 April 2023 Assessment Compass Update
The April 2023 OPI Assessment Bulletin April 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. 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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ELA, Math, and Science Assessment Windows Now Open!
Per the OPI Published Test Windows, all ELA, math, and science state assessment windows are currently open! Districts and schools should schedule the required state assessments to ensure all students are able to complete the assessments before the windows close.
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- ensure your schools have state assessments noted on school and district calendars,
- send parent notification letters to parents/families to alert them of upcoming assessments,
- check to be sure that all IEP and 504 Plans have been locked after editing to ensure all students receive the accommodations and/or supports they are entitled to,
- provide the opportunity for all students to become familiar with the assessment environment,
- ensure all staff who will be administering assessments have completed all required training.
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Test Completion Update
In accordance with ESSA, schools are required to annually measure the achievement of at least 95 percent of all students and 95 percent of students in each subgroup, including students with disabilities, on annual statewide assessments.
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The OPI Assessment Team conducts daily assessment monitoring to track district and state completion rates. The following charts shows overall student completion rates for each open assessment as of Wednesday, March 29th, 2023:
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Turn on Student Test Settings in TIDE
Schools must administer statewide assessments with or without accommodations based on individual student needs consistent with all state and federal laws and regulations (ARM 10.56.104). Each school must support their students with accessibility tools per the student’s educational plan.
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Verify all student information and test settings are correct in Montana Testing Portal. All test settings must be enabled in TIDE prior to a student entering the test for them to be available. All accommodations require an IDEA/IEP or Section 504 plan. This flag must be set for a student before an accommodation can be updated in TIDE. Review the Usability, Accessibility, and Accommodations Guides (UAAGs) for the Smarter Balanced, MSA, and AMSA on the Montana Testing Portal.
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New This Year! Test Completion Update Notices
New this year, the OPI Assessment Unit will be delivering regular updates via email with state assessment test completion rates throughout the testing windows.
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General notices will be delivered to System Test Coordinators (STCs) regularly throughout the testing windows. The general notices will include statewide completion rates across the assessments. As testing windows come to a close, targeted notices will be sent to schools with low completion rates as reminders to complete testing. Targeted notices will be sent to STCs, building principals, and district superintendents.
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Report Testing Incidents in the MontCAS Application
System Test Coordinators (STCs) must report all testing incidents that occur in the district in the MontCAS Application as soon as they are made aware of the incident.
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The MontCAS Application User Guide has step-by-step instructions for entering incidents, and the OPI MontCAS Test Security Manual gives an overview of what kinds of incidents qualify as reportable.
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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