September 2023 Assessment Compass Update
The September 2023 OPI Assessment Bulletin has been posted.
The OPI Assessment Bulletin is designed for System Test Coordinators (STCs), subscribers, and any school personnel with a responsibility to administer state assessments. It is 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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Contact Updates for New System Test Coordinators
New System Test Coordinators (STCs) should contact the OPI Assessment Unit to ensure proper access to state assessment portals. Confirmation from the district Authorized Representative will be required prior to providing access to student level data in the portals.
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The MontCAS Test Security Collection Schedule for the 2023-2024 school year has been published. STCs should review the schedule and plan for the district accordingly. Direct questions to the OPI Assessment Help Desk at OPIAssessmentHelpDesk@mt.govor 1-844-867-2569.
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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 will be available to school districts in the test vendor reporting systems and in the Growth and Enhancement of Montana Students (GEMS longitudinal data warehouse) on September 5 and available publicly on September 12.
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STC Workshop Offered in October
Register for the STC Workshop Series! The OPI Assessment Unit will host three days of training on October 5, October 12, and October 26, 2022, for a total of 12 sessions to support new and veteran STCs with the planning, preparation, and test management needs for the 2023-2024 school year.
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The purpose of the “STC Workshop Series” is to provide each Montana school district System Test Coordinator (STC) with the opportunity to learn the “how-to’s” for each of these assessment related components. The OPI Assessment Team will provide step-by-step instructions on how to accomplish the various STC activities, share some tips, explore strategies to help complete the testing plans for the school year.
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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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.27-Dec. 15, 2023], Window 3 [Jan. 29-Feb. 16, 2024], Window 4 [Mar. 11-Apr. 5, 2024], and Window 5 [Apr. 15-May 10, 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.
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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