February 2023 Assessment Compass Update
The February 2023 OPI Assessment Bulletin has been posted. The OPI Assessment Bulletin is specifically designed for System Test Coordinators (STCs), subscribers, and any school personnel with a responsibility to administer state assessments. It is carefully crafted each month by the OPI Assessment Unit to provide timely access to key test administration responsibilities and actionable content within each of the program checklists. Also included in each issue are references to the state and federal requirements, resources to support professional learning, testing alerts and updates, and frequently asked questions. School districts are encouraged to share the Assessment Bulletin with any school staff who must be aware of these tasks and responsibilities in order to prepare for state assessments.
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ACCESS for ELLs Test Materials
In an effort to assist the field in receiving information about the English Learner (EL) status of students enrolling in their districts/schools, the OPI updated the script used to upload students to the WIDA AMS (DRC) portal for the 2022-2023 school year.
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Our office is aware that there may have been an error in the final script used that is causing students who have been properly exited from the EL program, or in some cases, never identified as ELs, to populate in the WIDA AMS portal.
If your district received ACCESS for ELLs test materials that you believe were received in error, please reach out to the OPI Assessment Unit for more information and next steps.
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Ensure IEP and 504 Plans are Locked in Infinite Campus
The ACCESS for ELLs assessment window is currently open, and other state assessment test windows will be opening soon. The full suite of MontCAS state assessment testing windows is available on the Montana OPI Published Test Windows document.
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To ensure smooth and successful assessment administrations:
- ensure your schools have state assessments noted on school and district calendars,
- check to be sure that all IEP and 504 Plans have been locked after editing to ensure all students receive the accommodations and/or support they are entitled to,
- provide the opportunity for all students to become familiar with the assessment environment,
- send parent notification letters to parents/families to alert them of upcoming assessments.
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Submit Accommodations Requests for Grade 11 Students on the ACT with Writing by February 10, 2023
ACT has extended the deadline for schools and districts to request ACT-approved accommodations for the Grade 11 ACT with Writing.
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Requests must be submitted via the ACT Test Accessibility and Accommodations (TAA) website. Earlier this month, the site was experiencing technical glitches which resulted in ACT extending the deadline for submissions from February 3, 2023, to February 10, 2023.
The OPI recommends submitting requests early to allow for additional information to be provided should ACT request it. The TAA User Guide provides information on submitting requests.
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Ensure Accurate Enrollments in AIM
To ensure all students are uploaded to the appropriate Test Delivery Portals have the AIM District Clerk/Business Office affirm the enrollments in AIM/Infinite Campus (Student Information System) are accurate and up-to-date.
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See the AIM Data Collection Schedule for information and resources to complete these tasks. Contact the AIM Help Desk at 1-877-424-6681 OR 406-444-3800 or Submit an AIM Help Desk Ticket with any questions on AIM/Infinite Campus.
Direct questions to the OPI Assessment Help Desk at OPIAssessmentHelpDesk@mt.gov, or 1-844-867-2569.
The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, Relay Service: 711.
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