01/07/2022 | Volume 9, Issue 19
Notify the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) of updates to District Test Coordinator (DTC) and Building Coordinator (BC) assignments by completing this form.
Becca Velikaneye
 |
|
Becca Velikaneye, M.Ed., M.A., is an Assessment Consultant for special populations in the Standards and Assessment Division for the WDE. Prior to joining the team in January of 2022, she taught 8th grade English for 10 years in Wheatland and Cheyenne. She has Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Secondary English Education and Master’s of Arts degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Wyoming, as well as a Master’s of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Instructional Technology from Chadron State College. Becca is excited to join the team and help educators across the state use assessments to best meet the needs of students.
Becca Velikaneye, WDE Assessment Consultant, 307-777-6804, rebecca.velikaneye@wyo.gov.
|
Retrieving Student Results
Starting with this school year's 2022 WY-ALT assessment, Centralized Reporting will provide WY-ALT student reports in English and Spanish.
For more information, contact Becca Velikaneye, WDE Assessment Consultant, at 307-777-6804 or rebecca.velikaneye@wyo.gov.
Registration Will Remain Open Until January 12, 2022
- Spring 2022 WY-ALT Training Registration is still open.
- All WY-ALT Test Administrators (TAs) must attend an online training session in order to administer the WY-ALT assessment.
- 9 a.m.-noon MST on Monday, January 31, 2022.
- 1- 4 p.m. MST on Tuesday, February 1, 2022.
- WY-ALT TAs must also complete the Test Administration Certification course before administering the assessments.
For more information, contact Michelle Carroll, WDE Assessment Consultant, at 307-777-3618 or michelle.carroll@wyo.gov.
WY-ALT Submissions Accepted: January 13-March 15, 2022
WY-TOPP Submissions Accepted: January 13-April 26, 2022
- On behalf of a student, school administrators may apply for an exemption from participation in the WY-TOPP or WY-ALT for the following criteria:
- The student is expelled for the entire testing window.
- The student is an English Learner who has been enrolled in a US school for less than one year. (Exemption from the ELA portion only. The ACCESS test must still be taken.)
- The student is placed in an out-of-state facility for the entire testing window.
- View the SAER site training video to learn how to submit exemption requests.
- Submit an exemption with this direct link to the SAER webpage.
For more information, contact Cat Palmer, WDE Assessment Supervisor, at 307-777-8568 or catherine.palmer@wyo.gov.
3 p.m. on January 25, 2022
Participants will be presented with an overview of the three core WorkKeys assessments, the skills needed for each Level Score, the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) and how to use it, the value of Qualification Letters, and how students can access and explore careers using the occupational profile database.
- There will be an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the presentation.
-
Register here.
- On-demand training webinars are also available for online and paper test administrations.
- The spring WorkKeys administration window is April 18-29, 2022.
For more information, contact Tahnee Hutchinson, WDE Assessment Consultant, at 307-777-5296 or tahnee.hutchinson1@wyo.gov.
Deadline is January 28, 2022
- Requests for ACT-authorized accommodations and/or supports are made by logging into success.act.org. Students do not need to be uploaded in PAnext prior to requesting accommodations and/or supports.
- For guidance on accommodations and supports requests, refer to the TAA User Guide found under Step 3: Accommodation on the WY ACT website.
- ACT hosts Accommodations Office Hours from 11 a.m.-noon every Tuesday. The link to join can be found under the Helpful Links section of the WY ACT website.
- Questions regarding ACT accommodations and supports can be directed to ACT Accommodations at 800-553-6244 ext. 1788 or ACTStateAccoms@act.org.
For more information, contact Tahnee Hutchinson, WDE Assessment Consultant, at 307-777-5296 or tahnee.hutchinson1@wyo.gov.
ACCESS for ELLs, ALT-ACCESS for ELLs, WY-ALT, and WY-TOPP
Test security is important for all assessments. Any violation of test security, whether intended or accidental, can compromise our ability to make inferences about student performance on state assessments. The WDE emphasizes proactive practices — before, during, and after testing — as the primary methods of ensuring test security. Following appropriate procedures regarding preparing for testing, handling test booklets, and administering tests is fundamental to ensuring public confidence in the results we report.
All building staff - District Test Coordinators, Building Coordinators, TAs, Proctors, Custodians, Secretaries, Behavior Specialists, and other staff who are directly or indirectly involved in state assessment, or have access to secure assessment materials, must be trained in test security and must sign a WDE Test Security Agreement before the start of testing. Reference the Assessment Security Guide for more information on test security practices.
For more information, contact Cat Palmer, WDE Assessment Supervisor, at 307-777-8568 or catherine.palmer@wyo.gov.
3:30-5 p.m. on January 24, 2022 (Zoom)
- The WDE Assessment and Accountability teams will host an online ‘open office hours’ style forum for school district leaders and interested educators.
- The Assessment and Accountability Directors will provide updates and be available with their teams to answer questions.
