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Testing Transparency
Required by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015)
ESEA requires LEAs to post testing transparency on all federal, state and local assessments on their websites. LEAs may modify this template as needed and must post the information to ensure compliance with the testing transparency requirement.
Federal/State Required Assessments
National Assessment for Education Progress (NAEP)
Subject(s) Assessed
Mathematics, Reading, Science, and Writing in grades 4 and 8
Purpose of the Assessment
The NAEP informs the public about what American students know and can do in various subject areas and compares achievement among states, large urban districts, and various student groups. The NAEP is a national assessment administered through a scientific sampling process which means that only a representative sample of selected students in selected schools take this assessment.
Requirement for the Assessment
Federal: Public Law 114-95, Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) 2015
State: West Virginia Constitution, Article XII, §18-2E-2, and West Virginia Board of Education Policy 2340 West Virginia Measures of Academic Progress
Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment
Total time is about 2 hours
Scheduled Assessment Window
Mathematics and Reading are assessed once every other year. Science and Writing are generally administered once every four (4) years. The National Assessment Governing Board decides the subject tested each year. The current schedule can be found on their website at Assessment Schedule (nagb.gov). The NAEP assessment window is a six-week period from the last week of January to the first week of March each year. Each sampled school is assigned a single assessment day during the six-week window.
Time and Format for Dissemination of Results
The National Assessment Governing Board and National Center for Education Statistics release the national and state level reading and mathematics results via a website in the fall following the assessment administration. Only national level civics and U.S. history results will be released.
West Virginia General Summative Assessment (WVGSA)
Subject(s) Assessed
English language arts (ELA), including writing, and mathematics in Grades 3-8 at grade level; Science in Grades 5 and 8 as a grade-band test.
Purpose of the Assessment
This assessment measures student performance on the state’s content standards. The results give students, teachers, and families meaningful information on what students know and can do, and how well they are progressing toward college and career readiness.
Requirement for the Assessment
Federal: Public Law 114-95, Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) 2015
State: West Virginia Constitution, Article XII, §18-2E-2, and West Virginia Board of Education Policy 2340 West Virginia Measures of Academic Progress
Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment
The WVGSA is an untimed test that takes approximately 2 hours for each content test session. The ELA test consists of two sessions, including one session that consists of an extended writing task.
Scheduled Assessment Window
The WVGSA is administered in the spring of each year. The state establishes a statewide testing window, and each county then determines a county-wide testing window and a testing schedule for each school within the district. For spring 2023, the statewide testing window is April 3-May 26, 2023.
Time and Format for Dissemination of Results
Testing results start appearing in the Cambium Reporting System on a rolling basis at the end of April. Scores for ELA, math, and science should appear very soon after a test is completed. ELA scores could be delayed up to ten (10) business days if a student’s essay is routed to hand scoring. County and school personnel can access these results and analyze data at the district and school level. Printed individual student reports are provided to counties and schools to send home to parents/guardians in August each year. Scores are embargoed from public release or discussion until released during the summer by the WVDE.
SAT School Day
Subject(s) Assessed
Grade 11 students take the following test components: Reading, Writing and Language, Math, and Key Content Features (includes Science).
Purpose of the Assessment
The SAT School Day is a nationally recognized college- and career-readiness assessment administered by the College Board and is accepted at colleges and universities throughout West Virginia and the nation for both college admissions and placement. SAT School Day also can be used to qualify for the Promise Scholarship.
Requirement for the Assessment
Federal: Public Law 114-95, Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) 2015
State: West Virginia Constitution, Article XII, §18-2E-2, and West Virginia Board of Education Policy 2340 West Virginia Measures of Academic Progress
Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment
Total time is 3 hours for Reading, Writing and Language, Math and Key Content Features.
Scheduled Assessment Window
For spring 2023, counties will select one of two options for SAT School Day Administration:
Option 1: Primary Test Day, March 22, 2023; Accommodated Window, March 22-April 4, 2023; and Makeup Day, April 25, 2023.
