Maine Department of Education Monthly Assessment Update June 2020
We recognize that school/district leaders and educators must prioritize educational continuity and access for students at this time. The information contained below is provided to ensure school and district leaders have all pertinent assessment information at this time.
Securing and Returning Received Assessment Materials
This serves as a reminder to schools whose MEA assessment materials, shipped in March, have not yet been returned to our assessment vendor Cognia, in Dover, NH. To date we have received about one half of the eMPowerME paper-based, and High School Science paper-based assessment booklets. We anticipate that beginning in June staff may be returning to schools to prepare for the summer. Therefore, we ask that this receive priority attention during the month of June. The original deadline to return materials was established for June 1, 2020.
Each Cognia assessment box contains a pre-paid return shipping UPS label. This label can be used whether you have UPS come to your school building, or if you drop off box(es) directly at a UPS location.
If you are scheduling UPS pick-up, someone must be physically available at the building or location to transfer the materials to UPS. Please do not leave the materials unattended outside the building.
If you cannot be at your building to wait for UPS to pick up and you prefer to take your Cognia MEA boxes directly to a UPS center, please contact the appropriate Cognia Service Center (eMPowerME vs. Science) to inform them you have taken your shipment to UPS.
- eMPowerME Regular Print, Large Print and Braille versions: Cognia eMPowerME Service Center (855) 652-8929 or maineservicecenter@cognia.org
- MEA Science High School Regular Print, Large Print and Braille versions: Cognia General MEA Science Service Center (866) 615-2745 or MEAScience@cognia.org
WIDA Missing Assessment Materials
All districts with missing materials were contacted the week of May 20th. DACs will be reaching out to appropriate district offices and schools to retrieve these materials. Missing test materials may include test materials and teacher administration booklets. Please make sure all secure materials are returned to DRC as soon as possible to enable complete student score reports.
WIDA Student Score Reports
Student Score Reports are available in the WIDA AMS system and have been mailed to school districts. Please check all student reports for accuracy. All score correction requests should be sent to Sue Nay at sue.nay@maine.gov. Requests should include individual state student identification numbers (SSID #) and a brief description of the inaccuracy. To protect student privacy, do not include student names.
SAT Fall Administration
The assessment team continues to receive questions related to the administration of SATs in the fall of 2020. The Commissioner’s update from April 7 shared Maine had received approval to waive administration of state summative assessments (eMPowerME, SAT, Science, MSAA, Alternate Science) during the spring of 2020, and as a result, the Department would not be requiring nor offering the SAT to the current cohort of students in their 3rd year of high school. Many of the state’s school counselors and high schools principals are aware of the availability of SAT fee waivers for eligible students but I thought it beneficial to also share this information directly with you.
Independent Fall 2020 SAT Administration:
- Schools who want to offer SAT School Day don’t need to establish themselves as a test center (this is a difference from weekend testing), they just need to order tests in the Test Ordering System (TOS) when it opens. Schools that have placed orders previously will receive an access code (currently scheduled to be sent out in the very end of May) to place orders in TOS when it opens. If a school is not able to access TOS or order tests, they can reach out to SAT School Day customer service for assistance. College Board will send out an email in early June when the Test Ordering Site opens. Questions can be submitted by the College Board - SAT School Day SATSchoolDaySupport@collegeboard.org 1-855-373-6387
- If school would like to independently administer the SAT on a school day (school day administration) below are the associated costs:
- $8 w/o essay (students meeting F & RL eligibility)
- $15 with essay (students meeting F& RL eligibility)
- $52 w/o essay (full pay F & RL -ineligible)
- $68 with essay (full pay F & RL -ineligible)
- Identified SAT school day administration dates for fall of 2020 are:
- 9/23/2020
- 10/14/2020 (also PSAT day)
- 10/28/2020 (makeup)
- Schools are encouraged to submit an accurate count of assessments needed to avoid additional fees related to unused tests.
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.
NCES released U.S. Highlighted Results from the 2018 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) Financial Literacy assessment
PISA 2018 assessed students' science, reading, and mathematics literacy in about 80 countries and education systems. Reading was the focal subject of the 2018 data collection, as it was in 2009. PISA 2018 also included the optional assessment of financial literacy which the United States administered. Data from the core 2018 reading, mathematics, science literacy, and financial literacy assessment are now available. A recording of the release event can be found on the OECD YouTube channel and website The US highlights, a full report, more about PISA, and released items are located on the OECD PISA webpage.
Professional Learning Opportunities
To best support educators during extended school closures, Maine DOE content area specialists have scheduled a series of professional learning opportunities. During these sessions, our specialists will be available to provide support and guidance regarding distance learning, as well as to facilitate networking and resource sharing between educators. Information on the meetings and hours is updated weekly. The Department webpage contains all meeting information for educators and educational technicians.
General Reminders
Please ensure all DAC contacts and other contacts are current in NEO. 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.
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 – 624-6707
Assessment Coordinator (eMPowerME, SAT, Science)
Nancy Godfrey – 624-6775
National & International Assessment Coordinator (NAEP, PISA, PIRLS, TIMSS)
Dr. Regina Lewis – 624-6715
Interim Alternate Assessment Contact (MSAA, SAA)
Erin Frazier, Director of Special Services 624-6737
WIDA Coordinator ( ACCESS for ELS, Alternate ACCESS for ELS)
Vacant - 624-6774 (Telephone messages will be checked periodically)
Assessment Team Management Analyst
Cheryl Brackett, 624-6770