- This time will be an open office hour, so attend as available.
INVITATION:
- WDE Assessment & Accountability Open House
- January 24, 2022 (3:30-5 p.m.)
- Join with this Zoom link or use the call in information below.
- 1-346-248-7799
- Meeting ID: 944 4126 9214
- Passcode: 312522
For more information, contact Laurie Hernandez, WDE Director of Standards & Assessment, at 307-777-3469 or laurie.hernandez@wyo.gov.
Testing Requirement for All English Learners
- Under ESEA section 1111(b)(2)(G), all Active English learners (ELs) must participate in an annual ELP assessment that is aligned with the State’s ELP standards. The ESEA requires those ELP standards be derived from the domains of speaking, listening, reading, and writing; address the different proficiency levels of ELs; and be aligned with the challenging State academic standards (ESEA 1111(b)(1)(F)).
- The annual ELPA requirement applies to all grades K-12 in which there are ELs in schools served by the State (34 CFR § 200.5(a)(2)).
- In addition, 34 CFR § 200.6(h)(5) requires that a State administers an alternate ELPA for ELs with the most significant cognitive disabilities who cannot participate in the ELPA even with appropriate accommodations.
For more information, contact Antoinette Hallam, WDE EL Consultant, at 307-777-5217 or antoinette.hallam@wyo.gov.
Preparing for Desktop and On-site Monitoring
- Review Test Security policies, procedures, and documentation, to include: security agreements, evidence of staff training, secure material handling, and test irregularities.
- Ensure students with accommodations and supports have been properly identified and assigned.
- Prepare, submit, and update testing schedules prior to the assessment window.
- Review the Quality Assurance Checklist.
- Districts who are chosen for monitoring will be contacted by a WDE consultant and must respond promptly to emails and phone calls.
- Assessment Monitoring and Quality Assurance site visits with WDE Consultants will take place January 18-February 25, 2022.
For more information, contact Antoinette Hallam, WDE EL Consultant, at 307-777-5217 or antoinette.hallam@wyo.gov.
Test Domain Exemptions Due January 14, 2022
Each year there are a small number of ELs with disabilities for whom the disability precludes assessment in one or more domains, as there are no appropriate accommodations for the affected domain(s). Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) the federal government clearly states that all English Learners (ELs) must be assessed annually for English language proficiency in the domains of listening, reading, speaking, and writing. This includes students with disabilities. However, for students whose disabilities preclude participation in a specific language domain, districts may apply for a domain exemption on the ACCESS for ELLs assessment by completing the WDE465 application.
In determining students who might be applicable for a domain exemption, administrators and teachers must ensure the following criteria are applicable:
- The student has a documented disability or impairment (IEP or 504) applicable to the domain.
- Even with available accommodations, the student cannot engage with or access the domain.
- The 504 plan or IEP team, in consultation with the educator(s) supporting student’s English language development have established a need to apply for a domain exemption and the determination must be documented in the student’s IELP and IEP.
The WDE465 Guidebook can be used as a guide for the completion of the WDE465 application. After receiving the WDE465 request, WDE staff will review the submitted application and determine if the student is eligible for exemption. The WDE will contact the request submitter with the results.
- September 14-June 17: WY-TOPP Modulars (optional).
- December 1-February 25: WIDA AMS Test Setup Available.
- January 5-February 18: ACCESS Additional Test Material Ordering Window in AMS.
- January 11-February 4: WY-TOPP Interim Winter (optional).
- January 18-February 25: ACCESS & ALT-ACCESS Assessment Window.
- January 24-March 4: NAEP Assessment Window.
- March 1: ACCESS Deadline for Shipping Completed Test Materials to DRC.
- March 1-April 22: WY-ALT Assessment Window.
- March 18-31: ACCESS Pre-Reporting Data Validation for LEAs in WIDA AMS.
- March 29: ACT Test Opportunity 1 Paper.
- March 29-31 & April 1, 4-8: ACT Accommodated Paper Window.
- March 29-31 & April 5-7: ACT Online Standard & Accommodated Window.
- April 12: ACT Test Opportunity 2 Paper.
- April 12-14, 19-21: ACT Online Standard & Accommodated Window.
- April 12-15, 18-22: ACT Accommodated Paper Window.
- April 12-May 6: WY-TOPP Interim Spring (optional).
- April 12-May 6: WY-TOPP Summative.
- April 18-29: WorkKeys Spring Window (optional).
- April 26: ACT Test Opportunity 3 - Emergency Window Paper.
- April 26-28, May 3-5: ACT Online Standard & Accommodated Dates.
- April 26-29, May 2-5: ACT Accommodated Paper Window.
- May 4: ACCESS Reports and Data Files Available Online in WIDA AMS.
- May 20-24: ACCESS Printed Reports Available in Districts.
- June 17: ACCESS Updated Data Posted in WIDA AMS.
|
