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Student Assessment Listserv

Assessment Update

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

IAR (Illinois Assessment of Readiness)

  • Preliminary Scores in Pearson Access Next
    Student scores are scheduled to start appearing in PAN on May 17th
  • Incorrect Materials Sent for IAR Administration
    Pearson inadvertently sent out the following incorrect materials to schools and districts for the Spring 2019 IAR administration.
    • ​PARCC Scorable Materials Return School Header: For additional orders placed between March 18 and March 28, some schools may have received a PARCC Scorable Materials Return School Header instead of the correct IAR Scorable Materials Return School Header.  So as not to create additional work for schools, Pearson will be replacing the PARCC header with the correct IAR header prior to scanning.  Schools can return materials under either the correct IAR Scorable Materials Return Header they received with their initial order or the PARCC Scorable Materials Return School Header.
    • Shipper Carrier Return Instructions: The Shipper Carrier Return Instructions which are included in the Test Coordinator Kits are the PARCC-branded version instead of the new IAR version.  The instructions for returning both scorable and non scorable materials are correct, but the references to PARCC are incorrect.
    We apologize for any inconvenience or confusion these incorrect materials may have caused.  If you have any additional questions, please contact Pearson at 1-833-213-3879.
  • ​Irregularity Report
  • Stopping Test Sessions
    Stopping sessions is a key responsibility of school and district test coordinators! It is the online equivalent of shipping paper tests off for scoring. Please make sure that all of your sessions have been “Stopped” so that student responses will be submitted for scoring.
    In order to stop a session, all units in the session need to be listed as “Complete" or “Marked Complete." If there is a student test in a session that will not be started (never started - for whatever reason), remove the student test from the session. You do not need to mark the units complete if the test was never started.
  • IAR Administration Forms Posted
    Download the form(s) and it will be a fillable document.- look under Forms.
  • Pearson Call Center - 1-833-213-3879; Monday – Friday 6:00 am - 6:00 pm (CT)
  • Pearson Support
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SAT®, PSAT™10, and PSAT™8/9 College Board Assessments

  • NEW - Assessment Corrections for SAT, PSAT 10, and PSAT 8/9
    • SAT/PSAT Corrections Guidance Document
    • Corrections began in ISBE's Student Information System (SIS) on Wednesday, April 10, 2019, and will run through Friday, August 16, 2019.
    • Districts must enter a Reason for No Valid Test Attempt (RNVTA) for any students who do not test at all during the primary, makeup, or accommodated test windows.
    • After scores are posted in SIS, by July 15, 2019, districts must resolve any error codes that may appear in the Score File in SIS and may continue to enter RNVTAs until the corrections window closes on Friday, August 16, 2019.​
  • ​Scores for SAT, PSAT 10, and PSAT 8/9 will be available in ISBE's Student Information System (SIS) by July 15, 2019.
    • Scores will be available earlier than July 15 to students with a College Board account and to educators via the College Board's K12 Reporting Portal based on the schedule noted on slide 68 in the April 12, 2019, Assessment Update Webinar.
  • ​Website for SAT and PSAT Information
  • Grade 12 Exemption Documents
    Submit a grade 12 exemption only for a student who will be graduating before the April 2019 administration of the SAT or DLM-AA, and hasn't tested or been identified in SIS as being exempt, or for a student whose exemption was not identified through ISBE SIS programming according to the flowchart document . If your district believes there is evidence in SIS of an exemption, please write to assessment@isbe.net for verification before completing any of the grade 12 exemption paperwork.
  • ​Spring 2020 SAT® Test Dates
    • Initial Test Date – Tuesday, April 14, 2020
    • Make-up Test Date – Tuesday, April 28, 2020
    • Accommodated Test Window – April 14 - April 28, 2020
  • Spring 2020 PSAT™ 10 and PSAT™ 8/9 Test Dates
    • Initial Test Date – April 14, 15, or 16, 2020
    • Make-up Test Date – Tuesday, April 28, 2020
    • Accommodated Test Window – April 14 - April 28, 2020
  • For College Board Customer Service for Illinois, call 844-688-9995 (Option 1) or write to ilsat@collegeboard.org.​
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ISA

  • The Illinois Science Assessment test window closes April 30th. The schedule of events for the week of 4/29/19 are below.
  • Initial Student Test Attempt Data Moving Into IWAS, Assessments
    For students rostered via the SIS process, ISBE will move students into the “Students with a test attempt" list in our IWAS, Assessments System Listing. Each night, ISBE will move student records for those we anticipate score results. The only exception are manually added students. ISBE will not receive the manually added student test records until mid-May. The nightly movement will help identify students in need of RNVTA codes as we move forward. ISBE will not calculate Participation Rates until final scale scores are loaded into IWAS Assessments in late July.
  • Reminder: Check ISBE Teach Rosters
    Please be sure to check ISBE Teach Rosters before ISA testing begins to ensure high school students have course assignments listed in SIS. ISA uses the course assignment data to roster high school students for the assessment. High school students with no course assignments will be added to the test population and require either a submitted test or a Reason for No Valid Test Attempt. If neither of these are submitted, it will count against the school's ISA participation rate. Slides 31 and 32 provide information on how to identify students with missing course assignments, as well as the process ISBE will follow to default those students onto the ISA roster. Please contact Dan Brown at dabrown@isbe.net if you have questions.
  • 2018 data have posted to the ISA site under the Illinois Science Assessment Results area.
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ACCESS

