Assessment Newsletter (Volume 10, Issue 25)

Wyoming Department of Education sent this bulletin at 02/17/2023 11:36 AM MST

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

02/17/23 | Volume 10, Issue 25

WY-TOPP AND WY-ALT

Wyoming Help Desk Closures

The Wyoming Help Desk will not be available on the following dates:

February 20, 2023.
May 26-29, 2023.
June 19, 2023.
July 3-4, 2023.

Test Delivery System (TDS) Downtime

The TDS will not be available February 23-24, 2023.

2023-2024 ASSESSMENT DATES

The 2023-24 Assessment Dates are now available on the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) Assessment Calendar web page. For more information, contact Cat Palmer, WDE Assessment Supervisor, at 307-777-8568 or catherine.palmer@wyo.gov.

MEET THE NEW ASSESSMENT CONSULTANT

Dr. Elizabeth Price

Elizabeth Price, Ph.D is an Assessment Consultant in the Standards and Assessment Division. Previous to working with the WDE, she ran a small business teaching leaders collaborative communication strategies. She began her career in education while studying and teaching thinking skills and dynamic assessment in Israel. Elizabeth then worked as a Special Education teacher in California and Tennessee, as a Special Education Assistant Director in Washington, and as a teacher-of-teachers all over the USA. Her doctorate is in Educational Psychology and Research from The University of Tennessee, and her master’s degree is in Special Education from California Polytechnic University. Elizabeth is interested in helping administrators and educators efficiently use ACCESS for ELLs and WY-ALT in a dynamic and relevant way to enhance student experiences.

Dr. Elizabeth Price, WDE Assessment Consultant, can be contacted at 307-777-5296 or elizabeth.price@wyo.gov.

DO NOT SHARE WYOMING ASSESSMENT CREDENTIALS

Never Share Your Passwords

Your unique username and password is your identity in all Cambium, ACT and WIDA/DRC systems.
Sharing passwords is the same as giving away a personal identity.
Your account will no longer be secure.
Account activity can be tracked; inappropriate behavior performed by someone using your account will be traced back to you.
If someone were to misappropriate information or commit an inappropriate act while using your account, you will be held responsible.

ASSESSMENT SECURITY REMINDERS

Security is Important to Ensure a Valid Administration

All physical assessment materials must be kept in a locked cabinet within a locked storage area that is only accessible to the Building Coordinator and designees, before, during, and after assessment administration. Supervise materials closely.
Secure materials include, but are not limited to:

Paper test materials.
Test tickets.
Accommodated materials.
Used and unused scratch/graph paper.

Restrict access to the storage area to authorized personnel only and ensure the assessment materials remain secure at all times.
Determine and document which staff members are responsible for maintaining a chain of custody over assessment materials and limit access to those directly involved with each of the assessments.
Account for all assessment materials — including test tickets — before, during, and after each test session.
Ensure that students testing online do not access unauthorized computer applications, including the use of the internet, during the test.

ACT

Request Reconsideration of Accommodations by February 17, 2023

Reconsideration of Accommodations is used for accommodation requests that were submitted by the deadline (February 10, 2023) but denied.
Refer to the TAA User Guide, page 18, for additional guidance on Requesting Reconsideration.
Contact the ACT Accommodations help desk at 800-553-6244, ext. 1788, or ACTStateAccoms@act.org with any questions.

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

ACCESS/ALT-ACCESS

Student Not Tested Form (SNTF)

It is the responsibility of the District Test Coordinator (DTC) to ensure all students complete ACCESS for ELLs or Alternate ACCESS for ELLs testing.
In the event a student does not complete all, or any domain of the ACCESS or Alternate ACCESS domain tests, the DTC must complete and submit a SNTF.
SNTF submissions will be accepted starting on February 27, 2023.
If a SNTF is submitted, that student should be removed from the remaining sessions by the end of the testing window to reflect an accurate test status for your district/school.

The Alternate ACCESS Field Test

All sites should have already received field test materials.
The field test window is Tuesday, February 14-Monday, April 17, 2023.
For more information visit the Alternate ACCESS Field Test web page.
Contact WIDA Client Services Center (CSC) at 1-866-276-7735 or DRC Customer Support at 1-855-787-9615 (TTY: 763-268-2889) for any questions regarding the Alternate ACCESS Field Test.

Transcription Guidance for the ALT-ACCESS Field Test

The Alternate ACCESS Field Test Test Administrator Manual has been updated to provide clarity around transcription guidance for the Speaking and Writing domains and the number of required test administrators.
During the Alternate ACCESS field test, WIDA will be gathering written transcriptions of student responses for the Speaking and Writing domains. These transcriptions will be used by WIDA to make improvements to scoring processes and procedures.
Since the Alternate ACCESS is already scored locally by the test administrator and not by DRC, two individuals do not need to be present for the transcription process.

