Wyoming PAWS Test Prep
About Wyoming’s Standardized Tests for 3rd – 8th, and 11th Grades
Are your children preparing for the Proficiency Assessments for Wyoming Students, known PAWS? Wyoming PAWS tests measure the progress of students from third to eighth grade, as well as eleventh grade. PAWS test results provide actionable data that helps parents, teachers, and students improve academic performance in reading, writing, math, and science. The Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) also uses PAWS test scores in evaluating each school’s Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) as required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).
Time4Learning—an online service that teaches many of the WY PAWS test skills—offers this page to support your research on the best ways to help your kids with PAWS test practice and preparation.
Wyoming PAWS at a Glance
Wyoming public school students take the following PAWS tests:
PAWS Tests: 3rd – 8th Grades, and 11th Grade
PAWS tests are aligned to the Wyoming Content and Performance Standards. These Wyoming state standards define what Wyoming students should learn in every grade. The annual PAWS testing is administered as follows:
PAWS Test – Reading: 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 11th grades.
PAWS Test – Math: 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 11th grades.
PAWS Test – Writing: 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 11th grades.
PAWS Test – Science: Fourth, eighth, and eleventh grades
Students in kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades are given classroom assessments, such as DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills), to help teachers make instructional decisions.
How PAWS Tests Are Scored
PAWS tests measure how well students have mastered grade-level content and skills, as specified by the Wyoming Content and Performance Standards. Student achievement in each subject is reported by one of four levels:
1. Advanced
2. Proficient
3. Partially Proficient
4. Novice
Achieving proficient or advanced levels is considered passing the PAWS tests. While PAWS test results do not influence grade-level promotion or retention, some schools districts implement improvement plans for under-performing students. If your child is struggling with PAWS testing, be proactive. Contact the school and find out what you can do to support learning at home.
Other Wyoming Standardized Tests
The Wyoming Department of Education uses a balanced range of assessments to promote learning for all students. The Proficiency Assessment For Wyoming Students – Alternate (PAWS-ALT) is designed to measure the progress of students with severe cognitive disabilities who need special accommodations. Students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) take the take the Wyoming English Language Learners Assessment (WELLA), which measure progress in English language acquisition.
NAEP in Wyoming
Wyoming also participates annually in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as the Nation’s Report Card, where a sampling of students (from grades 4, 8, and/or 12) are tested in several content areas as part of a nationally representative assessment of student performance.
A good resource on Wyoming PAWS testing is the Wyoming Department of Education’s assessment webpage.
Preparing for the Wyoming PAWS
For general tips on test preparation, please visit our standardized test overview page.
The real preparation for PAWS tests, or any standardized test, begins with your commitment to your children’s education throughout their school years. Devote time and effort to helping your children learn. Start by making sure your kids do their homework and read every day. Many families also employ tutors or an online learning program, such as Time4Learning, to build fundamental skills.
When preparing for standardized tests, students often benefit from test prep programs and books, which offer guidance and practice with test formats, time restrictions, test-taking strategies (when to guess, when not to), and different types of questions. For instance, when a reading passage is followed by comprehension questions, many test prep programs teach students to scan the questions first in order to know what areas of the passage require close reading. Time4Learning is not a test prep program, it is a program that builds the skills that will be tested.
Time4Learning is a new approach that takes advantage of today’s technology. It’s a convenient, online home education program that combines learning with fun educational teaching games.
The online language arts and math curriculum comprise a comprehensive program for preschool, elementary school, and middle school. Science and social studies programs are provided for most grades.
Kids like using the computer to learn and to develop their skills. Time4Learning’s educational teaching games give students independence as they progress at their own pace.
Parents like that it tracks progress and helps kids advance by teaching through individualized learning paths that assure mastery of the skills and concepts that makes kids succeed.
Have a child with math and language arts skills at different grade levels? No problem, just tell us in the online registration process.
Time4Learning is proven effective, has a low monthly price, and provides a money-back guarantee so you can be sure that it works for your family, risk free!
For more information and resources on Wyoming Education, visit:
Wyoming Homeschooling Information
