Impact to Spring Assessments 2021
The US Department of Education (US DOE), in their September 3, 2020 letter to state chiefs indicated state requests to waive assessments for 2021 will not be considered at this time. As a result, and due to the amount of preparation required by both the Department and Maine school districts to administer the assessments, the Maine Department of Education assessment team continues to plan for a spring 2021 administration as required by ESSA. Should the US DOE indicate waivers will be accepted and considered Maine, will adjust course as necessary. This means assessment administration for the ACCESS, Alternate ACCESS, Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA – Math and ELA/Literacy), Science and Science Alternate Assessment (SAA) remain unchanged at this time. Assessment window dates are located on the Assessment Calendar. We will communicate additional information as soon as it becomes available.
We are receiving an influx of questions regarding the administration of a math and ELA/Literacy assessment for students in grades 3-8 and 3rd year in High School. The Department continues to explore alternate options to such an assessment. Of primary concern is ensuring Maine educators have immediate access to student level data in order to inform student instructional decision making. Stay tuned for more information.
As a reminder, the Department recently concluded a Request for Proposals (RFP) resulting in the conditional award of a science contract to New Meridian. We are in the process of contract development and will share additional information when it becomes available.
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Spring 2021
As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to increase and affect educational systems across the country, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Commissioner, with support of the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), has decided to postpone the NAEP 2021 assessments. This postponement of NAEP assessment administration was shared in a letter to state Chiefs on November 24, 2020. More detailed information from NCES and Commissioner Woodworth is available on the NCES website.
Thank you to all of the schools and districts that have worked diligently to provide information about your schools, the mode of student learning, and the associated COVID-19 policies. It is this information that aided with informing NCES and NAGB of the necessity of the decision to postpone the assessment. While the assessment has been postponed, NCES continues to believe the exploration of educational experiences within the context of the pandemic might still be valuable to states and districts for 2021. NCES is considering delivering the NAEP questionnaires, containing questions related to the impact of the pandemic, to teachers and administrators. Additional information pertaining to the questionnaires will be provided as it becomes available.
Upcoming Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) release
TIMSS 2019 International results in mathematics and science to be released on December 8, 2020. Monitor the TIMSS website for additional updates.
WIDA ACCESS for ELLs and Alternate ACCESS for ELLs
In response to feedback from schools and districts, the ACCESS for ELLs and Alternate ACCESS for ELLs assessment window has now been extended. The assessment window will now be open from 1/11/21 – 4/16/21, adding an additional six weeks for the administration.
The ACCESS for ELLs Overview webinar, from 11/12, is now available as a recording!
To view the webinar, here are the steps:
- Log in to the WIDA Secure Portal
- Go to Download Library
- Scroll down to state/district webinars [right hand side]
- The first two choices are the webinar packet and the webinar recording.
As always, please reach out to Jodi Bossio-Smith or April Perkins if you have questions!
The WIDA Secure Portal continually updates resources to support schools and districts in their planning for ACCESS 20-21 administration, including:
- Technology support for test administrators
- Assessment Best Practices During COVID-19
- Tier Placement Protocol
Mark your Calendar: December ACCESS for ELLs Q&A Webinars |
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Please join WIDA and DRC to learn about the following ACCESS for ELLs topics:
More information and login details can be found on the WIDA Q&A Webinar Schedule. Can’t make it? WIDA Q&A Webinars are recorded and posted to the Secure Portal Download Library within a week of the presentation. |
Facilitator Toolkit Updates for 2020-21
WIDA has updated the content included in the Facilitator Toolkit for SEAs and LEAs to use in local training for ACCESS for ELLs and WIDA Screener. These PowerPoint slides include the most commonly requested assessment training slides and can be easily integrated into existing presentations to support local training. The slides are available to download in the WIDA Secure Portal, by navigating to the Facilitator Toolkit Training Materials.
As always – please reach out to Jodi Bossio-Smith or April Perkins if you have questions!
