Testing

Students in 2nd grade and above participate in the Student Oral Proficiency Assessment (SOPA) or the STAMP4Se (STAndards-based Measurement of Proficiency) Chinese language assessments. Both of these assessments are designed to help language learners watch their progress in their individual foreign language learning process. The rating scale is based on the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines developed by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) (1999).

According to our program benchmarks, students start building their foundation in Chinese from kindergarten and conclude this preliminary building stage in 2nd grade.

While learning progress can be made from kindergarten to 1st grade, it is more effective to be evaluated later when there has been more time in learning the target language.

We assess our 2nd-4th grade student’s Chinese speaking and listening skills with the SOPA is the Standardized Oral Proficiency test, developed by the Center for Applied Linguistics for young language learners.

The goal of the SOPA is to allow students to show what they can do in the target language. The interviews consist of a series of tasks with varying levels of difficulty that elicit both academic and social language. The assessment activities follow the natural development of language skills, focusing first on listening comprehension and then on speaking. This sequence allows the students to experience immediate success in their responses (receptive skills being less demanding than productive skills), thus building their confidence. The students are encouraged to say as much as they can so that adequate speech samples may be obtained for accurate ratings.

We assess our 5th & 8th-grade student’s Chinese language skills with the STAMP (STAndards-based Measurement of Proficiency) 4Se/4S Assessments, an online computer-adaptive assessment, aligned to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, that allows language learners to demonstrate their Four-skill (Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking) with content and functionality designed for language learners. To measure the improvements from the beginning of middle school and as an exit assessment, the STAMP 4Se/4S is administered to all 5th & 8th graduates.

At HCCS our students take state assessments at the end of the year to show their cumulative knowledge and learning. In 3rd through 8th grade, students take two English Language Arts Smarter Balanced assessments and two Math Smarter Balanced assessments at the end of each school year. While 5th and 8th grade students take Smarter Balanced science assessments. Students utilize the Oregon Statewide Assessment System (OSAS) to take SBAC state tests.

What is Smarter Balanced?

Oregon is part of a team of states working together voluntarily to develop K­12 assessments in English language arts/literacy and mathematics aligned to Oregon’s Common Core State Standards. 

How are Smarter Balanced tests different from old tests?

Our students deserve better tests, ones that measure high­-level skills rather than the ability to memorize facts or deduce answers from lists. More importantly, our students deserve tests that give them the opportunity to show what they know and can do. Smarter Balanced tests go above and beyond filling in multiple choice bubbles and actually showcase students’ thoughts and explanations for how they solve problems.

Here’s how:

• Aligned to more challenging standards (common core), Smarter Balanced tests better measure what skills and knowledge our students need to be successful.
• Test questions come in many different forms, and allow students to interact with graphs and type in their own responses in addition to selecting answers from traditional multiple choice lists. 
• Essay questions ask students to use evidence from multiple sources of texts to create their arguments and explain their reasoning.
• Developed with experts to include tools and supports that address visual, auditory, and physical access barriers, Smarter Balanced tests are designed to meet the needs of all students. 
• The tests are not timed so your child can take as long as he or she needs to fully demonstrate what he or she knows and can do.

Click HERE for more information about the Smarter Balanced Assessments

In the spring of 8th grade, students will be offered the opportunity to take the PSAT 8/9 to assess what they know and get early feedback on their knowledge and college and career readiness. This test is optional, and there will be a testing fee ($14) to take the test. 

To learn more about the PSAT 8/9 click here.

Star360 are common core based reading and math assessments that are given in kindergarten through 8th that can show a students’ knowledge and skills in reading and math. These assessments can break down which standards students have achieved mastery in and which standards students are still progressing in to help teachers direct their instruction. 

Star360 assessments are given multiple times throughout the school year to monitor progress and check if students are achieving mastery of grade level standards.

We believe that TAG should be a collaboration between parents, students, and teachers, to enrich the existing curriculum as well as cultivate a student’s gifts through projects that foster deeper understanding.

The CogAT (Cognitive Abilities Test) screening test appraises the students’ learned reasoning abilities that have been developed through in-school and out-of-school experiences.

The CogAT requires students to demonstrate their reasoning abilities in the three systems most closely related to success in school: verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal reasoning. A composite score of 97 or higher will qualify the student to take the full CogAt to see if they qualify for TAG.

The CogAT screener is given to all third-grade and fifth-grade students each fall. Students that are already qualified for TAG do not have to be screened. The CogAT screener is the first three sections of the full test. If students qualify to take the full assessment they will be given the remaining seven sections. The full CogAT has nine sections in total, three sections for each of the three main batteries: verbal, quantitative, and non-verbal.

If a student receives a composite score of 97 or higher on the full CogAT as well as two teacher recommendations, then that student can qualify for TAG.

Students younger than third grade can also be recommended by teachers to take the CogAT screener if the teacher thinks they are highly advanced in all subject areas. Parents cannot request their student take the CogAT, but can instead provide information to the teachers and TAG coordinator to determine eligibility to take the CogAT prior to third grade. 

• Parents can complete this form to provide information if they would like their student, younger than third-grade, be considered to take the CogAT. 
• The parent form must be submitted by November 1st of each school year, to be considered for testing that school year. 

If a student passes the screener, parents/guardians will be notified prior to the full CogAT being given. When the scores for the full CogAT are released the TAG coordinator will send scores to parents/guardians. 

The TAG coordinator will work with teachers to differentiate and enhance the curriculum – not to add more work, but to add higher DOK (Depth of Knowledge)-level questions that allow your students to access the same work.