TESTING

In Putnam City Schools, we understand that an effective testing system is an important facet of the instructional cycle. The summative assessment program put forth by the state combined with our continual use of district classroom-based formative assessments help make student learning visible. Furthermore, the administration of state regulated assessments creates a culture of accountability and transparency within Putnam City Schools.

The administration of the Oklahoma School Testing Program (OSTP) will take place each spring semester. All students in grades 3 through 8 will be administered OSTP tests in English Language Arts and Mathematics, and students in grades 5 and 8 will also be administered a test in science during this testing window.

Students in grade 11 will be administered the ACT as a part of the College and Career Readiness Assessment (CCRA). In addition, all 11th grade students will take a Science Content Assessment and a U. S. History Assessment. Taking the ACT during the state testing window, the U.S. History, and Science tests are state graduation requirements. Please note a National ACT test does not count towards the state graduation requirement. 

Some students will be assessed through the Oklahoma Alternative Assessment Program (OAAP) in lieu of participation in the OSTP, based upon criteria determined through their Special Education Individual Education Program. The OAAP testing window is in the spring semester.

In addition, some schools and students will be selected to participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Parents will be notified when and if the school and/or their student has been selected for participation. The testing window for administering the NAEP will be January 2019 - March 2019.

VIEW A DETAILED DIAGRAM OF THE OSTP 

It is important to know that the Oklahoma State Department of Education will penalize school districts that do not test 95 percent of their students. Title 70, § 1210.508 and § 1210.523 of the Oklahoma Statutes requires that the Oklahoma State Board of Education conduct criterion-referenced tests in grades 3 through 8 and conduct college and career readiness exams in grades 9 through 12. 

In addition to the statutory requirements, the Oklahoma State Board of Education’s administrative rule 210:10-13-2 states that “All public school districts shall administer the state mandated academic achievement tests of the OSTP to all students enrolled in the designated grades.” Therefore, school districts are required to provide a test to every student enrolled in respective testing grades. Both the statute and the language in the promulgated rule require every school district to administer a test to every student enrolled in a tested grade/subject area. 

Because of these statutory and rule requirements, there is no “opt-out” option offered through the Oklahoma State Department of Education. In addition, state law (70 O.S. § 5-117) says that local school boards of education do not have the authority to take actions inconsistent with state law or rules that have been adopted by the Oklahoma State Board of Education.

To access your student’s scores digitally, you will need to log onto the Oklahoma School Testing Program (OSTP) Parent Portal.

VIEW THE OSTP PARENT PORTAL 

Upon your initial login to the parent portal, you will be required to you enter your student’s birthdate and state testing number (STN). This number can be found on the web version of PowerSchool or your student's latest report card. If you are looking at your student's report card, the STN is the number that is a 10-digit number that begins with 100 and it should be on the second page that you received from the school and is labeled “State ID Number”. 

 Also, you may go, in person, to the District Enrollment Office to either get your student's STN or to get your PowerSchool Access ID and Access password to be able to access your student's STN.

VIEW A TUTORIAL ON HOW TO ACCESS THE OSTP PARENT PORTAL 

The State of Oklahoma provides parents with resources and information to help prepare students for the OSTP assessments.

VIEW THE OSTP TESTING RESOURCES

*The pages change frequently, so it is beneficial to revisit them often. 

Utilizing a program funded by the Oklahoma Regents for Higher Education, Putnam City Schools administers the PreACT assessment each fall to all 10th graders.

PreACT provides students with information needed to better prepare for future academic and career success. It also provides essential practice for and an estimated range of future scores on the ACT, which is not only an important college entrance exam, but doubles as the primary component of the Oklahoma College and Career Readiness assessment battery taken by all 11th-graders.

The PreACT not only informs students and parents about progress toward college and career goals, but also provides the school district with important information for program evaluation and student guidance. 

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), first administered in 1969, is the largest continuing and nationally representative assessment of what our nation’s students know and can do in subjects such as mathematics, reading, science, and writing. Teachers, principals, parents, policymakers, and researchers all use NAEP results to assess progress and develop ways to improve education in the United States. The results of NAEP are released as The Nation's Report Card, and are available for the nation, states, and in some cases, urban districts. NAEP is a congressionally mandated project administered by the National Center for Education Statistics, within the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences.

Schools and students are carefully selected to be in the NAEP samples according to demographic characteristics that make the samples collectively representative of all the nation's students in grades 4, 8 and 12 in public and private schools. The participation of each school and student selected helps ensure that NAEP truly reflects the great diversity of our nation's student population. For example, NAEP reports results for male and female students, Black students and White students, and students in different regions of the country. Samples are selected using a complex sampling design. Test scores and questionnaire responses are always kept confidential. Results are never reported for individual students or schools. District-level results are only reported for select large urban areas across the nation.

Putnam City Schools offers Proficiency-Based Promotion assessment opportunities twice a summer for students currently enrolled in grades 1 through 12. These assessments allow students in elementary grades to test for full-grade promotion and those in secondary grades to test by subject. 

Registration forms are made available to schools each spring.

Elementary School

For full-grade promotion an evaluation of \\\"proficient\\\" or “mastery” must be assessed in the areas of English Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies.  

Oklahoma state law prohibits any child who is not 6 years old on Sept. 1  of the current year from enrolling in 1st grade. Children must be 5 years old to enroll in kindergarten.

High School and Middle School

Secondary credits are earned per subject, not on an overall grade promotion basis. Credit earned in high school courses will count toward meeting graduation requirements.  Middle school courses that do not apply to high school transcripts will receive a score of \\\"PASS.\\\"

Placement Tests

Students who have attended non-accredited schools, been homeschooled, or are new to the Putnam City district may choose to take placements tests establishing subject matter proficiency. Families have 30 days from the first day of attendance to request placement testing.

For more information, please contact the Putnam City Schools Teaching and Learning Assessment Coordinator

4/1/24: PM Activities, Board Meeting Canceled

All PM Activities and Board Meeting for April 1, 2024 have been canceled.

11/18/24: No School

Due to the severe weather, there is no school today, Nov. 18, 2024.

UPDATE: 11:15am - All middle school athletics are canceled for today. High school extracurriculars will continue. The regularly scheduled Board Meeting will continue at 5pm.

Please be weather-aware and stay safe.

Thank you.

VOTE TODAY! 2025 Innovation Bond

Polls are open from 7am-7pm, all residents within the Putnam City Schools boundaries are eligible to vote at your regular polling location.

Boldly investing in our future.

http://tc.hkkaden.com/page/2025-bond

All Putnam City Schools will transition to Virtual-Remote Learning on Tuesday, February 18, 2025. Please see your email for further information and instructions. Stay safe and warm! Thank you.

🥶 Due to the continued inclement weather conditions, all Putnam City Schools will continue Virtual-Remote learning for Wednesday, February 19, 2025.

📧 Please see your email for more information from the District and your specific school.

💙 Stay safe and warm!

Due to the continued inclement weather conditions, all Putnam City Schools will continue virtual-remote learning for Thursday, February 20, 2025.

Please see your email for more information.