  • NEW - WIDA Spring Cleaning
    WIDA Secure Portal users will be prompted to change their login to a work email address beginning June 10, 2019. WIDA is encouraging educators to do a little “spring cleaning" of their Secure Portal accounts by completing the following tasks:
    • Update personal information. All personal information, with the exception of usernames, can be edited by the account-holder. Log-in and go to the “My Account Info" box on the right-hand side of the screen. If you can't log in, enter your email address on our Password Reset page to have a link sent to your inbox. Still need assistance? Contact the WIDA Client Services Center at (866) 276-7735 or help@wida.us.
    • Check those email settings. Make sure your email address is correct and you are receiving emails from help@wida.us and info@wida.us.
    • Spread the word. Only users with a WIDA Secure Portal account have access to WIDA's assessment training courses and other resources. Direct colleagues to your member/state page to find out how they can get a Secure Portal account.​​
  • ACCESS Preliminary Data Review
    Preliminary 2019 ACCESS & Alternate ACCESS results will be posted in SIS on May 6, 2019. Please, plan to review your data to find and fix common errors by May 24, 2019.
    • Unassigned Records
    • Missing EL Data
    • Multiple or Unmerged Records
    • Grade Level Discrepancies
  • MODEL Score Interpretation Resources
    WIDA is sharing three resources to support the use of WIDA MODEL as an interim assessment:
  • ACCESS for ELLs Score Interpretation Resources
    2018-19 score report resources are now updated and posted on the WIDA website, including:​
    • An infographic for educators providing more information on how to analyze ACCESS scores, communicate results, collaborate with colleagues, and take action.​
  • WIDA Website Feedback Survey
    WIDA's public website - wida.wisc.edu - is about eight months old, and they'd like to know how it's working for district and school educators. They're asking interested educators to complete a 5-10 minute survey to provide feedback on what's working and to see if any improvements need to be made. They look forward to hearing from you.
  • June Writing Academy 
    Registration is open for the Writing with Multilingual Learners in the Elementary Grades Academy, in Rosemont, Illinois from June 18-19. Academy details and registration link can be found on the U.S.-Based Professional Learning page of the WIDA website.
  • 2019 WIDA Annual Conference Registration Opens April 1st
    Beautiful fall foliage, a thriving arts community, vibrant and diverse neighborhoods, and a renowned restaurant scene. These are just a few of the many reasons that Providence, Rhode Island is the perfect location for the WIDA Annual Conference which takes place October 15-18, 2019. With so many things to do, your conference experience is sure to be one that you won't forget!
    Start planning your trip now!
  • New Release of ACCESS Percentile Growth Charts
    A new edition of the ACCESS Percentile Growth Charts is now available on the Dashboard of the WIDA Secure Portal. The Dashboard is available to District Coordinator account holders. Look for a link at the bottom of the My Portal main page. The login for the Dashboard is the same as for the Portal.
  • Kindergarten Field Test
    WIDA is looking for schools to administer the new Kindergarten Screener to at least 20 students during one or two field testing windows throughout 2019 and early 2020.
    Kindergarten Screener Field Test flyer
    There are two field test windows.
    • Field Test Window 1: July 29, 2019 through October 4, 2019 for incoming kindergarten and first grade students
    • Field Test Window 2: January 6, 2020 through February 28, 2020 for currently enrolled kindergarten students
    • WIDA will provide all test materials and will work with each field test site to make test administration arrangements.
    • The Kindergarten Screener is delivered individually, on paper.
    • Allow one hour for testing each child. It takes approximately 45 minutes to administer all four language domains.
    • Katie Stenz, kstenz@wisc.edu, 608-263-4444
  • Administrator Academy: Leading Schools for Multilingual Learner Achievement
    Registration is now open for the WIDA Administrator Academy on June 25-27, 2019 in St. Louis, MO. Academy details and registration link can be found on the U.S.-Based Professional Learning page of the WIDA website.

DLM

  • Test window:
    ​The last day for testing is May 8. No extensions will be granted.
  • Test Tickets not available
    If student test tickets are not appearing, then it could be to several issues not completed or completed that day.
    1. First Contact survey was completed the same day as the teacher went into Test management to get test tickets. It takes 24 hours for test tickets to appear once the first contact survey is completed.
    2. The first contact survey is not completed. Student test tickets will not appear if this survey is not completed.
    3. The student is not rostered to the teacher for ELA and math. The teacher is not able to complete the first contact survey if the teacher does not have rosters created for them by the district test or building test coordinator.​
    4. If the teacher cannot access the test tickets due to a restriction, then the teacher did not complete the required training, agreed to the security agreement, or both.
  • Rosters
    Rosters are to be created for English language arts, mathematics and science.
    Students in grades 3-11 will be placed on an English language arts and mathematics roster. Students in grades 5, 8, and 11 only will be placed on a science rosters. Social studies and other are not to be created for any student. Teachers need to verify that all students are placed on a teacher's roster for ELA, math, and science, if appropriate.
  • Correction Window
    The DLM correction window will open on May 9th. All corrections for DLM are completed in the Student Information System in IWAS.​
  • ​Recruitment
    DLM is seeking volunteers to participate in events such as testlet development, testlet review, score validation of writing testlets. In previous years, DLM staff had sent out many surveys to complete as part of recruitment.  Volunteers can be general educators, special education educators, content specialists, etc.  There is only one survey to take and it takes approximately ten minutes to complete as part of the recruitment process.
  • Manuals and Resources
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