Overview
SB 141, the 2025 Education Accountability Act, includes new requirements related to interim tests in math and English language arts for grades K-8. Under the bill, school districts and charter schools must:
- Administer interim tests in math and language arts three times per year in grades K-8.
- Select tests from the State Board of Education-adopted list.
- Review interim test data at least three times per year:
- With administrators from each school, and
- During a public meeting with the superintendent and school board and, if applicable, the governing body of the public charter school.
State Approved Interim Tests
The Oregon State Board of Education has adopted an approved list of interim tests districts and public charters can choose from:
- iReady (Curriculum Associates)
- MAP (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
- Smarter Balanced (delivered via Cambium)
Implementation Planning
This spring, ODE will work with district partners to support thoughtful implementation. The group will help define:
- Interim test administration timelines
- Reporting and data collection requirements
- An adoption cycle for reviewing potential new interim test vendors
ODE will also work with partners to define within-year growth and related Performance Growth Targets using interim tests for districts and charter schools that select Academic Growth as their local metric option (from the list of five new local metrics that the State Board has adopted).
Guidance Development
ODE remains committed to closely partnering with educators to collaboratively develop guidance that will support districts with an effective implementation of interim tests. The guidance development process will include:
- Convening a work group of district partners representing multiple perspectives from different roles, regions, and lived experiences.
- Opportunities for feedback from members on Student Success Plan Advisory Committees.
- Sharing draft progress with the Assessment Advisory Committee (AAC) for additional insight.
- Finalizing the initial implementation draft and developing a year one continuous improvement cycle for the guidance document, including ongoing touchpoints with the AAC and other groups.
Contact Info
For additional support, please reach out to the
Office of RADAR. Additional information that may be helpful is also included in the FAQ below.
Interim Test Requirement Frequently Asked Questions
What are the core requirements for interim tests under Sections 24 and 25 of SB 141?
- School districts and public charter schools are mandated to:
- Select an interim test from the list adopted by the State Board of Education
- Administer interim tests for language arts and math three times per year in Grades K-8
- Review data at least three times per year with administrators from each school and during a public meeting for the superintendent and school board, and governing body of the public charter school, as appropriate
What is the purpose of administering interim tests three times per year?
- Interim tests provide more frequent snapshots of information at key points that educators and leaders can use to inform instruction and identify emerging needs. This strengthens the continuous improvement cycle at the school and district levels.
How can interim test results improve student outcomes?
- Interim test results, when used with additional data such as that from formative assessment practices, allow teachers to identify: learning gaps before they widen, and strengths that can be leveraged for accelerating learning. This helps prevent end-of-year surprises and improves outcomes for all learners.
- In partnership with other data, interim tests can help schools deploy interventions earlier and more effectively. Students benefit from instruction that is aligned to their actual progress.
How can the results be used?
- Interim test data are positioned within our accountability system as part of our “little a” accountability; public reporting of the interim test data is for informational purposes that help guide continuous improvement.
- Interim test data are most useful when the test is meaningfully embedded within district curricular scope and sequence approaches, providing feedback to educators about whether students have learned the standards that have just been covered in the classroom.
- Interim test results should not be used for any “Big A” accountability purposes, including, but not limited to: educator evaluations, educator salary adjustments, and student placement decisions or access to challenging courses, etc. They should also not be used as the sole source of data for decision-making about interventions.
Will they be able to predict performance on the statewide summative tests?- Interim tests will be administered in the fall, winter, and spring and are thus uniquely positioned to address within-year student academic growth.
- Vendors conducted or commissioned studies that found iReady, STAR, and MAP are correlated with the state summative test. Smarter Balanced has an ICA form based on the state summative test, and Connecticut ran two studies that showed a correlation between the number of interims taken and performance on the summative.
- Measuring student learning is complex. Educators should identify all the different types of evidence they have about student progress and whether different measures are showing consistent outcomes. Districts should also reach out to vendors for more information, such as to learn more about how benchmarks were established for different time periods and what scores can best help measure improvement.
How do interim tests support equitable learning for diverse learners?
- In partnership with other data, Interim tests can identify strengths to build from as well as learning needs in a more timely manner, helping educators tailor instruction. This can reduce opportunity gaps over time if student grouping practices are fluid and responsive to changes in learning.
Why does SB 141 limit the number of approved interim test vendors to up to four?
- Having an approved list of four vendors creates a strong foundation for statewide implementation and data use. This structure supports shared best practices, strengthens collaboration across districts, and amplifies the expertise already present in the field. With aligned tools and supports, districts are better positioned to learn from one another’s data, elevate effective strategies, and make timely, meaningful instructional adjustments throughout the year.
