For the 2017 Test Administration, ACT is offering Wyoming schools two choices for administering the ACT test. It is being offered online and/or paper/pencil.

If you would like to offer online testing in your school, please review the "Manage Your Participation" email that ACT sent to you in December. Test Coordinators will need to sign in to their PANext account. If you do not have an account, please contact the ACT Helpline: 800-553-6244 ext. 2800. 

REMINDER: The testing window for ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 begins on January 24, 2017

Prior to testing, please ensure that all students’ demographic data and accommodations are correct in WIDA AMS Student Management.  For students testing on paper, verify that their Pre-ID labels are correct.  If the data is incorrect, you may still use the label, but make sure to update the data in WIDA AMS Student Management.  For detailed information on WIDA AMS Student Management, see the WIDA Assessment Management System (WIDA AMS) User Guide on the WIDA Training Course.

Online testers must also be placed in appropriate test sessions with WIDA AMS Test Management.  To check the test sessions, follow the directions below to generate a report showing the students in test sessions.

1.      Log in to WIDA AMS

2.      Click on Report Delivery>Status Reports

3.      Select the Administration and District (Select the School, if applicable)

4.      Click on the Daily Cumulative Student Status Report

Any changes to test sessions must be made in WIDA AMS Test Management.  For detailed information on Test Management, see the WIDA Assessment Management System (WIDA AMS) User Guide on the WIDA Training Course.

Your students must complete their tests before the testing window ends on February 28.

Please contact DRC Customer Support with any questions at WIDA@DataRecognitionCorp.com or 1-855-787-9615.

The additional materials ordering window for ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 will be available Monday, January 9, 2017 through Tuesday, February 21, 2017. You may order additional testing materials needed via the WIDA AMS Additional Materials functionality. Please use the overage materials provided before ordering additional materials.

For assistance with ordering additional materials, view the Managing Test Materials tutorial posted in the ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 training course on WIDA's website. You may access the training course on the WIDA home page by logging in with your username and password. Once on the My Account & Secure Portal page select the appropriate training course.

For detailed instructions on ordering additional materials, please refer to the WIDA Assessment Management System (WIDA AMS) User Guide which is located on the WIDA website or on WIDA AMS.

• January 26-27 Formative Language Assessment Jackson https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WIDAFLAJackson
• February 7-8 Engaging ELLs in Science Green River  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SCIENCEGreenRiver
• February 14-15 Engaging ELLs in Science Cheyenne  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SCIENCECheyenne
• June 6-8 Facilitator's Retreat  Laramie   https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WIDARETREATLaramie

• What's new with ACCESS 2.0 Flyer posted here: http://www.wida.us/accessprep
• Important webinar for districts testing just a few ELLs with ACCESS 2.0 online. A software overview and the Quick Start installation, also known as the All-in-One installation, of the TSM and the INSIGHT secure browser will be provided. DRC IT Staff will be available to answer questions. 

January 19 1:00 - 2:00 pm CST

http://tinyurl.com/h7hsz5b

The Wyoming Department of Education is pleased to provide Phase I & II in the Professional Development series provided by Jan Hoegh with Marzano Research, LLC. This two-day workshop is an integral part of Wyoming’s Statewide System of Support. These trainings serve as foundational components within the comprehensive instructional framework that is further developed in Phase III -The Art and Science of Teaching. 

Phase I & II participants will: • Gain an awareness of the research regarding classroom assessment • Understand the difference among obtrusive, unobtrusive, and student-generated assessments, and how to use each in the classroom. • Learn data analysis practices related to classroom assessments. • Learn attributes of high-quality performance tasks

Workshop Dates

• The Casper workshop is full.
• February 2-3, 2017: Riverton, Wyoming 
• February 27-28, 2017: Cheyenne, Wyoming 

PTSB/UW credit pending

Consistent with last year’s practice, WDE will be accepting exemption requests in the following three categories:

• Students who are expelled (or suspended pending expulsion) but still receiving services from the district,
• Students who are served in out of state placements, and
• Students who are ELLs who have been in US schools for less than a year (students must participate in the ACCESS in order to receive the exemption, and they are still required to participate in math (and science, if applicable)

The updated WDE673 form can be found here. To ensure confidentiality of these sensitive materials, the only method for submission of the WDE673 form and associated documentation is via the Wyoming Transcript Center. Faxes and mail are not acceptable methods of submission. Step-by-step instructions for the upload process can be found here.  

Exemption requests will be accepted and processed through the following dates:

• PAWS:  March 17, 2017
• Wy-ALT:  March 17, 2017
• ACT and Aspire:  April 19, 2017

Additional 2017 Administration Materials are available here.