Option 2: Primary Test Day, April 12, 2022; Accommodated Window, April 12-22, 2023; and Makeup Day April 25, 2023.
Time and Format for Dissemination of Results
Student scores are available to students in College Board’s Electronic Reporting System approximately three weeks after the makeup date. Counties and schools have access to test results in early June. Printed individual student reports with West Virginia proficiency cuts applied are provided to counties and schools to send home to parents/guardians in August each year.
West Virginia Alternate Summative Assessment (WVASA), also known as the Dynamic Learning Maps Alternate Summative Assessment
Subject(s) Assessed
English and Mathematics in Grades 3-8 and 11, and Science in Grades 5, 8, and 11.
Purpose of the Assessment
The WVASA is a summative measure of student academic performance based on the West Virginia Alternate Academic Achievement Standards administered in lieu of the WVGSA to students in grades 3-8 and grade 11 who have the most significant cognitive disabilities.
Requirement for the Assessment
Federal: Public Law 114-95, Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) 2015
State: West Virginia Constitution, Article XII, §18-2E-2, and West Virginia Board of Education Policy 2340 West Virginia Measures of Academic Progress
Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment
The WVASA is an untimed series of testlets averaging 3-5 minutes per testlet, with 7-9 testlets per subject area.
Scheduled Assessment Window
The Alternate Summative Assessment (WVASA) is administered in the spring of each year. The state establishes a statewide testing window, and each county then determines a county-wide testing window and a testing schedule for each school within the district. For spring 2023, the statewide testing window is April 3–May 26, 2023.
Time and Format for Dissemination of Results
DLM releases scores to the state in July. Schools and teachers can access scores in August. Individual student reports are provided in August each year to send home to parents/guardians.
English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century (ELPA21)
Subject(s) Assessed
4 Domains of English Language Proficiency – Speaking, Listening, Writing, and Reading in Grades K-12
Purpose of the Assessment
The ELPA21 is a summative English Language Proficiency assessment to measure identified domains of English proficiency for students identified as English Learners in Grades K-12.
Requirement for the Assessment
Federal: Public Law 114-95, Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) 2015.
State: West Virginia Constitution, Article XII, §18-2E-2, and West Virginia Board of Education Policy 2340 West Virginia Measures of Academic Progress
Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment
ELPA21 is an untimed assessment and approximate test time for all 4 domains varies by grade levels as follows: grades K-1 about 69 minutes; grades 2-3 about 63 minutes; grades 4-5 about 91 minutes; grades 6-8 about 128 minutes; and grades 9-12 about 155 minutes
The ELPA21 is administered in the spring of each year. The state establishes a statewide testing window, and each district then determines a district-wide testing window and a testing schedule for each school within the district. For spring 2023, the tentative statewide testing window is February 7, 2023 - March 17, 2023.
Time and Format for Dissemination of Results
Individual Student Results will be available to the district by Mid May 2023. The district will print the reports and provide them to parents by the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
State-Required Social Studies Assessments – Middle School Social Studies
Subject(s) Assessed
Middle school social studies using the Golden Horseshoe exam
Purpose of the Assessment
The social studies middle school testing requirement is a cumulative assessment of students’ knowledge of social studies content using the Golden Horseshoe exam.
Requirement for the Assessment
W.Va. Code §18-2-9 requires the administration of a cumulative middle school social studies assessment.
Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment
The Golden Horseshoe exam is untimed and takes 45 minutes to one hour to complete.
Scheduled Assessment Window
The Golden Horseshoe exam is administered in a two-week timeframe in February and March.
Time and Format for Dissemination of Results
The Golden Horseshoe results are reported directly to the county superintendent and county contact for local dissemination. The results are reported after the state Golden Horseshoe ceremony in June of each year.
State-Required Social Studies Assessments – High School U.S. History
Subject(s) Assessed
High School U.S. History
Purpose of the Assessment
The U.S. Studies test requirement is a cumulative assessment of students’ knowledge of U.S. History while in high school.
