A Family Guide to Annual State Tests in Oklahoma - ESSA and OSTP Explained - Strategies for Families, Teachers, and Leaders

Sep 15, 2026

Guide for families, teachers, school and district leaders, and state leaders on understanding Oklahoma’s annual state testing system. Explains ESSA requirements for reading and math testing (grades 3–8 and once in high school), OSTP alignment to grade-level standards, optional online or paper formats, and the ACT/SAT plus science and U.S. History components for high school. Clarifies how OSTP reports inform support, conversation, goal-setting, instruction, staffing and resource decisions, and provides example questions and guidance on interpreting performance by skill sets.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

State Assessments 101

OSTP by grade level

CCRA for high school

A Focus on Grade Level Skills

Test alignment and format

Example questions

Useful Information for All

Understanding grade level performance

Questions to ask the teacher

Informing Instruction and Decisions

Teachers: using results for instruction

School and district leaders: targeting support

State leaders: improving schools

A FAMILY GUIDE TO ANNUAL STATE TESTS IN OKLAHOMA: One of Many Measures of Student Learning There are many ways to measure academic performance, and annual state tests are only one of them. These tests are not meant to tell the whole story. They are meant to be combined with other measures, including teacher feedback, classwork and projects, and report card grades. Together, these measures can give families a more complete picture of a student’s performance so they can better support learning at home and advocate for their child. State Assessments 101 The Every Student Succeeds Act or ESSA, requires students to take state tests in reading and math every year in third through eighth grade and once in high school. In Oklahoma, students in third through eighth grade take the Oklahoma State Testing Program (OSTP) in English language arts and math. Students in fifth and eighth grade also take a test in science. High school students take a two-part College and Career Readiness Assessment (CCRA) in 11th grade. The first part is the ACT or SAT, depending on which test the district chooses to give. The second part is a test focused on the content in the science and U.S. History courses. A Family Guide to Annual State Tests in Oklahoma A Focus on Grade Level Skills Unlike other tests, OSTP is focused on grade level material and is aligned to the state standards. The test questions match what students do and learn in the classroom every day throughout the year, which are the grade level skills that are most important for students to learn in order to move on to more challenging content. The OSTP can be taken online or with paper and pencil. Each school district decides how students will take the test. The test includes a variety of different types of questions, including traditional multiple choice and questions that require them to explain their answer. Grade 6: Math Two lines intersect in the diagram shown below. 127o xo What is the value of x? A 37 B 53 C 127 D 217 Grade 3: ELA Which sentence from“The American Buffalo” is an opinion? A A bison is another name for a buffalo. B The American buffalo came to North American from Asia. C This was quite a beautiful sight. D There is a protected herd of buffalo in Yellowstone National Park. A Family Guide to Annual State Tests in Oklahoma Useful Information for All FAMILIES: Understanding Grade Level Performance The OSTP report gives families information on how well their child performed on different sets of skills in each subject. Families can use this information to identify where their child is doing well and where they may need support or practice. This helps families better support learning at home. It can also help them start meaningful conversations with teachers, set goals for each student’s areas of improvement and identify resources and strategies that can be used at home and in school to help students make progress. Questions to Ask the Teacher about Your Child’s OSTP Report: • What does this mean about my child’s learning? • Is my child on grade level? • Where does my child need more support or improvement? • What short-term learning goals should my child meet to show progress? • How can I support learning at home? ? TEACHERS: Informing Instruction Students take different types of tests throughout the school year. Some students take benchmark or diagnostic tests, such as MAP Growth, i-Ready or mCLASS. These are taken several times a year and measure mastery of important concepts and skills in reading and math. Students take a test at the beginning of the year to identify their “starting point” and again throughout the year to measure their progress. Benchmark tests help teachers identify and address learning gaps early on so students can stay on track to meet grade level expectations. While OSTP is only given at the end of the school year, it is one way of showing how much progress students made from th

FAQs

What tests are required under ESSA in Oklahoma and which grades take them?

Students take state tests in reading and math every year in third through eighth grade and once in high school. In Oklahoma, third through eighth graders take OSTP in English language arts and math, and fifth and eighth graders also take science. High school involves a two-part College and Career Readiness Assessment (ACT or SAT, plus a science and U.S. History focused test).

How is the OSTP designed to reflect students’ classroom learning?

OSTP is focused on grade-level material aligned to state standards. Questions match what students learn and practice in classrooms throughout the year, emphasizing the skills most important for progressing to more challenging content.

How can families use the OSTP report to support learning at home?

The report shows how well a child performed across different skill sets in each subject. Families can identify strengths and areas needing support, start meaningful conversations with teachers, set improvement goals, and find resources and strategies to use both at home and in school.

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Lucas Martin