1

Apr 4 2013 9:58AM

This is the Assessment & Accountability Update for April 4, 2013. You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website. In This Issue: Extended Assessments MEMORANDUM NO. 002-2012-13 ...

2

Apr 3 2013 1:47PM

ODE is seeking current or former educators with assessment expertise for the Essential Skills Review Panel. Responsibilities AESRP makes recommendations on: The phasing in of Essential Skills for inclusion in the high school diploma and...

3

Apr 3 2013 1:40PM

The spring online writing test window opens on Monday, April 1, 2013. As a reminder, only Grade 11 students who have not yet met or exceeded the achievement standard and who did not test during the winter test window are eligible to test during the s...

4

Apr 3 2013 1:37PM

Friday, April 19, 2013 is a mandatory furlough day for the Oregon Department of Education. To avoid any interruption in online testing, AIR and Regional ESD Partner Helpdesk staff will remain available to supervise the OAKS Online System. Should any ...

5

Apr 3 2013 1:32PM

ODE is recruiting new members for the English Language Proficiency Assessment Content Panel. This advisory panel will review items to be field tested in 2013-14 and also calibrate items that were field tested this year. ODE is looking for experienced...

6

Apr 3 2013 12:23PM

Scores for students who completed the English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) January 9 and January 31, 2013 were posted in Student Centered Staging and Accountability Warehouse Extract (AWE) on the ODE secure district website and also in OAKS...

7

Apr 3 2013 12:19PM

The preliminary documentation and results of the ELPA Standards Verifications workshops have entered the review period. Although originally scheduled from March 19 through April 5, ODE will be accepting feedback about the ELPA Performance Standards V...

8

Apr 3 2013 12:16PM

Due to data processing issues there will be an additional delay of 1-2 weeks in releasing 2012-13 PSAT data. The College Board is working to resolve the issues quickly, and will inform ODE of any additional delays. For additional information ple...

9

Apr 3 2013 12:13PM

ODE has contracted with Intermountain ESD to provide help desk services in support of Achievement Compacts. Any questions you may have about data definitions, due dates, or your responsibilities with respect to completing and submitting your Achievem...

10

Apr 3 2013 12:07PM

Date Event February 20- May 10 Smarter Balanced Scientific Sample Pilot Testing April 1- May 22 Spring Online Writing Testing Window April 39:00-10:00 DTC Monthly WebEx April 4 ELPA tests from January 9-31 available in OA...

11

Apr 3 2013 11:58AM

Data used to populate institution staff FTE, teacher characteristics and self-contained class size for the Staff Position and Class Size 12-13 collections will be available for review from April 4, 2013 to May 3, 2013. During this time please check o...

12

Mar 21 2013 10:19AM

This is the Assessment & Accountability Update for March 21, 2013. You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website. In This Issue: Extended Assessments MEMORANDUM NO. 002-2012-13...

13

Mar 19 2013 11:21AM

Due to additional data review, the ELPA Batch 1 results will be posted in Student Centered Staging on April 4, 2013. The results are going through additional quality control at American Institutes for Research (AIR) and ODE to ensure accuracy of the ...

14

Mar 18 2013 3:16PM

The preliminary documentation and results of the ELPA Standards Verifications workshops have entered the review period. From March 19 through April 5, ODE will be accepting feedback about the ELPA Performance Standards Verification Executive Summary ...

15

Mar 14 2013 11:22AM

This is the Assessment & Accountability Update for March 14, 2013. You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website. In This Issue: Extended Assessments MEMORANDUM NO. 002-2012-13...

16

Mar 14 2013 10:21AM

The 4th and 7th grade OAKS Writing assessments will not be returning for the 2013-14 school year. Over the past few weeks, ODE has received a strong message from the field in a variety of venues that those assessments should not be administered durin...

17

Mar 14 2013 10:15AM

The winter online Writing test window closes next Friday, March 22, 2013. Districts administering the winter online Writing test must ensure that students complete the test by the end of the day on March 22. All un-submitted online writing tests will...

18

Mar 14 2013 9:54AM

In 2012, House Bill 4165 directed the Early Learning Council and the Department of Education (ODE) to jointly develop a kindergarten assessment to be piloted in the fall of 2012 and ready for statewide implementation by the fall of 2013. On March 7,...

19

Mar 14 2013 9:38AM

Thursday-Friday, March 14-15 State English Learner Conference (Eugene) Confederation of Oregon School Administrators (COSA) Friday, April 26 Essential Skills, Alternative Assessment and Diploma Options (Eugene) Oregon Association for Ce...

20

Mar 14 2013 9:33AM

A few districts have asked whether the Spanish Computer-Based Read Aloud for the OAKS Math assessments is bilingual. Although students have access to bilingual read-aloud for some test items, the intent is for Spanish read aloud only. Due to bac...

21

Mar 14 2013 9:30AM

What is a performance task? Performance tasks challenge students to apply their knowledge and skills to respond to real-world problems. They can best be described as collections of questions and activities that are coherently connected to a sin...

22

Mar 14 2013 9:16AM

Technology Clarification to the Field During the first year of the operational Smarter Balanced testing (which will be spring of the 2014-15 school year) districts will need to have headphones for each student during the English Language Arts/Litera...

23

Mar 14 2013 9:03AM

Entering Freshman Profiles for the high school graduating class of 2011 are available by high school, district, or state at: http://www.ous.edu/dept/ir/hsprofile. The Entering Freshman Profile is created for Oregon high schools with at least fiv...

24

Mar 14 2013 8:57AM

Oregon's ESEA Flexibility Waiver removed the requirement for school and district Adequate Yearly Progress designations, but the requirement to report subgroup performance against Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs) remains. Beginning with the 2012-13...

