Assessments

The State of Washington uses the Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBA) for school districts to fulfill state and federal accountability requirements in English language arts (ELA) and math.  Results from these assessments also provide educators, students, and parents meaningful results to monitor yearly progress and provide actionable data to help them succeed.  These assessments are aligned to the Common Core State Standards. 

The Smarter Balanced summative assessments are required and take place during the last 12 weeks of the school year. These computer-based tests will help schools evaluate how well their students performed by comparing them with students from other schools across the nation. The end-of-year assessments also will empower families by providing them with a clear indication of how well their child(ren) are progressing toward mastering the academic knowledge and skills necessary for college and career readiness. 

Smarter Balanced Assessments in English language arts (ELA) and math are administered to students in grades 3-8 and 10.  Passing the grade 10 Smarter Balanced Assessments in ELA and math fulfills one pathway option of the State Graduation Pathways requirement for students to receive a diploma.

The Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) measures levels of student proficiency with Washington State K-12 Science Learning Standards.  This assessment is used to fulfill state and federal accountability requirements in science.  The Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science is administered to students in grades 5, 8, and 11. 

Your child’s school will communicate specific dates they will be administering the Smarter Balanced and Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science Assessments within the state administration window.

See the Smarter Balanced and Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science websites for more information on the Smarter Balances Assessment and how to support your student.  Student score reports will be posted in ParentVue once received from the state in late-September/early-October.  View this guide to see how to access test results in ParentVUE.  

In 2019, the state legislature passed HB 1599, which updated graduation requirements starting with the Class of 2020.  The completion of a Graduation Pathway is one of the requirements that students need to meet to receive a diploma.  The Graduation Pathway requirement replaced the prior state assessment graduation requirement.

The state provides a Graduation Pathways Toolkit as a resource to explain this requirement in detail.

Please contact your student’s school counselor for specific questions related to this requirement.

The Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS) provides a snapshot of where students are in their development as they enter kindergarten.  Results from this assessment helps inform state and district decision making and helps school staff ensure a successful transition to kindergarten and future years.    

See the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills website for more information on the Assessment of Kindergarten Readiness (WaKIDS).

In alignment with our Northshore School District Strategic Action Plan, starting in the 2019-20 school year, the Northshore School District began using the i-Ready diagnostic to screen and progress monitor students in grades K-8 in the areas of reading and math.  Students are screened in the fall, progress monitored in the winter, with the spring diagnostic being used to determine overall growth throughout the year.  Kindergarten students are assessed using i-Ready only in the winter and spring due to the state required WaKIDS screening in the fall.  Data from these assessments are used to determine initial reading and math skill levels and inform Tier I and II instruction to help students attain the skills required at each grade level.  Data is also used for state required reading performance reporting in grade 2.

In addition to the i-Ready diagnostic, teachers may use the i-Ready online instruction to supplement district curriculum.  This supplemental online instruction is personalized to each student and adjusts based upon each of their diagnostic results.

Your child’s school and teacher will communicate specific dates they will be administering the i-Ready diagnostics within the fall, winter, and spring windows.

See the i-Ready Family Center website for more information on the i-Ready diagnostic and how to support your student.

• Directions for accessing the diagnostic For Families Report - (English, Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese) - 2026-27 Access Code: JGZ8XJ
  • Methods of accessing the i-Ready student portal:
    • Option 1 - Have your student log in to i-Ready through their NSD device and follow the directions above.
    • Option 2 - Use a personal device to have your student log in to my.nsd.org (Clever).  Navigate to i-Ready and follow the directions above.
• Understanding Your Student's Diagnostic Results

High school students have a variety of options for engaging in advanced-level course work. These options include Running Start, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and College in the High School courses.

See the NSD High School Accelerated Programs page for more details and contacts regarding our High School Accelerated Programs.

Our Highly Capable Office coordinates our NSD Highly Capable Services.  These services are designed for students identified as advanced learners through cognitive and/or academic performance.

See the NSD Highly Capable Services page for more details and contacts regarding this program.