Assessment Newsletter (Volume 8, Issue 35)

Wyoming Department of Education sent this bulletin at 04/16/2021 02:51 PM MDT

Update from the Wyoming Department of Education | view online | website

04/16/2021 | Volume 8, Issue 35

The WY-ALT testing window will close on Friday, April 23, 2021. All testing must be concluded by this date. There will be no extensions.
Building Coordinators must return all paper-accommodated test materials to Cambium by Friday, April 30, 2021. Directions for returning test materials can be found on page 26 in the Directions for Administration Manual.

For more information, contact the Wyoming Help Desk at 1-888-897-8024 or wyohelpdesk@cambiumassessment.com.

The Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) seeks Wyoming educators interested in participating in the WY-TOPP/WY-ALT Accommodations Manual Update meeting(s).
The initial meeting will be held virtually on Tuesday, June 29, 2021.
Additional meetings will be added if needed.
All participants will be eligible for a stipend to be paid after the committee meeting(s) have taken place.
All interested parties must complete the Accommodations Manual Update Committee Participation Survey.
All applications submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, May 5, 2021 will be considered.

For more information, contact Michelle Carroll, WDE Education Consultant, at 307-777-3618 or michelle.carroll@wyo.gov.

When scheduling testing, please ensure there is sufficient time in the test session for students to complete the test, avoiding times close to lunch or end of the day.
During testing, a situation may arise for which a student needs to pause a test, such as a fire drill or a restroom break. Test Administrators (TAs) and students are able to pause a test in order to log out of a test session.
Students cannot review or modify answered questions after their test pauses for more than 20 minutes, even if they marked questions for review.
If a test pause lasts longer than 20 minutes, an appropriate appeal will need to be filed for the student to continue their testing opportunity.
Test pauses should not be used to allow lunch or recess breaks.
Test pauses should not be used for testing over multiple days unless an IEP or 504 plan allows for that accommodation.
Building Coordinators must ensure their test schedules allow for adequate testing time.

On rare occasions, a non-standard situation arises during test administration that requires an appeal. Appeals may be submitted through TIDE.

Appeals will not be granted due to failure to create an adequate testing schedule. They will also not be granted for students who do not make adequate progress through the assessment or for students who rush through the administration.
If a student needs extended testing time due to an IEP/504 Plan accommodation, a Grace Period Extension appeal may be submitted. When submitting this appeal, it must be specified in the comments that the appeal is needed per an extended testing time accommodation in the student’s IEP/504 Plan (do not submit the actual IEP).
For additional guidance, refer to the WY-TOPP Summative Online Test Administration Manual and the TIDE User Guide.

For more information, contact Tahnee Hutchinson, WDE Education Consultant, at 307-777-5296 or tahnee.hutchinson1@wyo.gov.

Wyoming Department of Education Assessment Team