How were the four interim tests selected?
- Through an open, competitive Request For Qualifications (RFQ) procurement process where technical quality, accessibility, focal group reporting, and alignment to Oregon standards as well as equity considerations were prioritized.
What support will ODE provide to help districts navigate the local procurement space?
- All vendors identified consortium-level pricing agreements in the RFQ process. Districts could join together in regional groups or by ESDs, for example, to reduce cost impacts (especially the start-up fees).
- ODE and the Oregon Association of Education Service Districts (OAESD) have coordinated statewide vendor demonstrations. The following table provides more information about when and where the events are being held:
Locations | Dates & Times |
East Side Malheur ESD & IMESD (Hybrid format) | April 23rd Noon-4:30 (Mountain) 11am-3:30pm (Pacific) |
West Side 1 Willamette ESD (In-Person) | April 8th 9am-2:45pm |
West Side 1 Clackamas ESD (In-Person) | April 14th 8am - 4pm |
Virtual ODE | April 7th & April 10th 9am - 2:45 (Pacific) 10am - 3:45 (Mountain) |
How would districts select an approved interim test?
- By reviewing vendor alignment with curriculum, tech capacity, and instructional needs. Input from teachers and principals is critical.
How would districts transition from their current interim test tool to a new one with minimal disruption to instructional routines?
- Districts should start by mapping their current assessment calendar and instructional scope and sequence. Compare it to the timeline and item types of each approved vendor. Engage teacher leaders early to co-design a smooth transition.
- Typically, districts should allow for a 3–4 months for professional learning, technology integration, and schedule alignment. In most cases, if the transition begins in spring 2026 it can be ready for full use in fall 2026, depending on technology integration. Districts can explore directly with vendors for a more concrete timeline.
When must districts transition to one of the State Board–approved interim tests?
- As a reminder, districts and charters needing to transition one or both of their interim tests will need to continue to use their current interim test during 2026-27 to be in compliance with SB 141. The new interim test(s) from the approved list needs to be in place no later than August 30, 2027.
- Part of a successful transition should include the identification of established systems already in place, such as data teams and protocols and how they can be leveraged effectively with new tools.
What can ODE support districts with in terms of implementation?
- A one-time funding source has been identified for districts that need a supported on-ramp to implement new interim tests from the state-approved list.
- ODE will focus on collaboratively developing guidance that supports general administration and reporting.
- ODE cannot provide vendor-specific guidance on test administration, scoring, or reporting practices in specific platforms. Those are within the scope and authority of each respective vendor, not the ODE.
What is the anticipated fiscal impact for districts?
- The cost of interim tests will vary by district, depending on the vendor selected, contract terms, potential start-up, platform needs, per-student fees, and other variables.
- Districts may use available and allowable funding to cover interim tests expenses.
- ODE has worked in close partnership with COSA to better understand the landscape of where districts are in terms of their current interim test provider(s) and shifting to a new one.
- ODE has identified a one-time funding of $1 Million to support districts implement their new interim tests from the state-approved list. Funding will be distributed based on the ADMw formula amongst eligible districts and charter schools (those having to transition from one or more unapproved interim tests to an approved interim test).
Can districts use an interim test that is not on the approved list if it is offered in partnership with an approved vendor?
- No. Districts and public charter schools must use the interim tests on the State Board of Education-approved list. Any other tests not on the approved list, regardless of whether they are conducted in partnership with the approved provider, will not be in compliance with the requirements of SB141.*
*As a reminder, districts and charters needing to transition one or both of their interim tests will need to continue to use their current interim test during 2026-27 to be in compliance with SB 141. The new interim test(s) from the approved list needs to be in place no later than August 30, 2027.
What is the guidance for districts who select the Smarter Balanced (via Cambium) tests for Grades 3-8 regarding how to address Grades K-2 testing requirements and Spanish language arts needs for Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Programs?
- Districts may choose a combination of tests from the approved list to meet different district programming needs. For example, to meet the Grades K-2 testing requirement, a district may choose a different test from the list and still choose the Smarter Balanced/Cambium option for Grades 3-8.
- Similarly, to meet the needs of dual language immersion programs where the target language is Spanish, districts may select another approved test to administer that is available in Spanish.
Can districts only administer the math and language arts interim tests twice per year and use the state summative math and language arts tests as the third interim test administration?
- Even though the state summative test, which is also administered in the spring, is provided by Smarter Balanced, the summative tests are designed for a different purpose and do not fulfill the SB 141 requirement to administer an interim test three times per year.
- The interim test requirement is like a progress check during the journey. A state summative test is more like the final destination report. Because they serve different purposes, the summative test cannot function as the third benchmark in a planned series of instructional check-ins.