25

Mar 14 2013 8:53AM

Date Event February 20- May 10 Smarter Balanced Scientific Sample Pilot Testing March 11-22 Class Size Audit Window March 14 Spring Paper-Based Writing Order Window Closes March 22 Winter Online Writing Test Window Closes...

26

Mar 7 2013 10:22AM

This is the Assessment & Accountability Update for March 7, 2013. You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website. In This Issue: Extended Assessments MEMORANDUM NO. 002-2012-13 ...

27

Mar 6 2013 11:46AM

ODE has posted a revision to Appendix K: Assessment of Essential Skills of the Test Administration Manual. The revised Appendix K contains the following updates: (1) added definitions of the Essential Skills; (2) reorganized the Assessment Options se...

28

Mar 6 2013 11:40AM

The spring paper-based writing order window closes on Thursday, March 14, 2013. Districts may only order tests for eligible grade 11 students who do not have a banked writing score. As a reminder, students in grades 9, 10, or 12 may not test during t...

29

Mar 6 2013 11:35AM

In the summer of 2012, ODE conducted a case study of nine districts currently using work samples as a part of their Essential Skills assessment system. The purpose was to identify various methods and strategies that districts are using in order to sh...

30

Mar 6 2013 11:26AM

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) Pilot test launched February 20, 2013 at 1:00 pm Pacific time. Testing began with grades 7, 8 and 9 in mathematics and grades 7 and 8 in English Language Arts/Literacy, in 337 scientifically selected...

31

Mar 6 2013 11:11AM

The Smarter Balanced Technology Strategy Framework and System Requirements Specifications (http://www.smarterbalanced.org/smarter-balanced-assessments/technology/) provide minimum hardware specifications and basic bandwidth calculations that will all...

32

Mar 6 2013 11:07AM

Class Size Audits will open Monday, March 11, and will remain open until Friday, March 22. The Consolidated Collections application for reviewing audits is not functioning, so you will receive a spreadsheet with the audits from your ESD Partner. ...

33

Feb 28 2013 10:38AM

This is the Assessment & Accountability Update for February 28, 2013. You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website. In This Issue: Extended Assessments MEMORANDUM NO. 002-2012...

34

Feb 27 2013 2:10PM

Will students' Pilot Test scores be available to the public? The Pilot Test is designed to be a test of the items, performance tasks, and testing system—not an opportunity to report on student learning. Therefore, schools participating in the P...

35

Feb 27 2013 2:03PM

In the coming weeks, schools across Oregon will participate in the Pilot Test of the Smarter Balanced assessments in grades 3-11. The Pilot Test will allow Smarter Balanced to evaluate the performance of assessment items and the test delivery system ...

36

Feb 27 2013 12:28PM

The new font study for the ELPA K-1 grade band debuted in January. This font study is a result of requests from the field to explore a Denealian font (like Century Gothic in the chart below) for students in the earliest grades, to more closely match ...

37

Feb 27 2013 11:58AM

The winter paper-based Writing test window closed on Thursday, February 21, 2013. Districts must ensure that all unused test booklets, including blank overage booklets, are securely shredded and that all completed tests are shipped for scoring by Mon...

38

Feb 27 2013 11:54AM

Beginning in 2011-12, the OAKS Online Math test has supported a Spanish computer-based read-aloud option for students taking the side-by-side English/Spanish Math test. Please note that the Spanish computer-based read-aloud provides a Spanish-only re...

39

Feb 27 2013 11:17AM

Date Event February 4 Last day for Staff Position Collection February 7 Student Enrollment Report for 2012-13 released to the public and Press Release February 8 DTC Kits for OAKS Paper-based Winter Writing Assessment deliver...

40

Feb 22 2013 9:59AM

Issues and Recommendations for Best Practice, a report on practices that support the integrity of test results, is now available. The report is part of a broader effort by the Department of Education to identify and disseminate practices and policies...

41

Feb 20 2013 4:53PM

This is the Assessment & Accountability Update for February 21, 2013. You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website. In This Issue: Extended Assessments MEMORANDUM NO. 002-2012...

42

Feb 20 2013 4:42PM

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium Pilot Test launched yesterday at 1:00 pm Pacific time. Testing will begin with grades 7, 8, and 9 in mathematics, and grades 7 and 8 in English Language Arts, in 337 scientifically selected schools across t...

43

Feb 20 2013 4:02PM

Class Size collection will be closing on Friday, March 1. The Audit window will be open from March 11 to March 22. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact your Regional ESD Data Collection Support Partner .

44

Feb 14 2013 5:11PM

This is the Assessment & Accountability Update for February 14, 2013. You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website. In This Issue: Extended Assessments MEMORANDUM NO. 002-2012...

45

Feb 13 2013 3:38PM

Per the 2012-13 Current Test Schedule PDF posted at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=2691: OAKS Extended Assessments are available for download after 2/14/13 in the Extended Assessment application on the district secure site: https://d...

46

Feb 13 2013 3:28PM

The winter paper-based Writing test window closes next Thursday, February 21, 2013. Districts administering the winter paper-based Writing test must ensure that students complete the test by the end of the day on February 21 (students taking the onli...

47

Feb 13 2013 3:27PM

The order window for the spring paper-based Writing test (grade 11 only) is currently open. Districts will have through March 14, 2013 to complete their orders for the spring test window. Districts may order paper-based writing tests for their studen...

48

Feb 13 2013 3:25PM

During the final quality control review of the ELPA test delivery system in January, ODE’s test vendor, American Institutes for Research (AIR), found that the new ELPA restricted resource that allows districts to exempt specified ELPA domains for st...

49

Feb 13 2013 3:24PM

Numbered Memo 007-2012-13 (Essential Skills Graduation Requirements During Transition to Smarter Balanced) was revised late last week (Friday, February 8) to include the following statement: “Note that while students are able to use evidence tha...

