September 2019

The Assessment team is pleased to share with you the first monthly assessment update for the 2019-2020 school year. The intent of this monthly update is to increase and streamline communication between the Maine Department of Education and school districts around all thing’s assessment related. Questions can be submitted to Eric Buckhalter at Eric.Buckhalter@maine.gov

Vision for Assessment

Assessment is an embedded component of an equitable instructional cycle, with multiple purposes for educators, students, parents, policy makers, and community members, all with the goal of supporting student growth for lifelong learning.

Data Review and Verification

In an effort to expedite the release of data to school districts, the department will be releasing assessment data for individual assessments as soon as they are available. The DOE Assessment Team is currently reviewing data sets received from assessment vendors to ensure alignment with the accountability report that was recently certified by superintendents. Once data from each assessment is verified internally, it will be provided to districts to review via Maine’s Assessment and Accountability Reporting System (MAARS) confidential portal. We are tentatively expecting all data sets to be provided to districts for review by the mid-September.

Please ensure you are signed up to receive Assessment Listserv notices and that all DAC contacts are current in NEO.

Changes to Public Reporting

As required by the U.S. Department of Education and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), an ESEA report card (ESEA Dashboard) is generated by the Maine Department of Education annually for each school and district, as well as the state. The purpose of the federal law is to ensure transparency of school performance to families and community members.

The Maine DOE will no longer distribute PDF district and school ESEA report cards for the 2017-18 school year and beyond. All ESEA report cards are now are housed within the ESEA Dashboard and readily available to educators and the general public who wish to access this information.

Currently, data from the 2017-18 school year is included within the ESEA Dashboard. Once data from 2018-2019 school year are validated by district leaders and Department staff, the Maine DOE expects to populate the 2020 Data Dashboard with data from the 2018-19 school year in late winter of 2019.

2019/20 School Year Assessment Calendar

The 2019/20 Assessment Calendar is available on the Maine DOE website, and is provided below for your convenience.

Assessment Title	Administration Date(s)	Administration Window	Method of Delivery	Intended For
PAAP - Alternate Science Task Bank	12/1/19 - 3/1/20	3-months	Task Bank	Teachers registering and identifying tasks for student portfolios
WIDA ACCESS for ELLs English Language Proficiency	1/6/20 - 2/28/20	8-weeks	Kindergarten: Paper Grades 1-12: Online	English learners K-12
WIDA Alternate ACCESS for ELLs English Language Proficiency	1/6/20 - 2/28/20	8-weeks	Paper / Pencil	English learners in grades 1-12 with significant cognitive disabilities
PAAP - Alternate Science	3/1/20 - 4/30/20	8-weeks	Portfolio	Students with significant cognitive disabilities; Grades 5, 8, third year HS
eMPowerME - Mathematics & ELA/Literacy	3/16/20 - 4/10/20	4-weeks	Online	Students in grades 3-8
MSAA - Alternate Mathematics & ELA/Literacy	3/16/20 - 5/1/20	6-weeks	Online	Students with significant cognitive disabilities; Grades 3-8, third year HS
Science - High School (HS)	3/30/20 - 4/10/20	2-weeks	Paper / Pencil	Third year HS students
SAT - Mathematics & ELA/Literacy	4/14/20 (School Day) 4/28/20 (Makeup)	2-days	Paper / Pencil	Third year HS students
SAT - NAR/SAA Mathematics & ELA/Literacy	4/14/20 - 4/17/20 & 4/27/20 - 4/28/20	6-days	Paper / Pencil	Students on a Non-Standard Administration Roster (NAR) and/or who have State Allowed Accommodations (SAA) Not college reportable
Science - Grades 5 & 8	4/27/20 - 5/8/20	2-weeks	Paper / Pencil	Students in grades 5 & 8

Maine has been selected to participate in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) during the spring of 2020. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) will officially notify the Department about selected school districts and schools for PIRLS in October and PISA in November.

NAEP Transitions to New Assessment Design

Starting with the next schedule of assessments for NAEP 2020-2030, NAEP will have a new design and sample size. NCES will implement a more efficient, two-subject assessment design. Most students selected to participate in NAEP will be assessed in two subjects instead of one. NAEP’s design will continue to feature a sampling matrix structure where students are given only a portion of content, but the new design will reduce the sample size making for a more efficient psychometric and operational design. NAEP will increase efficiency and reduce the overall time commitment for schools and students through adjustments to the assessment administration. Additional information is located on the National Assessment Governing Board website and the National Center for Education Statistics website.

