down can be charted and viewed as comparable from year to year.

Writing and mathematics problem solving rely on a model, which trains expert "judges," typically classroom teachers, to match student work to criteria for performance on a predetermined scale. Writing is analyzed by two different raters on six elements or traits of good writing, and each trait is rated on a scale of 1 - 6 (low to high). Raters of mathematics problem solving assessments look at four elements or dimensions of good problem solving. Each dimension is rated on a scale of 1 - 6; in addition, the work is analyzed for the correctness of the solution. 

Starting in 2007, under the No Child Left Behind law, Oregon had to check with a panel of teachers, professors, principals, business leaders and others to make sure that the tests were difficult enough for each grade. In 2007, those groups decided Oregon's math and reading tests were too easy in elementary and early middle school, so they raised the passing score on state tests in grades three through seven.

Where to Find Test Results

The Oregon Department of Education's Web site has a "Accountability/Reporting" table where you can find test results for any Oregon school district as well as individual schools within a district.  You can obtain results by school year, sub-group (gender, ethnicity, etc.), and by subject (reading & literature, mathematics, science, etc.).  Should you desire, you can also download the data (Microsoft Excel) into a spreadsheet. 

• Oregon Department of Education OAKS test results.
• Oregon Department of Education  OAKS test results by school and district.
• The Oregonian's Schools Guide compares test scores and federal ratings for every Oregon public school.

Statewide 2012 OAKS Results

Oregon elementary teachers and students rose to the challenge of meeting tougher reading standards last school year, but middle schools showed little improvement and high school performance was dismal, new state test scores show. Only two-thirds of high school juniors demonstrated adequate math, writing and science skills. 

And Oregon students' performance in math and science was weak across all grades. Science scores declined, and only 63 percent of students who took a state math test met grade-level standards.

For a second year, juniors who took the state reading test knew they had to pass to get a diploma — and overwhelmingly, they did. But for the first time, juniors also had to pass the writing exam to be in line to graduate. Still, only 67 percent did, one percentage point fewer than in the previous class. Math scores also declined among the high school class of 2013. 

Once again, Oregon City and Forest Grove high schools posted much higher passing rates on the math exam than schools with far fewer minority and low-income students. The two districts, known for having struggling math students take two math classes a term until they catch up, posted higher 11th-grade math scores than West Linn-Wilsonville, Sherwood and Tigard-Tualatin. 

For years, Oregon's elementary and middle school reading tests were too easy. Students could pass them and still not be on track to pass the high school reading test. So beginning last school year, students had to score higher, in some cases much higher, to pass the tests in grades three through eight. Fewer students passed the hard tests than passed the easier ones. But many more showed the higher level of reading in 2012 than in 2011. 

School districts showed varied performance trends, with several large metro districts registering widespread decline from the year before.

Oregon's largest school district, Portland, had flat or declining math and science performance from grade five through high school. Several of its high schools were among the worst in the metro area in math. The next-largest district, Salem-Keizer, registered solid gains in middle school math and reading but tanked in high school writing, with the passing rate among juniors falling 7 percentage points to 58 percent. 

Beaverton schools managed small to medium gains in nearly every grade and subject except science. Hillsboro schools showed declines or were stagnant in math and science in nearly every grade.

Source:  "Test scores show Oregon high schoolers lost ground in writing, math and science," by Betsy Hammond.  The Oregonian, September 12, 2012.

Finding Test Scores

• The Oregonian's Schools Guide compares test scores and federal ratings for every Oregon public school.
• To find the test results by school district and school visit Oregon Department of Education OSA test results.

Source:  Oregon Department of Education and The Oregonian.

Oregon Graduation Requirements Test

Starting with the senior class of 2012, it will get tougher to graduate from high school in Oregon, under a plan passed in 2008, by members of the Oregon state Board of Education. Every high school graduate's transcript will show whether the student passed or failed state tests in writing and math, even though passing is not required. The act also requires students to give three speeches that meet state standards. If the student has passed, that could allow them to bypass placement tests at community colleges and remedial classes at public universities − a step that university and community college leaders have indicated they are likely to adopt. In addition, parents and taxpayers will be able to see how well each school is doing at getting graduates to measure up in writing and math, putting pressure on schools to raise their performance.

For Oregon high schoolers, the reading requirement kicked in with the class of 2012; students in the class of 2013 will have to demonstrate they can read and write to get a diploma; the class of 2014 will have to measure up in reading, writing and, most daunting, math. They are postponing indefinitely a public speaking requirement.

Oregon will be the 27th state to require students to pass a state high school graduation exam. California began requiring students to pass state reading and math exams in 2006.  Washington graduated its first class of students in 2008 who had to pass state reading and writing exams to get a diploma. Oregon will be one of just two states (the other one is New Jersey) to allow students to substitute a locally graded essay or work sample if they can't pass the state graduation test.

Class of 2012:  On-time Graduation Rate 68%

Oregon high schools' on-time graduation rate remained mired at 68 percent for the class of 2012, the same as the year before, when Oregon ranked fourth worst in the nation.

In 2011, Oregon's governor and Legislature set a goal of having all students complete high school by 2025. Getting there would require the graduation rate to rise by about 1.5 percentage points a year. But in the first year, the rate improved less than 1 percentage point, the state reported.

In all, 9,800 students who should have graduated last June dropped out. An additional 4,200 remained in school but had not earned a diploma after 4 1/2 years of high school; many of them will drop out too.

The class of 2012 was the first in Oregon required to pass the state reading test or its equivalent to earn a diploma. The vast majority of students who stayed in school through senior year but didn't get a diploma lost out because they failed too many classes, not the test.

99% of Portland Suburban Seniors Pass Reading Test

In suburban high schools across the Portland area, more than 99 percent of seniors eligible for a diploma in June 2012 surmounted the brand-new requirement that they pass the state reading test or demonstrate adequate reading skills to graduate. That's a surprisingly high success rate given that, until a passing score was required, fewer than 70 percent of Oregon high school students passed the test. Some educators had feared thousands would be denied diplomas. 

In the Portland district more than 500 students in the class of 2012 didn't earn diplomas and didn't appear to have demonstrated they could read well enough, district officials said. All 1,962 seniors enrolled in Portland's regular high schools who earned enough credits to graduate demonstrated adequate reading skills and got diplomas according to the district's research director. The 100 or so seniors in regular high schools who didn't show adequate reading skills would not have graduated anyway because they hadn't passed all the required classes.  But at least 410 more Portland Public Schools seniors also did not show sufficient reading skills and did not earn diplomas. All of them were enrolled in alternative schools.

Source:  "Oregon schools fail to budge the state's low graduation rate," by Betsy Hammond. The Oregonian, January 30, 2013.