50

Feb 13 2013 3:24PM

At this time, neither microphones nor stylus devices have been identified as necessary input devices for the 2014-15 Smarter Balanced assessment. However, Smarter Balanced anticipates integrating manipulative media and interactive data elements for s...

51

Feb 13 2013 3:22PM

Staff Position Audits opened Monday, February 11, and will remain open until Friday, February 22. To review your audits, log in to the Consolidated Collections application and go to “Review Audits,” under Staff Collections, Staff Position 12-13 Revie...

52

Feb 7 2013 10:15AM

This is the Assessment & Accountability Update for February 7, 2013. You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website. In This Issue: Extended Assessments MEMORANDUM NO. 002-2012-...

53

Feb 6 2013 5:25PM

ODE provides District Test Coordinators, Data Submitters and Superintendents with an Assessment and Accountability Checklist which includes: Assessment testing windows for the 2012-13 school year Key events and district responsibilities related...

54

Feb 6 2013 5:23PM

The 2012-13 test window for the English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) opened on Wednesday, January 9, 2013 and runs through Tuesday, April 30, 2013. For 2012-13, as in both 2010-11 and 2011-12, the ELPA will only be available for studen...

55

Feb 6 2013 5:20PM

The revised Smarter Balanced Initial Achievement Level Descriptors (ALDs) for both Math and English language arts/literacy, which include the draft college content-readiness definition and policy framework, are now posted for review. ALDs descri...

56

Jan 31 2013 9:04AM

This is the Assessment & Accountability Update for January 31, 2013. You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website. In This Issue: Extended Assessments MEMORANDUM NO. 002-2012-...

57

Jan 30 2013 5:07PM

Districts who ordered paper-based Writing tests for the winter Writing test window will receive a return kit on Friday, February 8, 2013. This return kit includes return mailing labels, a return checklist, and an overage certification form. Districts...

58

Jan 30 2013 5:05PM

It is important that test administrators review the name, SSID, grade, test subject and opportunity number, and test settings for each student waiting to begin testing and confirm that all information is correct before approving students to test in t...

59

Jan 30 2013 5:03PM

In mid-December 2012, ODE received the initial list of schools from Oregon that were randomly selected to participate in the scientific sample of the Smarter Balanced Pilot Test. Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) has been recruiting schools since th...

60

Jan 30 2013 4:55PM

The Scientific Sample Pilot testing will take place between February 20 and May 10, 2013. Tests at different grade levels and content areas will be available during different specific testing windows within this broader window and this will determine...

61

Jan 30 2013 4:50PM

The 2011-12 Cohort Graduation, Dropout, and Essential Skills Reports were published the morning of January 31. You can find the reports at: Cohort Graduation Rate: http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=2644 Dropout Rate: http://www.ode.s...

62

Jan 30 2013 4:47PM

Date Event February 4 Last day for Staff Position Collection February 6 @ 9 AM WebEx for District Test Coordinators and others, providing an informed update from ODE staff February 7 Student Enrollment Report for 2012-13 rel...

63

Jan 30 2013 4:44PM

The last day to submit your 2012-13 Staff Position Report is Monday, February 4, 2013. The collection will reopen for Audit Review from February 11 to February 22. If you have questions, please contact your Regional Collections Support Partners...

64

Jan 28 2013 9:44AM

As announced in the May 10, 2012 edition of the Assessment and Accountability Update, the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) Offices of Educational Improvement and Innovation and Assessment and Information Services, in collaboration with members of...

65

Jan 24 2013 1:29PM

This is the Assessment & Accountability Update for January 24, 2013. You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website. In This Issue: Extended Assessments MEMORANDUM NO. 002-2012-...

66

Jan 23 2013 1:19PM

The order window for the spring paper-based Writing test opens January 24, 2013. Districts will have through March 14, 2013 to complete their spring test orders through TIDE for eligible* 11th grade students only. The TIDE User Guide includes detaile...

67

Jan 23 2013 1:16PM

The Accessibility and Accommodation Guidelines for the Smarter Balanced Pilot Tests are now posted to the Smarter Balanced portal. They are under “Additional Resources” on the Resources and Documentation page: http://sbac.portal.airast.org/Pilot...

68

Jan 23 2013 1:09PM

Smarter Balanced has launched a Pilot Test page on the Smarter Balanced website. This website is a useful resource for anyone interested in information about the Pilot Test. It contains background information about how Pilot Test items were developed...

69

Jan 23 2013 12:56PM

The technology planning framework has been updated to clarify the minimum hardware and software requirements that will allow schools and districts to evaluate which of their existing devices will support the administration of next-generation assessme...

70

Jan 23 2013 12:39PM

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) final public review is now open! This draft of the NGSS will be available for feedback from January 8, 2013 through January 29, 2013. This is the last public review period before the standards are complete...

71

Jan 23 2013 12:32PM

The Class Size data collection opened January 17, 2013. It will close on March 1, 2013. The 2012-13 Manual has been updated and posted to the Schedule of Due Dates page. If you missed the video training, a recording of it will be posted on the Video...

72

Jan 23 2013 10:24AM

Important Dates for the Weeks Ahead December 5 - January 30 Report Validation window (via spreadsheet) for: Fall Membership December 20 - February 4 Collection Window for: Staff Position January 10 - January 31 Preview...

73

Jan 23 2013 10:00AM

District Test Coordinators and other school and district staff are invited to attend monthly WebEx sessions hosted by the Office of Assessment and Accountability. During these sessions, ODE will provide updates on current issues and respond to questi...

74

Jan 17 2013 4:46PM

This is the Assessment & Accountability Update for January 17, 2013. You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website. In This Issue: Extended Assessments MEMORANDUM NO. 002-2012-...

75

Jan 17 2013 2:01PM

Amy Rockwell's son was born on December 28, and she is out on leave until April 1. If you are a region 1 school district and have an assessment question, you can continue to call her phone number (800-970-8372 ext. 1), and her phone line will ring at...