1% Waiver information

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) amended a provision of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 related to students participating in alternate assessments of each State Education Agency’s (SEA’s) statewide assessment. ESSA requires SEAs to submit waiver requests to the U.S. Department of Education in the event they have more than 1% of their students participating in the alternate assessment. The assessment team is currently reviewing 2019 assessment participation data from Maine’s statewide alternate assessments. The purpose of the review is to determine the participation rates of students taking alternate assessments. The 2017/18 data revealed that just over 1% of Maine students participated in each of the content areas during the 2017/18 test administration. We are hopeful the final analysis of 2019 test administration data will result in a participation rate of less than 1%. Should data indicate Maine is over the 1% alternate assessment participation cap, Alternate Assessment Coordinator Sue Nay will be reaching out to districts with a participation rate in excess of 1% to better understand unique and influencing circumstances and to determine next steps. Additional information related to Maine’s application for a waiver for this requirement will be forthcoming.

The table below displays alternate participation rates by content area for the 2017/18 administration.

	English Language/Arts	Mathematics	Science
MEA Spring Administration 2018	1.11%	1.10	1.04

Revised Individual Student Report (ISR) format

The format of the Individual Student Report provided to school districts through MAARS Confidential reporting will be changing, beginning with the 2019- 2020 student report. The team, with assistance from parents, streamlined reporting elements in order to provide two versions of the ISR. These modifications honor feedback received regarding the depth and breadth of data provided, the purpose of the document, and the complexity of the document.

Summary ISR – one-page document

The summary ISR utilizes the format of the former comprehensive student report. The team listened to feedback from educators and the Maine Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) regarding the repurposing of this report. The Summary ISR will provide parents with an individual student performance report on the state assessment in English Language Arts/Literacy, Mathematics, and Science, as well as a comparison of student performance with the district and state.

Detailed ISR – four-page document

The Detailed ISR maintains a similar format to the prior format of the ISR. Page 1 includes the summary ISR. Pages 2 -4 provide additional content area (English Language Arts/Literacy, Mathematics and Science) data, including student sub scores.

The revised formats allow school districts to determine which format best meets the needs of parents and the school community.

Non-Participation in the State Assessment

Each year, the Assessment Team receives inquiries regarding non-participation in the state assessment. To assist districts, the team has developed the following statement/guidance regarding requirements, should they receive inquiries from parents or the community:

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is clear regarding participation in the state assessment:

ESSA § 1111 (b)(2)(B)(II) requires that all students be tested in Math, ELA and science in the state’s determined testing grades (ELA/Math – grades 3 -8, and HS; Science – grades 5, 8 and HS)ESSA § 1111 (c)(4)(E)(i) does require the state annually measure the achievement of not less than 95% of all students and 95% in each student group.

Language related to the notification of an opt-out process can be found in section 8528 (a)(2)(B) and relates only to Armed Forces Recruiter Access to students and student recruiter information. (p. 427 of ESSA). There are no further provisions for “opt out” or non-participation contained within ESSA.

It is a district’s discretion as to whether the district chooses to share a non-participation letter with parents/guardians who wish for their student to not participate in state assessments. Some school districts across the state require the parents/guardians meet with the school principal when submitting a non-participation letter in an effort to hear concerns and better understand the rationale for not participating. It also provides the principal an opportunity to share additional information with the parent/guardian regarding the use of the state assessments. Other districts require participation at the high school level as a graduation requirement. The approach varies between school districts.

Assessment Team Leader Vacancy

The Assessment team currently has a vacancy for an Assessment Team Leader. Applications are due to the Bureau of Human Resources by September 6, 2019. The vacancy posting can be located on the Bureau of Human Resources website.

Linux support discontinued for eMPowerME

A friendly reminder to districts, the eMPowerME assessment is not supported on the Linux operating system. Initial communication was provided to districts in 2016, however the 2018 administration marked the final year of Linux operating system support. Please refer to the technology requirements guidance, located on the assessment pages, for further information.

Measured Progress | Advanced Education, Inc. name change

As you may be aware, AdvancED and Measured Progress merged in 2018. On August 18, 2019 the merged organization announced a new name, Cognia. Districts and schools will not experience an interruption or change to service, however future communications regarding the assessment vendor will include the new Cognia name.

Comments or Suggestions?

Please email Eric Buckhalter at Eric.Buckhalter@maine.gov 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

Maine.gov