General Reminders
As an ongoing reminder, please ensure all District Assessment Coordinator (DAC) contacts and other contacts are current in NEO are accurate. In this time of uncertainty and adaptation, it is imperative that all contacts be accurate and up to date. This will provide Maine DOE personnel the ability to contact the appropriate person in order to share applicable and important information in a timely manner. Such roles are listed in the DOE NEO Dashboard SuperSearch, which requires no login credentials. If a DAC needs to be updated/changed, follow the steps outlined here (login credentials required).
Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA)
The new and improved MSAA website is up and running – and soliciting feedback! The goal of the website is to serve as an information/resource center for educators and families. Please feel free to send your thoughts, feedback and questions to alternate assessment coordinator Jodi Bossio-Smith at jodi.bossio-smith@maine.gov.
MSAA Technical Requirements and Operating System for 2021– Please share with your district technology directors!
The MSAA Consortium members were informed by the assessment vendor on 9/30/20 that Microsoft has ended support for Windows 7. As a result, Windows 7 has been removed from the MSAA Systems' list of supported operating systems for the Spring 2021 administration. For more information about the MSAA/SAA technological requirements, please refer to the MSAA system website. With additional questions regarding the removal of Windows 7 as a supported operating system, please reach out to jodi.bossio-smith@maine.gov.
Alternate Assessment Participation and Action Planning
Many thanks to the many districts that have reached out with questions regarding the 1% action planning/justification process. As a reminder, action plans should be returned by December 1st to: Jodi.bossio-smith@maine.gov. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with further questions or concerns.
Upcoming Data Deadlines
- Student Enrollment should be updated prior to the holiday break. During the first week of January student enrollment data will be used to update rosters for students eligible for upcoming assessments. The administration windows for ACCESS for ELLs, ALT ACCESS for ELLs, begin in January.
Professional Learning Opportunities
The new Maine DOE professional learning calendar is now available on the Maine DOE website. There are many opportunities for professional learning available to Maine educators. The new calendar has increased functionality including a search feature.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources for Schools
Department and Commissioner updates related to the COVID-19 pandemic are available for schools. Please also note a resource page for families contains updates materials and resources.
Supports & Resources:
- YouTube – assessment playlist currently under development
- The assessment webpages are you best source of assessment related information. As information related to administration is constantly evolving, the most up to date information and resources will be added to the website. Please ensure you are checking the website frequently to access the most up to date information.
- The following documents have been updated for the 2021 Spring assessment administration:
Teachers, district test coordinators may sign up to receive Assessment Listserv notices for general assessments and for the Alternate Assessment Listserv. For those looking for notifications regarding the ACCESS / Alternate ACCESS for ELLs, please subscribe to the ESL Communication list. Please use the following links to subscribe:
General Assessment (MEA) Listserv
WIDA/ACCESS English Learner Listserv
Shifting the Culture of Assessment
Over the summer months, the team has been working hard with the help of an intern to develop information and infographics to support understanding about Maine’s summative assessments, their purpose and how educators utilize provided data. With this in mind, you’ll notice that the assessment team is removing “test” terminology and replacing it with the term “assessment.” This change in terminology reflects the intent of an assessment – to assess where a student is performing in relation to state expectations at a single point in time. Over the coming months, you will see changes in this language in the Departments Test Administration Manuals (TAMs) now the Assessment Administration Manual, Test Security Handbook now the Assessment Security Handbook, Test Security Agreements, now Assessment Security Agreements and other documents. You will not see changes related to language within the assessment platforms or consortium related documents and manuals at this time. This is a more long-term project and will be implemented gradually.
Comments or Suggestions?
Please email Janette Kirk with any comments, questions or suggestions regarding the monthly assessment update. We welcome feedback that helps us to support and clarify our work together.
Assessment Team Contact Information
Interim Assessment Team Leader
Janette Kirk – 441-2958
Assessment Coordinator (Assessment Coordinator)
Nancy Godfrey – 530-1273
National & International Assessment Coordinator (NAEP, PISA, PIRLS, TIMSS)
Dr. Regina Lewis – 530-1355
Alternate Assessment Coordinator (MSAA, SAA) &
WIDA Coordinator (ACCESS for ELs, Alternate ACCESS for ELs)
Jodi Bossio-Smith – 530-1462
Assessment Team Management Analyst
Cheryl Brackett, 446-3019
Data Analyst
Varun Motay 530-1368