76

Jan 17 2013 11:12AM

As published last week, during the final quality control reviews of the ELPA test delivery system, ODE's test vendor, American Institutes for Research (AIR), found that the new ELPA restricted resource that allows districts to exempt specified ELPA d...

77

Jan 17 2013 11:11AM

Preview 3 of the Fall Membership report was distributed this week. This is the last editable preview. All changes must be made in first period Cumulative ADM 2012-13 by January 25, 2013, in order to be reflected in the final report. There is a f...

78

Jan 17 2013 11:10AM

The Class Size data collection opens January 17, 2013. It will close on March 1, 2013. The 2012-13 Manual has been updated and posted to the Schedule of Due Dates page. If you missed the video training, a recording of it will be posted on the Video ...

79

Jan 10 2013 9:40AM

When the 2012-13 Winter Writing test window opened yesterday, Wednesday, January 9, 2013, ODE's test vendor, American Institutes for Research (AIR), discovered that eligible Grade 12 students were unable to access the Online Writing test due to an er...

80

Jan 10 2013 9:18AM

This is the Assessment & Accountability Update for January 10, 2013. You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website. In This Issue: Extended Assessments Extended Assessment: Bra...

81

Jan 9 2013 2:21PM

The final posting of the Cohort Graduation Reports, NCES Dropout Reports and Essential Skills is currently available for preview using the secure district validation application (Report Card/Accountability Reports). These reports have been refreshed ...

82

Jan 9 2013 2:06PM

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) final public review is now open! This draft of the NGSS will be available for feedback from January 8, 2013 through January 29, 2013. This is the last public review period before the standards are complet...

83

Jan 9 2013 10:58AM

The 2012-13 Winter Writing test window opened today, Wednesday, January 9, 2013. ODE's test vendor, American Institutes for Research (AIR), has discovered that due to an error eligible Grade 12 students are currently unable to access the Online OAKS ...

84

Jan 7 2013 3:05PM

The 2012-13 ELPA test window opens this Wednesday, January 9, 2013. During final quality control reviews of the ELPA test delivery system, ODE’s test vendor, American Institutes for Research (AIR), found that the new ELPA restricted resource that all...

85

Jan 3 2013 11:38AM

This is the Assessment & Accountability Update for January 3, 2013. You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website. In This Issue: Extended Assessments MEMORANDUM NO. 002-2012-1...

86

Jan 3 2013 10:49AM

In an effort to keep districts and schools up-to-date with the Oregon Department of Education's alternate assessment transition efforts, additional information and resources have been posted to the Common Core State Standards - Alternate Assessment w...

87

Jan 3 2013 10:47AM

On January 9, 2013, ODE will introduce additional test items into the OAKS Online assessments. As of January 9, students will see approximately 5 additional test items per test compared to tests administered in the fall. These additional test items a...

88

Jan 3 2013 10:45AM

As of January 2, 2013, OAKS Online multiple test opportunities are now available for those districts with policies allowing for students to retest. High school students have up to three total test opportunities in OAKS Online Reading, Math, and Scien...

89

Jan 3 2013 10:42AM

The winter writing test window opens next week on Wednesday, January 9, 2013 for both the online and paper-based administrations. In preparation, ODE encourages districts to review the following security reminders with staff: All printed test m...

90

Jan 3 2013 10:33AM

The English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) window opens on Wednesday, January 9, 2013. This assessment is required each year for all students eligible to receive NCLB Title III services. For additional information about the ELPA, please refer...

91

Jan 3 2013 10:27AM

COSA and the Oregon Department of Education are sponsoring a State English Learners Alliance Conference, March 14-15, 2013 at the Eugene Hilton. This conference will focus on “best practices” for all English learners. Click here to register.

92

Jan 2 2013 5:06PM

Reminder - The Second Period Cumulative ADM data collection will close on Monday, January 14, 2013 at 11:59 PM. If you need assistance submitting your data, please contact your ESD Regional Data Collection Partner . More information on the Second Pe...

93

Dec 19 2012 5:06PM

The Oregon Department of Education would like to share the following update from Smarter Balanced regarding a progress update about the data reports that will be developed for the assessment. Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium WestEd ...

94

Dec 19 2012 1:49PM

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter) will administer a pilot of the Smarter assessments from February 20 - May 10, 2013. As the start of the Pilot approaches, many districts from across the consortium have submitted questions to Smart...

95

Dec 13 2012 11:23AM

This is the Assessment & Accountability Update for December 13, 2012. You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website. In This Issue: Extended Assessments MEMORANDUM NO. 002-2012...

96

Dec 12 2012 4:54PM

In the December 6, 2012 edition of the Assessment & Accountability Update, ODE announced that OAKS Online would be offline for scheduled maintenance from 5:00 p.m. on December 17 through 7:00 a.m. on January 1. ODE has since received feedback fro...

97

Dec 12 2012 4:50PM

Before distributing paper-based winter writing materials to schools for administration, districts should check to ensure that only eligible Grade 11 and 12 students are tested. Students in Grades 9 or 10 may not access the writing assessment. S...

98

Dec 12 2012 4:46PM

The order window for the winter paper-based writing assessment closed on Monday, December 10, 2012. The test window for both the winter online and paper-based writing assessments opens on Wednesday, January 9, 2013. Those districts who will be back i...

99

Dec 12 2012 4:39PM

Part III of the Test Administration Manual provides guidance to districts on how to protect student confidentiality. In particular, districts should remember that SSIDs associated with student names or other personally identifiable student data must ...

100

Dec 12 2012 4:11PM

Smarter Balanced has launched an online tool to help schools check the bandwidth of their network in preparation for the assessment. The bandwidth checker is compatible with Mozilla Firefox on computers with Windows, OS X, or Linux operating systems;...