Requirement for the Assessment
W.Va. Code §18-2-9 requires the administration of a cumulative US History exam to be taken at the end of their last US history course (AP U.S. History, U.S. Comprehensive, or Contemporary Studies).
Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment
The U.S. History exam is untimed and takes approximately 45 minutes to complete.
Scheduled Assessment Window
The U.S. history exam is administered at the end of AP U.S. History, U.S. Comprehensive, or Contemporary Studies. In a block schedule, this would be in January-December. For a period schedule, the exam is administered April-June. These exams take place within the regular scheduled course.
Time and Format for Dissemination of Results
The U.S. History results are reported in the online Social Studies Assessment Monitoring tool accessed by county superintendents, directors, and school principals. Local districts decide when and how to report the results to students from the portal.
State-Required Social Studies Assessments – High School Civics
Subject(s) Assessed
High School Civics
Purpose of the Assessment
The civics test requirement is a cumulative assessment of students’ knowledge of civics while in high school.
Requirement for the Assessment
W.Va. Code §18-2-9 requires the administration of a cumulative civics exam. The civics exam also meets the citizenship test requirement of the same code.
Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment
The civics exam is untimed and takes approximately 45 minutes to complete.
Scheduled Assessment Window
The civics exam is administered at the end of the civics course. In a block schedule, this would be in January-December. For a period schedule, the exam is administered April-June. These exams take place within the regular scheduled course.
Time and Format for Dissemination of Results
The civics exam results are reported in the online Social Studies Assessment Monitoring tool accessed by county superintendents, directors, and school principals. Local districts decide when and how to report the results to students from the portal.
FitnessGram®
Subject(s) Assessed
Physical Education
Purpose of the Assessment
The FitnessGram® test battery assesses health-related fitness components: aerobic capacity, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition.
Requirement for the Assessment
In accordance with WV Code §18-2-7(a), the FitnessGram® shall be administered to all students in grades 4-8 and the required high school course.
Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment
Pre and post assessments are recommended, and each component of test requires a varying amount of time accounting for the variety of components and class size.
Scheduled Assessment Window
There is not a scheduled assessment window assigned. Counties require scores to be reported at year end check-out for building administrators.
Time and Format for Dissemination of Results
Local districts decide when and how to report the results to students.
Health Education Assessment Project (HEAP)
Subject(s) Assessed
Health/ Wellness Education
Purpose of the Assessment
HEAP measures student health knowledge and program effectiveness.
Requirement for the Assessment
In 2005 HB 2816, The Healthy Lifestyles Act, was signed into law, and the law includes the following mandate: “The State Board shall prescribe a standardized health education assessment to be administered within health education classes to measure student health knowledge and program effectiveness.” Students in grades 6, 8, and the required high school health course must complete the HEAP assessment.
Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment
The HEAP assessment is untimed and takes approximately 40 minutes to complete.
Scheduled Assessment Window
There is not a scheduled assessment window assigned. Assessment scheduling is determined by the teacher.
Time and Format for Dissemination of Results
Class scores are reported in HEAP assessment portal and can be accessed by the teacher. Individual student scores are not reported.
Optional Assessments Offered by State
West Virginia Comprehensive Interim Assessments (CIAs)
Subject(s) Assessed
English language arts (ELA) and mathematics in Grades 3-8
Purpose of the Assessment
Two different kinds of CIAs are available for districts and schools to use – a Computer-Adaptive Comprehensive Interim Assessment (CA-CIA) and a Fixed-Form Comprehensive Interim Assessment (FF-CIA). These assessments may be administered at the beginning of the school year as a pre-test to measure what students know and are able to do in relation to the content standards at each grade level and then administered later in the school year to measure how much improvement students have made following instruction. The results give students, teachers, and families meaningful information on students’ initial knowledge and skills level. This information is used to plan instruction throughout the year to ensure that students make progress toward college and career readiness.
