SmarterBalanced Annual Notice and Options
Laura Orr
February 13, 2025
Each year, public schools in Oregon are required to post notices and information about state assessments. Oregon is part of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) and uses annual testing outcomes to gauge student performance in English Language Arts (ELA), Math and Science. Students in grades 3-8 and 11 are tested once a year in the spring for ELA and Math. Additionally, students in grades 5, 8, and 11 are also assessed in Science.
Schools are held to a participation standard of 95% for these assessments. On the contrary, districts are also required to notify parents of their right to opt their child out of SBAC testing. Opt-out forms must be signed and submitted to our district office no less than 30 days prior to testing. Information about SBAC testing is communicated through our website and parent communication app.
While SBAC testing provides a data point worth considering for ELA, Math, and Science, it is not the only data point Ukiah School District is using to drive daily instruction, interventions, enrichment, and student growth. Ukiah Elementary is utilizing iReady Diagnostic assessments several a year for all students enrolled K-5. Secondary is using subject specific growth assessment several times a year for all students enrolled 6-12. Additionally, iXL and other classwork embedded tools are used to support learning and monitor growth. Our goal is for every single student to show growth at each testing interval. We believe that growth is not only possible, but it is inevitable when students put forth their best efforts to demonstrate their skills and knowledge. Collecting more frequent student achievement data through district testing is used by staff to better understand student gaps and to make intentional intervention plans to help fill in those holes.
Parents needing more information about any of the standardized assessments required by the State of Oregon or by Ukiah School District are encouraged to reach out to the district office or the superintendent.
District Office and Superintendent Laura Orr, Lorr@ukiahsd.org, 541-427-3731