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Assessment and Accountability Update

October 15, 2020


GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Deadline for 2020-21 District Test Coordinator Training Modules and Survey is November 2 (REPEAT)

As a reminder, to satisfy the 2020-21 District Test Coordinator (DTC) training requirements, all DTCs must:

If you have not already watched the training modules and submitted your survey response, please make time to complete these requirements by November 2. ODE will use the survey responses to track who has watched the required modules and to develop the curriculum for the ODE-facilitated Webinar sessions. For a detailed description of DTC training requirements, please refer to Section 1.5 Training Requirements of the Test Administration Manual.

Contact your Regional ESD Partner with questions.


2020-21 Qualified Trainer Webinar Training Notice (REPEAT)

The Oregon Department of Education’s Assessment Team and colleagues from Behavioral Research & Teaching with the University of Oregon will be providing a series of online webinar trainings for returning and new Qualified Trainers (QTs). Please keep in mind that educators must have been Qualified Assessors (QAs) before they are eligible to become new QTs. The links below can be used to register for the training that best matches context and availability. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

  • Thursday, November 12, 2020
    9 - 10:30 AM (Returning QTs only; register)
  • Thursday, November 12, 2020
    3 - 5 PM (New QTs only; register)
  • Wednesday, November 18, 2020
    9 - 10:30 AM (Returning QTs only; register)
  • Wednesday, November 18, 2020
    3 - 5 PM (New QTs only; register)

Educators who are planning to serve as new or returning Qualified Assessors (QAs) in 2020-21 are encouraged to contact district and/or Education Service District assessment staff for information regarding Qualified Assessor training offerings provided by current Qualified Trainers at their district or in their region. Please contact Dan Farley, Director of Assessment, with any questions.


“Tools for Teachers” Grand Opening (REPEAT)

The new instructional resource called Tools for Teachers, developed in partnership with Smarter Balanced, is now available to help educators support their students during this challenging back-to-school season. Tools for Teachers features standards-aligned lessons and activities created by educators to enhance their instruction. These high-quality resources are flexible and accessible to meet the needs of diverse learners, whether they are learning in-person or remotely.

Tools for Teachers, along with companion Smarter Balanced resources like the Back to School Assessment Playbook and the Remote Teaching and Learning website, provide guidance on using the formative assessment process to support instruction and accelerate learning this coming school year.

Tools for Teachers was developed with a commitment to accessibility and is available free to educators throughout Oregon. The website provides access to a variety of resources, including:

  • Lessons and activities with built-in accessibility strategies that can help teachers support students’ varying needs and preferences.
  • Meaningful descriptions of grade-level expectations to help teachers monitor progress.
  • Formative strategies to help teachers identify where students are in their learning, where they are going, and how they will get there.

All K-12 educators with an active account in TIDE can access Tools for Teachers through a direct link or through the OSAS Portal. Test Administrators (TAs) automatically have access to Tools for Teachers; for users who will not be TAs, or users new to a district, ODE has created a new “Tools for Teachers” user role (TFT_SC) through which users can access Tools for Teachers. This user role can be activated in TIDE by the DTC or STC.

See the Oregon Department of Education’s Formative Assessment webpage for more information, including a series of videos, an informational flier for distribution in your district, sample resources, and frequently asked questions.

For more information, contact Andrew Byerley, Mathematics Assessment Specialist, or Tony Bertrand, ELA and Social Sciences Assessment Specialist.


TEST ADMINISTRATION

INTERIM ASSESSMENTS

2020-2021 Interim Assessments Now Available (REPEAT)

The statewide test window for the Oregon Interim Assessment System in ELA and Math is now open for the 2020-2021 school year. Schools and districts may administer these assessments to students in-person or remotely. To assist with questions regarding test administration, viewing scores and results, hand-scoring items, and Tools for Teachers refer to the Interim Assessment Guide for Administration of ELA & Mathematics, which is available on the OSAS Portal.

