Assessments Home
๐ Required State Testing – What Parents Need to Know
Washington State requires several assessments to support student learning and meet state and federal guidelines. Here's a quick overview of what your child may take during the school year:
๐ง Kindergarten
- WaKIDS (Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills)
Helps teachers and families understand each kindergartener’s strengths and needs as they begin school.
๐ Grades 3–8, & 10
- Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBA)
Tests in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math given after Spring Break..
๐ฌ Grade 5, 8, & 11
- Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS)
A science test required by the state, also given in Spring.
๐ฉ๐ป๐ซ Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities
- WA-AIM (Washington Access to Instruction and Measurement)
Alternate tests in ELA, Math, and Science for students, grades 3–8, 10 and 11, with an IEP.
๐ Multilingual Learners (K–12) – WIDA
-
WIDA Screener
Given when a student first enters school to see if they qualify for English language support. -
WIDA ACCESS
Annual test for students receiving English language development services to track progress. -
WIDA Alternate ACCESS
For multilingual students with significant cognitive disabilities receiving English language services. - ๐ [WIDA Parent Info – Click for Translations]
English | Español (Spanish) | ะ ัััะบะธะน (Russian) | ะฃะบัะฐัะฝััะบะฐ (Ukrainian)
๐ง๐ซ Classroom-Based Assessments (CBAs)
- OSPI-Developed Assessments
Local assessments in Arts, Health & PE, Social Studies, and Technology that support classroom learning.
๐ K–2 Reading
- Dyslexia Screening
All students in grades K–2 are screened each year using DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) to identify early reading challenges and provide support if needed.
โก๏ธ Dyslexia Fact Sheet | More Info at OSPI
๐ง Highly Capable Screening & Testing
- Required screening in grades 2 and 5. CogAT Screener is used by schools to identify students for gifted and talented programs. It tests reasoning in three areas—verbal, quantitative, and non-verbal—using only 14 questions per section, totaling about 30–45 minutes. It’s purpose is to quickly identify students with high potential who may need further assessment for advanced learning programs. Only students who score in the higher levels are fully tested for the Highly Capable program.