101

Dec 12 2012 4:03PM

In order to ensure that Oregon's state educational standards stay current, ODE staff and stakeholders reviewed the Performance Standards (or cut scores) used to determine whether an English Language Learner (ELL) is making progress toward English lan...

102

Dec 12 2012 3:57PM

On September 7 and November 15, Student Achievement Partners’ Jason Zimba and Smarter Balanced Director of Mathematics Shelbi Cole presented an informational webinar about the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) to the Consortium. The...

103

Dec 12 2012 3:14PM

Smarter Balanced is working its way through 945 cognitive-lab sessions in about a dozen states nationwide (including Oregon). As part of SBAC’s item-development contract with the test-vendor CTB/McGraw-Hill, experts from the American Institutes for R...

104

Dec 12 2012 2:56PM

On December 4, Smarter Balanced released a technology planning framework for member states preparing to implement the assessment system in the 2014-15 school year. The framework, developed by Navigation North on behalf of the Consortium, provides min...

105

Dec 12 2012 2:50PM

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium will be working with schools from partner states around the country to pilot test items this spring. Smarter Balanced will be conducting both a scientific pilot and a broader, non-scientific pilot. The Orego...

106

Dec 12 2012 2:37PM

Participation, Performance, Non-Linked Trend, and Strand/Trait Reports within the Assessment Group Reports application have been updated with 2011-12 data on the secure district web site (https://district.ode.state.or.us/apps/login/) as of December 6...

107

Dec 12 2012 8:56AM

As you know, ODE is endeavoring to evaluate alternative English language proficiency assessments that may be used for students to demonstrate sufficient English language skills, as part of the eligibility criteria which then allows students to meet t...

108

Dec 6 2012 11:54AM

This is the Assessment & Accountability Update for December 6, 2012. You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website. In This Issue: Extended Assessments MEMORANDUM NO. 002-2012-...

109

Dec 6 2012 8:56AM

The TA and Student Interface of OAKS Online will be offline for scheduled maintenance starting at 5:00 pm PT on Monday, December 17, 2012 until 7:00 am PT on January 1, 2013. During this time, the Training Site, TIDE, and the Online Reporting System ...

110

Dec 6 2012 8:54AM

The Smarter Balanced Technology Strategy Framework and System Requirements Specifications provide minimum hardware specifications and basic bandwidth calculations that will allow schools and districts to evaluate which of their existing computers wil...

111

Dec 6 2012 8:53AM

The release of the second and final public draft of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is set for the first week in January 2013. In recognition of the hectic schedules in December and the approaching holidays, the NGSS staff wanted to ensu...

112

Dec 6 2012 8:50AM

The Second Period Cumulative ADM data collection opens Thursday, December 13, 2012. The collection will remain open through Monday, January 14, 2013. The data reporting period is July 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012. The Second Period WebEx trainin...

113

Dec 6 2012 8:48AM

The Staff Position training WebEx will be held at 2 PM on Thursday, December 13. See https://district.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=226 for more information. The 2012-13 Staff Position collection will open Thursday, December 20, and remain ope...

114

Dec 6 2012 8:30AM

Important Collections & Reporting Dates December 4-7 Fall Membership Preview 1 distributed to Districts December 5 - January 30 Report Validation window (via spreadsheet) for: Fall Membership December 6 (@ 2:00 PM) WebEx fo...

115

Nov 29 2012 9:04AM

This is the Assessment & Accountability Update for November 29, 2012. You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website. In This Issue: Extended Assessments MEMORANDUM NO. 002-2012...

116

Nov 28 2012 5:32PM

As published in the 2012-13 Assessment and Accountability Checklist, the delivery dates for the paper-based Winter Writing test are January 3 - 4, 2013, one week prior to the start of the Winter Writing test window. It has since come to ODE’s attenti...

117

Nov 28 2012 2:06PM

The scientific sample of schools to participate in the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter) Pilot test in Oregon have been identified, and schools that were selected to participate will be notified by ODE on November 30, 2012 via email (S...

118

Nov 28 2012 2:00PM

The Consortium released draft initial achievement level descriptors (ALDs) for feedback and review through January 15, 2013. The initial ALDs describe levels of student performance in English language arts/literacy and mathematics on the Smarter Bala...

119

Nov 28 2012 1:42PM

OAKS Online and ELPA testing will remain open on state furlough days, Friday, January 18, 2013 and Friday, April 19, 2013. Contact(s) for this Announcement Regional ESD Support Partners

120

Nov 28 2012 10:07AM

The public release date for the Dropout, Cohort Graduation and Essential Skills Reports has been moved from January 29, 2013 to January 31, 2013. This change was made to ensure adequate ODE staff is available to answer questions on the day of the pub...

121

Nov 28 2012 9:54AM

In addition to Test Administration and Security Training, any individual administering OAKS Online through the Braille interface is required to participate in the ODE-provided OAKS Online Braille Interface Training. The OAKS Online Braille Inter...

122

Nov 28 2012 9:45AM

Under Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 581-22-0617 (Essential Skills Assessments for English Language Learners), students that meet certain eligibility criteria may be given the opportunity to satisfy Essential Skills graduation requirements in their...

123

Nov 26 2012 9:57AM

In spring 2013, the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter) will conduct a pilot of the Smarter mathematics and English language arts assessments with students in grades 3 - 11. The attached flyer contains an overview of the pilot and infor...

124

Nov 16 2012 9:35AM

Important Collections & Reporting Dates November 8 - May 23 OAKS Online student scores available for Reading, Mathematics, Science & Social Sciences (including Braille interface) November 15 - 28 District Data Collection Audit Rev...

