About the Measurements of Student Progress (MSP)

State Testing Information for Washington

Portions of the following material were taken from the Washington Department of Education website. Please see our links and source sections at the bottom of the page for more details and references.

General Description of the Tests

Measurements of Student Progress (MSP)

• Grades: 3-8
• Subjects: Reading, Mathematics, Science, Writing
• The goal of the test is to measure student progress.

Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL)

• This test was replaced in 2009-10 by the Measurements of Student Progress (MSP) and the High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE).

Washington Alternate Assessment System (WAAS)

• Grades: 3-8, 10-12
• Designed for students who have been identified as having significant cognitive disabilities and who cannot participate in the general assessment even with maximum accommodations
• An individualized assessment of a student’s knowledge and skills that is based upon a collection or “portfolio” of student work

Second Grade Fluency and Accuracy Assessment

• Every student is assessed at the beginning of second grade using a grade-level equivalent oral reading passage.
• Scores are used by the teacher, school, and district to provide support for students who need help.

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

• Grades: 4, 8, 12
• Subjects: Reading, Mathematics, Civics, U.S. History, Geography, Writing
• Commonly called The Nation's Report Card
• A national assessment that allows educational achievement to be compared across states
• The only test in the United States that allows comparisons of the performance of students in Washington with performance of students nationally
• The only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what students in the United States know and can do in various subject areas

Classroom-Based Assessments (CBAs) and Classroom-Based Performance Assessments (CBPAs)

• All grade levels
• Subjects: Social Studies, Arts, Health/Fitness
• To make sure students are getting the key skills and knowledge
• State curriculum specialists create tasks and questions that model good assessments and provide these to local school districts. These assessments are given in the classroom by a teacher.

Our curriculum is focused around actual material that a student is likely to see on the upcoming Measurements of Student Progress (MSP) test. Nationally known for delivering high quality and affordable materials that help students improve their scores, we provide you both paper-based instruction and easy to use online test preparation.