Cape Flattery School District

Assessment, in the form of testing, is one way students can demonstrate their learning. State testing is also one of the ways OSPI and the Federal government measure school effectiveness. There are several different tests that students will encounter from Kindergarten to Graduation: 

• WaKIDS – Assessment of Kindergarten Readiness and Skills
• Smarter Balanced Assessment – Grades 3-8 and 10 in Math and English Language Arts
• WCAS – Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science, Grades, 5, 8 and 11
• WIDA Screener and Assessment – English Language Learners 
• OSPI Developed Assessments – In class assesments that look more like projects in Social Studies 
• WA-AIM – Assessment for students with severe cognitive impairments

The Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) of Math and/or the of SBA English Language Arts (ELA) as one option for high school students to meet their Graduation Pathway requirement. We strongly encourage students to take and do their best on the yearly Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBA). Take the test every year is one of the best ways to prepare for the High School SBA, which is the fastest option for meeting the Graduation Pathway requirement.

Can I opt my child out of testing?

The simplest answer is no. We do not have an opt-out form for state testing. If you chose to have your child not take state assessments, then he/she will receive a 0 for their test. State tests are an accountability measure for schools, so the state and federal governments do not provide an option for students to not take the tests. We encourage all students to take the annual state tests because it will help them prepare for the High School SBA which the state expects all students to take in order to graduate, even if they use a different Graduation Pathway. The SBA test data also helps us adjust grade level instruction, so students do better from year to year. 

Other Tests

In addition to State tests, we general test students in the Fall, Winter and Spring with MAPs.  MAPs allows us to see both how an individual student is progressing and the growth of an entire class. Testing multiple times a year also allow us to adjust instruction and/or identify students who need Tier 2 or 3 interventions.