125

Nov 16 2012 9:32AM

The 2012-13 OAKS Online Reporting System deployed on November 6, 2012. To assist district and school level users in using the OAKS Online Reporting System, ODE and its test vendor, American Institutes for Research (AIR) co-hosted a WebEx training eve...

126

Nov 16 2012 9:11AM

This is the Assessment & Accountability Update for November 15, 2012. You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website. In This Issue: Extended Assessments MEMORANDUM NO. 002-2012...

127

Nov 8 2012 1:09PM

The Oregon Department of Education (ODE)'s current contract for the delivery of the OAKS and ELPA assessments expires at the close of the 2013-14 school year. On Monday, November 5, 2012 ODE posted a request for proposals to the Oregon Procurement In...

128

Nov 8 2012 11:15AM

The First Period Cumulative ADM Data Collection will be opened November 15 - November 28, 2012 to allow all districts the opportunity to review the audit report of data submitted and make corrections. The collection will be automatically open to all ...

129

Nov 8 2012 11:04AM

All "banked" assessment tests where a student took and met or exceeded on a high school math, reading, science, or writing test in a prior year have been loaded to Student Centered Staging. This includes students who took and met or exceeded the alte...

130

Nov 8 2012 10:54AM

The Video Training/WebEx “Student Centered Staging and Accountability Warehouse Extract” is scheduled for Wednesday, November 14 at 2 PM. Handouts will be available on the Video Training website: https://district.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=226....

131

Nov 8 2012 10:27AM

The Smarter Balanced Pilot test window will be February 20 - May 10, 2013. All Oregon schools will be encouraged to volunteer to participate in the Smarter Balanced Pilot Test Administration. The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium will select a s...

132

Nov 8 2012 10:17AM

The 2012-13 OAKS Online test window opened on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. Between November 6 and January 2, 2013, each student will have access to only one test opportunity per subject. Additional opportunities will become available as of January 2. A...

133

Nov 8 2012 10:06AM

Districts have through Monday, December 10, 2012 to complete their winter paper-based writing test orders for grade 11 and 12 students who have not yet met or exceeded the Writing achievement standard. Students enrolled in grades 9 or 10 may not acce...

134

Nov 8 2012 9:48AM

This is the Assessment & Accountability Update for November 8, 2012. You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website. In This Issue: Important Dates for the Week Ahead Extended...

135

Nov 2 2012 3:21PM

The First Period Cumulative ADM Data Collection will be opened November 15 - November 28, 2012 to allow all districts the opportunity to review the audit report of data submitted and make corrections. The collection will be automatically open to all ...

136

Nov 2 2012 3:10PM

The ‘Report Card/AYP’ application will now be known as the ‘Report Card/Accountability Reports‘ application. This is a name change only. The application functionality is unchanged. The application will still be used by District and School staff fo...

137

Nov 2 2012 3:00PM

The reports will be refreshed on the following days: November 1 (reflecting edits and updates submitted by October 30 at 5pm) November 15 (reflecting edits and updates submitted by November 13 at 5pm) November 29 (reflecting edits and u...

138

Nov 2 2012 2:24PM

A new Essential Skills report will be released to the public on January 29, 2013. The report will provide information about students from the 2008-2009 cohort (Class of 2012) and how they met the Essential Skill of Reading requirement. The report wi...

139

Nov 2 2012 2:16PM

New for 2012-13 -- American Institutes for Research (AIR) has purchased licenses for a new Spanish voice pack for the computer-based read-aloud for Windows machines. The new Spanish voice pack, called “Violeta,” is free for districts to use, but onl...

140

Nov 2 2012 12:53PM

The OAKS Online test window opens next week on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. In preparation, ODE would like to remind districts of the following important test administration policy changes that are in effect for 2012-13. These changes are described i...

141

Nov 2 2012 12:32PM

This is the Assessment & Accountability Update for November 2, 2012. You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website. In This Issue: Extended Assessments MEMORANDUM NO. 002-201...

142

Oct 22 2012 10:15AM

The Assessment Warehouse Extract (AWE) application will now be known as the Accountability Warehouse Extract. This is a name change only. The application functionality is unchanged. This change reflects the addition of content beyond assessmen...

143

Oct 18 2012 5:34PM

Appeals of 2011-12 winter and spring writing records are now complete and have been loaded to Student Centered Staging. Materials submitted by districts for rescoring as part of the appeals process have been returned to districts. A team of expert ra...

144

Oct 18 2012 3:44PM

Reminder - The First Period Cumulative ADM data collection will close on October 29, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. The collection will be reopened to all districts November 15 - November 28, 2012 to allow districts to verify and correct their data submission. ...

145

Oct 18 2012 3:39PM

In order to allow districts more time to validate their data for the Cohort Graduation Report, Dropout Report, and Essential Skills Report, ODE has extended the Exit Adjustment Window. The window will now remain open statewide through November 30, t...

146

Oct 18 2012 3:20PM

ODE will be hosting a WebEx on October 25 at 1 pm to review student level growth target data that ODE will be sending to districts. The webinar will begin with an overview of the growth model used for the identification of priority, focus, and model...

147

Oct 18 2012 3:15PM

A new Essential Skills report will be released to the public January 29, 2013 along with the 2011-12 Dropout and Cohort Graduation Rate reports. A preview of the 2011-12 Essential Skills report will be made available to districts through the Report C...

148

Oct 18 2012 3:11PM

Smarter Balanced is working with member states to develop comprehensive minimum technology requirements detailing bandwidth, hardware, and operating system specifications for devices eligible to administer the assessments beginning in the 2014-15 sch...

149

Oct 18 2012 3:08PM

On September 7, Student Achievement Partners’ Jason Zimba and Smarter Balanced Director of Mathematics Shelbi Cole presented an informational webinar about the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) to the Consortium. The webinar provide...