Additional instructions on how to administer these assessments remotely are available in the Quick Guide to Administering Interim Assessments Remotely available on the OSAS Portal.

The Assessment Viewing Application (AVA) is available to provide educators with access to the actual Interim Assessments for administrative or instructional purposes before students are tested. Please refer to the Assessment Viewing Application User Guide for detailed information on AVA. The Centralized Reporting System (CRS) is also open to view results from the Interim Assessments. Please refer to the Centralized Reporting System User Guide for detailed information on the reporting system.

As a reminder, Training Module 8 - Interims: Remote Administration and Test Security, posted by the ODE Assessment team, is required for all educators to complete before their District Test Coordinator (DTC) can provide user role access to the Interim Assessment System.

  • If an educator has completed the 2019-20 Test Administrator (TA) requirements, they will only need to provide evidence they have completed this Module 8 - Interim Assessment Remote Administration and Test Security.
  • If an educator did not have a TA user account from the 2019-20 instructional year or if the educator has transitioned to a new district which is different from last year. They must complete the reading requirements in Table 5 of the Test Administration Manual and in addition to completing Module 8, they must also complete training Modules 2, 3, and 4 available on the ODE Test Administration, Assessment Training Materials Page.

For additional questions, please contact ELA Assessment Specialist, Tony Bertrand, or Mathematics Assessment Specialist, Andrew Byerley.


SCIENCE

2020-2021 Science Interim Assessments (REPEAT)

Science Interim Assessments are now available for purchase for the 2020-2021 school year. Purchases can be made by district, or for specific schools within a district. The Science Interim Assessments are aligned to the NGSS Science content standards and include the full array of accessibility resources used for the OSAS Science Assessment, including TTS, Spanish translation, and Braille. For more information about the Science Interim Assessments, please refer to the Science Interim Assessments Information Sheet.

The Science Interim Assessments are offered at $4.95 per enrolled students in grades 5, 8, and 11. Students in grades 3 through high school are permitted to utilize the assessment bank as deemed appropriate by the school and educator. Districts or schools interested in purchasing the Science Interim Assessments for 2020-2021, please contact Margaux Nielsen or Noelle Gorbett for additional information or questions.


ODE’s Fall Calendar for the Interim Assessment Webinar Series (REPEAT)

The Oregon Department of Education will offer multiple sessions for educators to build their knowledge of the Interim Assessment System. To view specific dates and register for upcoming sessions, refer to the ODE Interim Assessment Series Informational Flyer.

After completing each session, ODE will provide educators with PDUs for their participation. For additional information on all of the sessions included in this series, please refer to the Overview of the Oregon Statewide Summative Assessment: Interim Assessment Series PowerPoint or contact Tony Bertrand, ELA Assessment Specialist.


ACCOUNTABILITY & REPORTING

Graduation and Dropout Reporting Web Training: October 15

On October 15, the second part of a two-part training series will be posted on the video training page on the district website. This training focuses on the 2019-20 NCES Dropout and Graduation and Cohort Graduation Rate validations, which will open on Thursday, October 22 in the Achievement Data Insight application. Part one in this series was presented on October 1 and focused on the Cumulative ADM Exit Adjustment process and also covered an overview of the NCES Dropout and Cohort Graduation validations. If you have any questions, please contact your Regional ESD Partners or Robin Stalcup.


IN THIS ISSUE:

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • Deadline for 2020-21 District Test Coordinator Training Modules and Survey is November 2 (REPEAT)
  • 2020-21 Qualified Trainer Webinar Training Notice (REPEAT)
  • “Tools for Teachers” Grand Opening (REPEAT)

TEST ADMINISTRATION

INTERIM ASSESSMENTS

  • 2020-2021 Interim Assessments Now Available (REPEAT)
  • ODE’s Fall Calendar for the Interim Assessment Webinar Series (REPEAT)

SCIENCE

  • 2020-2021 Science Interim Assessments (REPEAT)

ACCOUNTABILITY & REPORTING

  • Graduation and Dropout Reporting Web Training: October 15

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