Ohio's State Tests (OST)

2/29/2024

Spring Testing

Spring testing begins this month. All testing must occur during the windows below:

• English Language Arts (ELA) Test Window: March 25-April 26.
• Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies Test Window: April 1-May 10.

Make-up testing must be completed within the district’s or school’s 15 consecutive school day test windows.

See the Resources section of the test portal for the manuals and scripts that must be used when administering the tests. See the Key Dates section in this newsletter for information about delivery and return dates for paper tests. The Pre-ID File Layout and directions for its use are located on the test portal.

IMPORTANT: Spring Printed Family Reports Opt-in

Printed OST spring family reports will only be sent to those districts that request these reports in TIDE. Family reports will be delivered to these districts on July 23.
To receive printed spring family reports, districts must access the Printed Family Report Requests task in the Ohio State Tests 2023-2024 administration in TIDE, select “Yes” and click [save] by May 10. No action is needed if districts or schools do not wish to receive printed family reports.

Printed score report labels will only be sent to districts that access the Score Report Label Request task in the Ohio State Tests 2023-2024 administration in TIDE, select “Yes” and click [save] by May 10. No action is needed if districts or schools do not wish to receive score report labels.

As a reminder, Ohio law requires districts to notify parents of students’ test results by June 30 of each year. Results will be available in the Centralized Reporting System (CRS) according to the schedule on the Testing Dates webpage. Printed Family Reports, if requested, will be delivered to districts on July 23, therefore will not be available to meet the June 30^th notification deadline.

OST Spring High School EOC Participation Reports

Due to the extension of the high school EOC testing window for Dropout Prevention and Recovery students, OST high school students will not show as eligible to test in Plan and Manage Testing, Test Completion Rate, or on Test Status Code reports until the opening of the state OST spring windows: March 25 for English language arts and April 1 for mathematics, science, and social studies tests. Districts can confirm high school student test eligibility in the View/Edit/Export Students task in TIDE in advance of the OST spring windows. Districts will not need to take any additional action, and participation reports will include these students automatically at the start of each test window.

Spring Test Material Delivery and Additional Order Windows

Districts and schools that placed orders in TIDE by Feb. 5 will have their test materials delivered on March 18. Districts and schools needing to place an additional order for paper test materials may access the “Paper Orders Grades 3-8 Spring 2024” or “Paper Orders High School EOC Spring 2024” administration in TIDE during the times listed below.

• English language arts (ELA) additional orders window: March 18-April 24.

• mathematics, science, and social studies additional orders window: March 18-May 8.

Paper Test Option for the 2024-2025 Grade 3 Assessments

Ohio law allows the option of paper or online administration for grade 3 OST and grade 3 Alternate Assessment for Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities (AASCD). A district board of education or governing authority must make the choice to use paper tests and submit a board or governing authority resolution to the Department by May 1 for the following school year. 

District superintendents and DTCs received a secure link from Cambium Assessment (Ohio Meetings) to specify which grade 3 assessments (ELA, mathematics, neither, or both) they will administer in paper format for the 2024-2025 school year and to upload the resolution authorizing that choice. 

Please contact Ohio Meetings at ohiomeetings@cambiumassessment.com if the December email was not received or with questions about accessing or submitting the form.