Oregon plans to drop Smarter Balanced exam in high school

The Oregon Department of Education plans to replace the Smarter Balanced assessment at the high school level starting in the 2018-19 school year.

The plans were reported this week by Education Week and follow recent comments by Salam Noor, the state deputy superintendent of public instruction.

In 2018-19, the state plans to replace Smarter Balanced with a nationally recognized test such as the SAT or ACT at the high school level. Tricia Yates, the Oregon Department of Education’s communications director, says ODE will consider other assessment options, and intends to issue a request for proposals this summer.

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) relied heavily on Western states, including Oregon, when it began development of its exam in 2010.

“We are exploring other options (than SBAC),” Yates said in an email. “Oregon can only afford one test at the high school level, and legislators and stakeholders want something other than SBAC.  This does not preclude SBAC from submitting a proposal, but it expresses the sentiment of our stakeholders and legislators.”