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English Language Arts Assessment

Overview

Oregon's Statewide English Language Arts Assessments include:

  • Optional Oregon interim assessments available statewide at no cost. These tests are designed to be used throughout the process of teaching and learning for gathering evidence of student learning in alignment with Oregon state standards.

NOTE: The Assessment of Essential Skills graduation policy remains suspended by Senate Bill 744 through 2027 – 2028 pursuant to the Oregon State Board of Education’s decision during its October 2023 meeting. For more information visit the Essential Skills website.

For all other questions regarding SB 744 email ODE.SenateBill744@ode.oregon.gov.

  • Oregon ELA Assessment Claim, Target, and Standards Crosswalk

    These documents align the Oregon ELA Assessment claims and targets with the Oregon CCSS - English Language Arts (ELA) standards. The claims and targets can be used to design classroom lessons and district assessments. In addition, the document provides Claim Achievement Level Descriptors and serves as a guide in understanding the Oregon ELA Assessment reports.​

    Grade 3, Grade 4, Gra​de 5​​, Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8, High School​

  • The following website provides interactive connections between Oregon ELA Standards and assessment Claims and Targets. Additional resources are located within the website: accessibility guidelines, scoring rubrics, and more. For more information on navigating and using the website, please refer to the following Smarter Content Explorer video​.

  • Assessment Resources Use Chart​

    This document provides a side-by-side comparison of training tests, practice tests, and interim assessments to help teachers decide which tool best fits their needs

  • ​ Oregon’s ELA Sample and Training Tests ​

    Sample and Training Tests provide students and teachers with a preview of test questions.

  • Oregon Summative Assessment Sample Items

    This site provides examples of test questions used on the Oregon Summative Assessment in English language arts and mathematics. Teachers, parents, students, administrators, and policymakers can experience these test items just as students encounter them.

    These samples are not intended to be used as practice tests, but educators can use them to better understand how the Oregon Summative Assessment measures college- and career-ready content.

  • Oregon’s ELA Assessment – Achie​vement/Performance Standards​

    Reference document shows the achievement standards for Oregon’s Statewide Assessments by content area and grade/ benchmark level.

  • Understanding Student Scores​

    Interactive site to help describe achievement levels and claims based on a student’s overall scores.

  • Assessment Results

    The reports on this page display the percent of students meeting or exceeding the achievement standards that were in place during the academic year the results are reported.

  • Accessing Target Reports

    Target reports show the performance of groups of students on grade-level targets compared to proficiency, as well as which of these targets are relative strengths and weaknesses.

  • Oregon ELA Performance Task Scoring Rubrics

    Includes Performance Task Scoring Rubrics for the purpose of Oregon’s ELA Assessment.

    ​Narrative (3 – 8), Informational (3 – 5), Explanatory (6 - 11), Opinion (3 – 5), Argumentative (6 – 11)​

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  • ​​Oregon's ELA Assessment Blueprints

    Provides information about the number of items in the Oregon ELA Summative Assessment and corresponding claims: Reading, Writing, Listening, and Research​.​

  • Oregon’s ELA Assessment Development and Design

    The English Language Arts Assessment is a comprehensive assessment system aligned to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English language arts/literacy (ELA/literacy) for grades 3-8 and 11. This page includes links to Content Specifications and Item/Task Specifications related to those assessments.

  • ​​​Achievement Standards​ (cut scores)
    This reference document shows the achievement standards for Oregon’s Statewide Assessments by content are and grade/benchmark level
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​In Oregon, the Local Performance Assessment Requirement states that school districts shall administer one or more performance assessment each year to all students in grades 3 through 8 and in high school in: mathematics, scientific inquiry, speaking, and writing.

Performance assessments must be a standardized measure (e.g., activity, exercise, problem, or work sample scored by a common scoring instrument, such as the official state scoring guides or another scoring guide adopted by the district) that is embedded in the school curriculum and evaluates the application of students’ knowledge and skills. Work Samples, scored using the official state scoring guide, are just one example of acceptable performance assessments. Districts have substantial flexibility when it comes to planning the performance assessments that will be used to fulfill this requirement.

In addition to the required areas, districts are encourage to consider administering local performance assessments in other skill areas as appropriate to the local curriculum. For instance, districts may choose to administer local performance assessments in any of the other areas, such as Social Science Analysis.

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​Communication​

Professional Development

  • Implementing the Official Writing Scoring Guide

    Documents and links on this page are intended to support districts as educators implement the current Official Writing Scoring Guide.

  • Official Writing Scoring Guide and Calibration

    Presentation materials for facilitators to use in leading local trainings or for individual use.

  • Official Reading Scoring Guide and Calibration

    Presentation materials for facilitators to use in leading local trainings or for individual use.

  • Understanding Writing Performance Tasks, Scoring Rubrics, and Instructional Implications

    This presentation provides an overview of understanding performance task features and connection with statewide data specific to the assignment of condition codes on the ELA Summative Assessment.

  • Understanding Proficiency: Performance Tasks

    Resources to help educators develop a deeper understanding of the Oregon Common Core State Standards by analyzing student work on performance tasks. Central to these resources are samples of real student work on sample ELA and Math performance tasks.​

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For more information about Oregon's English Language Arts Assessment, please contact Tony Bertrand.