 August 2023 Assessment Compass Update
The August 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, August through June, 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 to prepare for state assessments.
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Providing Score Reports to Families
School districts are required to notify parents/guardians of individual student reports in a timely manner to help families, teachers, and school leaders understand and address the specific academic needs of students.
Results for each tested student are available in the test vendor’s reporting system (e.g., Reporting System).
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Districts can use the Parent Score Report Letter templates found on the Parent's Corner page of the OPI website to create letters to accompany score reports.
State aggregate data is also available in the test vendor reporting systems and this Fall 2023 the OPI will release state-level results in the Growth and Enhancement of Montana Students (GEMS longitudinal data warehouse).
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Plan and Prepare for the 2023-2024 Testing Calendars
Place the anticipated OPI Published Test Windows on school calendars for the 2023-2024 school year.
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- ACCESS for ELLs: Dec. 4, 2023 – Feb. 23, 2024
- Multi-State Alternate: Mar. 11 – Apr. 26, 2024
- Alternate Science: Mar 11 – Apr. 26, 2024
- Science: Mar. 4 – May 24, 2024
- Smarter Balanced: Mar. 4 – May 24, 2024
- ACT with Writing: Window 1 [Mar. 26-Apr 5, 2024*], Window 2 [Apr. 9, 2024*], and Window 3 [Apr. 23-3, 2024*].
- MAST: Window 1 [Oct. 23-Nov. 10, 2023], Window 2 [Nov.23-Dec. 16, 2023], Window 3 [Jan. 1-Dec. 16, 2024], Window 4 [Mar. 11-Mar. 29, 2024], and Window 5 [Apr. 15-May 3, 2024].
The OPI will publish any changes to the test windows on the Published Test Windows. The asterisk (*) indicates Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday testing only.
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STC Workshop Series Dates to be Announced Soon!
The OPI Assessment Unit will be offering the STC Workshop Series again this fall. The workshop is currently undergoing updates and dates will be announced in the OPI Assessment Bulletin. Watch for updated information there and register early
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The OPI Assessment Unit is also working on a new STC Course in the Teacher Learning Hub. More information about the course, and how to register for it, will also be shared in upcoming editions of the OPI Assessment Bulletin.
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NAEP is Hiring!
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), or “Nation’s Report Card” is the only national measure of what students know and can do in various subject areas and allows for comparison of performance among states. It is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, NAEP has been conducted since 1969 and is often considered the gold standard in large-scale assessments.
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NAEP is hiring short-term workers to conduct the assessments between January 29 – March 8, 2024. This opportunity is ideal for retired teachers, counselors, and administrators who would like to work with a team to proctor digitally based assessment with fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-grade students. You must be available for online and in-person training during the month of January 2024 and be able to proctor between January 25 and March 12, 2024, on weekdays during school hours when work is available. NAEP offers paid training, hourly wages paid weekly, and mileage reimbursement for local driving. This is a part-time, temporary position.
If you are interested, visit http://www.WorkNAEP.com and provide your contact information. NAEP will send you an email invitation to the online application. For more information about this opportunity, email NAEPRecruit@westat.com or call 1-888-237-8036.
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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