Assessment Newsletter (Volume 5, Issue 10)

Update from the Wyoming Department of Education  |  view online |  website

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March 17, 2017  |  WDE Assessment Updates  |  Volume 5, Issue 10


Exemption Request Deadlines

PAWS exemption requests are due by end of business today, March 17.

ACT exemption requests are due by end of business day on April 19.

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.


Wy-ALT: Testing Window February 28 - March 24

  Reminders

  • One test kit per subject per grade band
  • AIR 1-888-897-8024

*See email from AIR regarding entering data into the Data Entry Interface (DEI)


PAWS: Testing Window March 6 - 24

Reminders

  • Follow test security protocols. 
  • Cover/clear classroom walls (any item that may give a group of students an unfair advantage on the assessment)
  • Implement a test material sign-in/sign-out routine
  • A student must complete all sections in one subject  before starting a new subject.
  • Notify District Coordinators regarding testing irregularities.         
  • ETS 1-877-327-9415
  • Observation visits will be conducted throughout the window. See observation checklist here.

ACT: Important Dates

April 3 - 18: (paper/pencil) Window to conduct pretest     sessions and proctor training
April 3 - May 8: (online) Window to conduct pretest sessions
April 12: (online) Deadline for Tech Coordinator to perform final system check
April 14 - May 3:(online) Window to precache test content before test day
April 19: ACT Administration (paper/pencil)
April 19 - May 3: ACT Administration Window Open (online)


ACT: Considerations

  1. Materials will be delivered on March 27th or April 3rd depending on your choice in PAnext
  2. Prearranged material pick-ups are scheduled on April 20th and May 4th depending on your scheduled test date.
  3. Students should complete the pre-test section prior to the scheduled test date. 
  4. Student data was pulled from PAnext on March 16.
  5. Call Jeremiah Barnhart 1-319-337-1386 if you have issues with the ProctorCache software.
  6. If you want to change a student from paper testing to online testing, please call Jeremiah Barnhart 1-319-337-1386. 

REGISTER: ACT Aspire Administration Webinar

You have two sessions available for ACT Aspire Administration training. Please Register prior to the training date. You will learn about the Aspire Landing page, TestNav, ProctorCache software, creating test sessions, creating additional orders, viewing status reports, and portal enhancements. 

March 21st - 3:00 pm


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March 23rd - 3:00 pm

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ACT Aspire: Important Dates

March 21: 3:00 pm Test Administration Webinar                     March 23: 3:00 pm Test Administration Webinar                     March 31: Deadline to conduct technology readiness testing April 7: Last day to create Online test sessions and set up ProctorCache                                                                   April 10 - May 3: Aspire Administration Window Open

View the ACT Aspire administration Checklist for Success


WorkKeys: Important Dates

April 3 - 7: Schools will receive paper testing materials.


ACT WorkKeys communication

WDE received a few concerns regarding not receiving emails from ACT. Here are instructions from ACT:

To ensure that your site receives all communications from ACT WorkKeys we are recommending that you add the domain “@act.org” to your email client’s whitelist; this will prevent emails from ACT WorkKeys being blocked by your email client. If you need help accessing your WorkKeys account or if you missed the deadline to order paper test material for ACT WorkKeys and need to order materials, please contact us by email at workkeys@act.org or by telephone at 800-967-5539.

 


New Assessment System 2017-2022

There are a lot of questions around the new assessment system including what it will look like and when it will be administered.  We are in contract negotiations with American Institutes for Research (AIR) for the Gr. 1-10 assessments and with ACT for the College and Career Readiness Assessments.  Once those contracts are in place, we will communicate further information to the school districts.  This will occur before the end of the school year so you can have time to plan for the next school year.  You can find some preliminary information on our State Assessment System webpage.


Further information including timeline of availability (interim), testing dates, and technology specifications will be sent to the districts once we have our contracts in place.


IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES

  • February 28 - March 24: Wy-ALT Administration Window Open
  • March 24: Wy-ALT deadline to edit student information in TIDE
  • March 6 - 24: PAWS Administration Window Open
  • March 13 - April 14: ACT Approved accommodations late consideration window
  • March 21 @ 3:00 pm: ACT Aspire Test Administration Webinar
  • March 23 @ 3:00 pm: ACT Aspire Test Administration Webinar
  • April 3 - 18: ACT (paper/pencil) window to conduct pretest sessions and proctor training
  • April 3 - May 8: ACT (online) window to conduct pretest sessions
  • April 7: ACT Aspire last day to create Online test sessions and set up Proctor Cache
  • April 10 - May 3: ACT Aspire Administration Window Open
  • April 12: ACT (online) Deadline for Tech Coordinator to perform final system check
  • April 14 - May 3: ACT (online) Window to precache test content before test day
  • April 19: ACT Administration (paper/pencil)
  • April 19 - May 3: ACT Administration Window Open (online)