INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO: 15

 

POLICY CODE:  ILBA

 

 

TO:          Superintendents of Schools, Principals, Curriculum Coordinators, Special Education

    Directors, School Health Coordinators, Title 1 Coordinators

 

CC:          Maine Assessment Portfolio (MAP) Participants, Local Assessment Development (LAD)

    Participants   

 

FROM:   Susan Gendron, Commissioner

               Coordinators of the Local Assessment Development Project

 

DATE:     August 19, 2003

 

RE:           Local Assessment Development Formal Field Test

 

            We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued efforts and support as we develop and implement Local Assessment Systems.  We are pleased to announce the beginning of the formal Local Assessment Development (LAD) Field Test.  Dozens of assessment task sets aligned with Maine’s Learning Results have been drafted in the subject areas of English language arts (ELA), mathematics, health and physical education, science and technology, and social studies.  Additionally, several integrated task sets have also been developed.  With the help of Maine teachers, these task sets have been piloted over the past year and are now ready for a formal field test.  Field test participants contribute directly to the quality of the assessments, the supportive assessment notes, the development of benchmarks, and the documentation of validity and reliability.  LAD cannot achieve its goal of providing a diverse collection of technically sound assessments, from both large and small schools representing all geographic areas across the State, without the participation of Maine teachers.  Please encourage your teachers to participate in this field test which promises to be an exciting educational opportunity.  See the enclosed flyer for additional information regarding our upcoming orientation session.

           

            Thank you in advance for encouraging your teachers to consider participating in the field test.  We look forward to working with representatives from your school districts as we continue to align teaching and learning activities with Maine’s Learning Results and develop more effective strategies for measuring achievement of the standards.  Our ability to provide districts with assessments is directly proportional to your willingness to participate in this effort!

 

 

 

If you have questions about the project, please contact one of the LAD resource people listed below.

 

Pam Rolfe, Local Assessment Coordinator                                           624-6785 pam.rolfe@maine.gov

Jana Boody, Social Studies, Local Assessment                          624-6874                jana.boody@maine.gov  

Beth Byers-Small, Mathematics and Science                                  794-6986                bsmall@mmsa.org

Linda Cote, Health and Phys. Ed, Local Assessment                          624-6686                linda.cote@maine.gov 

Marsha Cottrell, ELA (K-4), Local Assessment                          624-6783                marsha.cottrell@maine.gov 

Denice Hatch, ELA (5-12), Local Assessment                          624-6786                denice.hatch@maine.gov 

Crystal McNaughton, MMSA Project Assistant                               287-8195                cmcnaughton@mmsa.org 

Debra McIntyre, Mathematics and Science                                  338-4201                dmcintyre@mmsa.org 

Jennifer Pooler, Local Assessment Project Assistant                 624-6638                jennifer.pooler@maine.gov

Jill Rosenblum, Project Coordinator Mathematics & Science  287-6644                jrosenblum@mmsa.org

 

 

Attachments:

 

Formal Field Test Flyer

Field Test Registration Form

LAD Field Test Orientation Sessions