Requirement for the Assessment
Optional – Counties and schools may – but are not required to – administer the CIAs. Some counties may require these assessments on a county level.
Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment
The CIAs are untimed tests that take approximately 1-2 hours for each content test session. The ELA test consists of two sessions, including one session that consists of an extended writing task.
Scheduled Assessment Window
Counties decide when the CIAs are administered. The CIAs often are administered in the fall prior to instruction and/or mid-year as a checkpoint on student proficiency prior to taking the WVGSA. Counties and schools may set their own testing schedules according to their needs.
Time and Format for Dissemination of Results
Results begin appearing in the Cambium Reporting System immediately after students have completed the assessment. County and school personnel can access these results and analyze data at the county, school, classroom roster, and individual student level.
West Virginia Interim Module Assessments (IMAs)
Subject(s) Assessed
English language arts (ELA) and mathematics in Grades 3-8
Purpose of the Assessment
The IMAs are short assessments measuring “chunks” of related content. Each IMA has at least two forms available and are available to allow all the content for the school year to be assessed. IMAs provide data teachers can use to plan or adjust instruction throughout the year to address any weaknesses in targeted areas.
Requirement for the Assessment
Optional – Counties and schools may – but are not required to – administer the IMAs. Some counties may require these assessments on a county level.
Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment
The IMAs are untimed tests with 5-20 questions; time to complete will vary.
Scheduled Assessment Window
Counties decide when the IMAs are administered.
Time and Format for Dissemination of Results
Results begin appearing in the Cambium Reporting System immediately after students have completed the assessment. County and school personnel can access these results and analyze data at the county, school, classroom roster, and individual student level.
West Virginia Science Interim Assessments (SIAs)
Subject(s) Assessed
Science (Grade-band tests in Grades 3-5 for elementary and 6-8 for middle school)
Purpose of the Assessment
The SIAs are short assessments measuring “chunks” of related content. The SIAs are available to allow throughout the school year. SIAs provide data teachers can use to plan or adjust instruction throughout the year to address any weaknesses in targeted areas.
Requirement for the Assessment
Optional – Counties and schools may – but are not required to – administer the IMAs. Some counties may require these assessments on a county level.
Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment
The SIAs are untimed tests; time to complete will vary.
Scheduled Assessment Window
Counties decide when the SIAs are administered.
Time and Format for Dissemination of Results
Results begin appearing in the Cambium Reporting System immediately after students have completed the assessment. County and school personnel can access these results and analyze data at the county, school, classroom roster, and individual student level.
West Virginia Diagnostic Assessments (DIAs)
Subject(s) Assessed
English language arts (ELA) and mathematics in Grades 3-8
Purpose of the Assessment
The IDAs are very short assessments measuring more specific content than the IMAs. Each grade has four ELA assessments and 10 to 11 math assessments available for use throughout the school year. These assessments were created by West Virginia teachers.
Requirement for the Assessment
Optional – Counties and schools may – but are not required to – administer the DIAs. Some counties may require these assessments on a county level.
Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment
The DIAs are untimed tests; time to complete will vary.
Scheduled Assessment Window
Counties decide when the DIAs are administered.
Time and Format for Dissemination of Results
Results begin appearing in the Cambium Reporting System immediately after students have completed the assessment. County and school personnel can access these results and analyze data at the county, school, classroom roster, and individual student level.
Counties and schools must ensure that students with the most significant cognitive disabilities can participate in county-required assessments or provide an equivalent alternate assessment for these students.
County Required Assessments
Assessment name to be filled in by county
Subject(s) Assessed
Purpose of the Assessment
Requirement for the Assessment
Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment
Scheduled Assessment Window
Time and Format for Dissemination of Results
Assessment name to be filled in by county
Subject(s) Assessed
Purpose of the Assessment
Requirement for the Assessment
Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment
Scheduled Assessment Window
Time and Format for Dissemination of Results