150

Oct 18 2012 3:00PM

District Test Coordinators and other school and district staff are invited to attend monthly WebEx sessions hosted by the Office of Assessment and Accountability. During these sessions, ODE will provide updates on current issues and respond to questi...

151

Oct 18 2012 2:19PM

ODE has posted recordings of the District Test Coordinator training modules to http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=2744. New for 2012-13, districts are required to use the ODE-provided training modules when training School Test Coordinators an...

152

Oct 18 2012 2:13PM

The 2012-13 OAKS Online test window opens on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. Between November 6 and January 2, 2013, each student will have access to only one test opportunity per subject. Additional opportunities will become available as of January 2. Ne...

153

Oct 18 2012 12:47PM

The order window for the winter paper-based Writing test opens Thursday, October 18, 2012. Districts will have from October 18 through December 10, 2012 to complete their winter test orders for eligible* grade 11 and 12 students. Districts may ...

154

Oct 18 2012 12:38PM

The State Board of Education has approved the ACT Writing test as an assessment option for the Essential Skill of Writing, with an achievement standard, or “cut score” of 19. Please keep in mind that this is the combined English/Writing test, meaning...

155

Oct 18 2012 12:30PM

Per Oregon’s 2010 adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and its commitment to the outcomes of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC)--to ensure instruction is aligned to the CCSS and subsequent alternate assessments are reliab...

156

Oct 18 2012 12:26PM

Extended Assessment: Braille and Large Print Ordering Information The window for ordering Oregon’s Extended Assessments in Braille and Large Print is November 18, 2012-January 18, 2013. The ordering form (with additional instructions) can be foun...

157

Oct 18 2012 12:06PM

This is the Assessment & Accountability Update for October 18, 2012. You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website. In This Issue: Important Dates for October 2012 Assessment...

158

Oct 10 2012 11:36AM

Today Smarter Balanced released sample items and performance tasks to help teachers, administrators, and policymakers implement the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and prepare for next-generation assessments. The Smarter assessments are being des...

159

Oct 4 2012 4:02PM

October 4: Final School & District Report Cards and Report Card detail sheets available on District secure web site (Preview 2 of 2) October 10: PSAT/NMSQT® test materials delivered to schools by this date October 11: Final School & Dis...

160

Oct 4 2012 3:16PM

Technology Requirements: Smarter Balanced is working with member states to develop comprehensive minimum technology requirements detailing bandwidth, hardware, and operating system specifications for devices eligible to administer the assessments be...

161

Oct 4 2012 2:55PM

This is the Assessment & Accountability Update for October 4, 2012. You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website. In This Issue: Important Dates for October 2012 Technology ...

162

Oct 4 2012 2:52PM

Educators and experts will help draft achievement level descriptors (ALDs) during a workshop October 1-5 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Smarter Balanced work group members, grade level and content experts, K-12 teachers, and higher education faculty will par...

163

Oct 4 2012 2:46PM

Sample Smarter Balanced English Language Arts/Literacy and Math Items and Performance Tasks will be released to the public on October 9, 2012. The samples illustrate the rigor and complexity of the ELA/Literacy and Math items and performance tasks s...

164

Oct 4 2012 1:40PM

On September 7, Student Achievement Partners’ Jason Zimba and Smarter Balanced Director of Mathematics Shelbi Cole presented an informational webinar about the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) to the Consortium. The webinar provide...

165

Oct 4 2012 1:35PM

Welcome Back! The Office of Assessment and Information Systems (OAIS) have developed new Assessment Updates for the 2012-2013 school year. These one page handouts are available for English Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Sciences (ELPA will ...

166

Oct 4 2012 1:07PM

During the 2011 legislative session, in response to budgetary restrictions the Oregon Legislature voted to suspend funding for the state writing test at grades 4 and 7 and to restrict eligibility to take the high school writing test to students in gr...

167

Oct 4 2012 1:01PM

The 2012-13 version of the OAKS Online Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE) deployed on October 1, 2012. TIDE manages users across all OAKS systems, including OAKS Online (for OAKS and ELPA test session set-up and administration) and the OAKS ...

168

Oct 4 2012 12:56PM

The ELPA Test Specifications and Blueprint documents for the 2012-13 school year are now posted at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=496. These documents outline the assessment and provide sample item types for review. Also included in...

169

Oct 4 2012 12:47PM

A new work sample resource sharing spreadsheet has been developed and posted on ODE’s website. The spreadsheet contains information collected from school districts that have developed work sample tasks in each of the three Essential Skills content ar...

170

Oct 4 2012 10:46AM

The First Period Cumulative ADM video conference training and handouts have been revised and are posted on the ODE training website at the link below. To locate the training, scroll down to September 13, 2012. https://district.ode.state.or.us/s...

171

Oct 4 2012 10:37AM

All "banked" assessment tests where a student took and met or exceeded on a high school math, reading, science, or writing test in a prior year will be loaded to Student Centered Staging on November 8, 2012. This includes students who took and met or...

172

Oct 4 2012 10:25AM

Preparations for the cohort graduation and dropout reports begin in October. Districts will be able to review student level data, edit their data, and see the results of their data edits to the 2011-12 cohort graduation and dropout rates report bet...

173

Oct 4 2012 10:16AM

OAKS Online test records for Mathematics, Reading, Science, and Social Sciences will be loaded into Student Centered Staging beginning November 8, 2012. Thereafter, the OAKS Online records will typically be available in Staging two days after the stu...

174

Oct 4 2012 10:07AM

The Fall Membership report is based on an extract from First Period Cumulative ADM 12-13, which is currently open. Remember that only students reported as enrolled on October 1, 2012 will be included in the Fall Membership report. A student's ADM End...

175

Oct 1 2012 11:51AM

The 2012-2013 Assessment and Accountability Checklist was updated on September 28, 2012. Important updates include: Grade 12 eligibility to take the OAKS Winter Writing Performance Assessment. Grade 12 retesting available for Extended A...