For more information about EL assessments, contact Dr. Elizabeth Price, WDE Assessment Consultant, at 307-777-5296 or elizabeth.price@wyo.gov.

WY-ALT

Summative Assessment Preparation

Depending on your role, you will need to reference the DTC, BC, or TA checklist.
All staff administering the assessment must read the Directions for Administration Manual.
Prepare for the Learner Characteristic Inventory (LCI) submission by working with students’ IEP team members to complete the paper version of the LCI.
Submit the LCI when the test window opens on February 28. ALT-TAs must submit the LCI in the Test Delivery System before a student can participate in the WY-ALT.
Administer the assessment within the test administration window: Tuesday, February 28-Friday, April 7, 2023.

Additional Materials Order Window

Window is open Tuesday, February 21-Friday, March 31, 2023.
Reference the TIDE User Guide for instructions on ordering paper materials.

Early Stopping Rule Guidance

Each individual item (items 1-5) for each subject must be attempted multiple times across the entirety of the testing window. During each concerted administration attempt, the ALT-TA should select the “No Response” option in the Student Interface for the item(s) that have been administered multiple times but to which the student has not responded. The ALT-TA should then pause the test and exit out of the Test Delivery System.
Multiple concerted attempts should be made by the student to answer each item, within the first five items, before the Early Stopping Rule is applied.
For more information, refer to the Directions for Administration Manual and WY-ALT Helpful Tips.

For more information about WY-ALT assessments, contact Dr. Elizabeth Price, WDE Assessment Consultant, at 307-777-5296 or elizabeth.price@wyo.gov.

WY-TOPP

Paper Materials Ordering Window and Address Verification

The Initial Paper Ordering Window will be open from Tuesday, February 28 through Friday, March 24, 2023.
Both Building Coordinators and District Coordinators must verify the district shipping address before materials can be shipped.

For more information, contact Becca Velikaneye, WDE Assessment Consultant, at 307-777-6804 or rebecca.velikaneye@wyo.gov.

SY 2022-23 IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES

September 13-June 15: WY-TOPP Modulars (optional).
January 4-February 17: ACCESS/ALT-ACCESS Additional Test Materials Ordering Window.
January 17-February 24: ACCESS and ALT-ACCESS Assessment Window.
February 7-April 10: ALT-ACCESS Field Test Additional Materials Ordering Window.
February 14-April 17: ALT-ACCESS Field Test Assessment Window.
February 17: WY-ALT Test Administrator Certifications Activated by Cambium.
February 20: WY-ALT Test Security and Statewide Assessment Administration Procedures Manual Due to WDE.
February 21: WY-ALT Materials Due in Districts.
February 21-March 31: WY-ALT Additional Paper Order Window.
February 28-March 24: WY-TOPP Initial Paper Order Window.
February 28-April 7: WY-ALT Assessment Window.
March 7: ACCESS/ALT-ACCESS - Post Testing Data Validation Webinar.
March 14: ACCESS/ALT-ACCESS - Interpreting Score Reports Webinar.
March 14: ACT Online Test Administration Training.
March 14: WY-ALT Exemption Request Deadline.
March 16: Spring Quarterly EL and Title III Webinar.
March 16: ACT Paper Test Administration Training.
March 28: ACT Test Opportunity 1 Paper.
March 28-30 & April 4-6: ACT Online Standard and Accommodated Window.
March 28-31 & April 3-7: ACT Accommodated Paper Window.
April 11: ACT Test Opportunity 2 Paper.
April 11: WY-ALT Materials Due in Districts.
April 11-13, 18-20: ACT Online Standard and Accommodated Window.
April 11-14, 17-21: ACT Accommodated Paper Window.
April 11-May 5: WY-TOPP Interim Spring (optional) Assessment Window.
April 11-May 5: WY-TOPP Summative Assessment Window.
April 12-28: WY-TOPP Additional Paper Order Window.
April 17-28: WorkKeys Spring Window (optional).
April 25: WY-TOPP Exemption Request Deadline.
April 25: ACT Test Opportunity 3 Paper - Emergency Window.
April 25-27, May 2-4: ACT Online Standard and Accommodated Window.
April 25-28, May 2-5: ACT Accommodated Paper Window.
May 9: ACCESS for ELLs Interpreting Score Reports Webinar.
May 10: Assessment Literacy PD Meeting 3.
May 18: Summer Quarterly EL and Title III Webinar.