176

Sep 25 2012 3:46PM

In support of the Essential Skills graduation requirement, many districts will offer work samples as an assessment option for their students. As districts build their local assessment systems, they will need to develop or acquire work sample resource...

177

Sep 25 2012 10:15AM

The 2011-2012 Report Card Policy and Technical Manual has been posted on the Report Card Policy page (http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=24). In addition, ODE has posted on this same page a document outlining the changes that were implemen...

178

Sep 20 2012 12:33PM

This is the Assessment & Accountability Update for September 20, 2012. You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website. In This Issue: Extended Assessments CCSS and Oregon's Al...

179

Sep 20 2012 12:26PM

For TAG identification purposes (as one data point for TAG identification), the 2011-12 test scores need to be compared to the OAKS percentile conversion chart located on the ODE website at http://www.ode.state.or.us/wma/data/schoolanddistrict/testre...

180

Sep 20 2012 12:24PM

All high school entry years (cohort years) entered in Cumulative ADM must match the high school entry year assigned to the student in SSID. If you enter an incorrect high school entry year in SSID, or discover that a student's previously assigned hi...

181

Sep 20 2012 12:20PM

In preparation for its 2012–13 pilot tests, the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter) will be conducting Small Scale Trials of innovative test items from October 15 to November 2, 2012. The Small Scale Trials will be computer-administered...

182

Sep 20 2012 12:18PM

The Technology Readiness Tool is designed to support states as they transition to next-generation assessments. Since March 2012, State Readiness Coordinators have been working with districts and schools to collect baseline data on key readiness indi...

183

Sep 20 2012 12:16PM

In June 2008, the State Board of Education adopted OAR 581-022-0615: Assessment of Essential Skills. This rule requires school districts and public charter schools to administer local performance assessments on an annual basis to all students in Grad...

184

Sep 20 2012 12:09PM

The Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE) will be offline from Saturday, September 22 through Sunday, September 30 and will re-open for the 2012-13 academic year on Monday, October 1, 2012 at 8 a.m. PDT. As a reminder, all institution-level use...

185

Sep 20 2012 12:05PM

Students will have an opportunity to participate in a field test of prompts for Oregon’s Writing Assessment this November and December. ODE’s Office of Assessment is seeking students in Grades 11 and 12 to complete essays on prompts under development...

186

Sep 20 2012 12:00PM

The recruitment period for the English Level Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) Standards Verification Workshop has ended. Many well-qualified applicants have expressed interested in participating in this work. In order to facilitate the most meaningful ...

187

Sep 20 2012 11:55AM

Per Oregon’s 2010 adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and its commitment to the outcomes of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter)--to ensure instruction is aligned to the CCSS and subsequent alternate assessments are rel...

188

Sep 12 2012 8:04AM

The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) would like to share this important announcement from the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter). On September 6, 2012, Smarter awarded the contract to develop an online, computer-adaptive test delive...

189

Sep 6 2012 11:30AM

This is the Assessment & Accountability Update for September 6, 2012. You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website. In This Issue: Extended Assessments Extended Assessment: ...

190

Sep 6 2012 10:36AM

Report Cards and Detail Sheets: Validation Window opens September 20. Last day to appeal is October 4 (by 5 PM). Public release of the Report Cards is October 11, 2012. SAT Scores (opens September 13 - closes September 20). Please note the ch...

191

Sep 6 2012 10:34AM

The 1st Period Cumulative ADM WebEx Training will be held on Thursday, September 13, 2012, between 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. The training will focus on attendance and fall membership reporting. Access to the WebEx training and handouts will be posted on...

192

Sep 6 2012 10:32AM

Answering Open Questions Each week we will address a question or two on the minds of Consortium members. Send your questions to sbac@wested.org . Will Smarter Balanced assessments be translated into other languages? As part of the Race to th...

193

Sep 6 2012 10:29AM

Smarter Balanced Announces Advisory Committees on English Language Learners and Students with Disabilities National experts provide guidance to ensure assessments meet the needs of all students OLYMPIA, Wash. - August 29, 2012 - The Smarter B...

194

Sep 6 2012 10:28AM

The Title III team has received several requests for clarification of how the Flexibility Waiver approval may impact Title III programs for the 2012-13 school year. The Title III Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs) remain intact for the ...

195

Sep 6 2012 10:26AM

DTCs must register annually with ODE using the DTC Designation Form located at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=499 and participate in ODE-provided annual test security and administration training. DTCs who do not participate in annual test...

196

Sep 6 2012 10:25AM

TIDE will be offline from September 22 through September 30 and will re-open for the 2012-13 academic year on October 1 at 8 a.m. PT. All institution-level users will be deleted from TIDE on September 22. Districts are encouraged to download a file w...

197

Sep 6 2012 10:17AM

Qualified Assessors (QA) and Qualified Trainers (QT) of the Extended Assessments, please note that if you were a QT or a QA last year, your district is relying on you to maintain district capacity to administer the Extended Assessments to any/all stu...

198

Aug 23 2012 6:28PM

Smarter Balanced has contracted development of the test items for the spring 2013 pilot assessment. Currently the pilot item development has been contracted to CTB McGraw Hill, American Institutes for Research and Council for Aid to Education; they a...

199

Aug 23 2012 6:25PM

Due to the nature of some student's disability, a student's IEP or 504 Plan might exempt the student from responding to a particular domain of the English Language Proficiency Assessment (reading, writing, speaking, or listening). For instance, stude...

200

Aug 23 2012 6:23PM

The 2012-13 OAKS Online Reporting System is scheduled to go live on November 6, 2012. To assist district and school level users in using the OAKS Online Reporting System, ODE and its test vendor, American Institutes for Research (AIR) will co-host tw...