Audra Ahumada
Deputy Associate Superintendent
of Assessments
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This year will probably be our most challenging and unprecedented year. We will be trying to balance how to move forward during a time of many uncertainties. As we all prepare to embark on the 2020-2021 school year, the Assessment Section at ADE wants you to know we will be your partner! We will be ready to adapt and be flexible wherever possible.
We have had the challenge to provide guidance and support for the entire state that is fair and consistent. We try to provide only the necessary guidance while being the most flexible for all stakeholders.
We have been asked to request another waiver for testing for all assessments for this spring (2021) due to concerns about administering tests in the spring, but a determination has not been made at this time. ADE and the Assessment Unit have been working with national partners, psychometric experts, Arizona TAC members, and U.S. Department of Education to voice concerns with testing while balancing testing requirements. We will continue to keep our stakeholders informed!
Test Security must always be at the forefront of decisions. The field has asked us to be flexible and move all testing to remote or virtual testing. This will be quite challenging for many of the following reasons:
- Our assessment systems were not built to allow access for remote testing. We are working with our vendors to see if there is a way to do this securely and fairly. One major issue to consider is reliable internet access for all students.
- Once our items (tests) are used in a remote setting, we could no longer use those items on a future test. At this point, our assessment item banks are not abundant enough to support releasing/remote testing all items used on a test. The time and cost to develop items is substantial and would also require additional field testing before new items could be used operationally on a future test.
- MSAA and AZELLA (sections or some units) were designed to be administered in small group settings and even one-on-one between the student and the test administrator. The test administrator is required to be trained and certified to administer or score the assessment. ADE has released guidance for EL Identification in these new times.
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or at the following link:
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Name the New Arizona ELA and Mathematics
Statewide Assessment for Grades 3-8!
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*The person who submits the winning name will be awarded free attendance at the 2021 Arizona Assessments Conference, valued at $425. The conference will take place September 27-29, 2021 at Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel. If the winning assessment name has been submitted by more than one person, a drawing will be held to determine the winner.
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Assessment Test Coordinator Information
ADE must receive the Assessment Test Coordinator and Security Agreement for the 2020-2021 school year even if there are no changes from last school year. All three Assessment District Test Coordinators' information is required for submission. If ADE has received this document for your district or charter for the 2020-2021 school year, then you do not need to resend it unless there has been a change since the last submission.
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Achievement Testing Mode
The Achievement Testing Mode application will open this fall. All schools will be automatically defaulted to computer-based testing for AzM2, AzSCI, and AIMS Science so only entities that wish to switch to paper-based testing will need to indicate this change in testing mode. We will send out an email to remind all District Test Coordinators when the application will be available.
Testing Accommodations
Please remind your staff to review the
Accommodations Guidelines
as they begin to work on IEPs and 504 plans for the 2020-2021 school year. They should include all instructional accommodations that will be routinely used this year in the student's plan.
Any accommodation selected for statewide testing must also be used throughout the year for instruction in class and documented in the IEP or 504 plan. For example, an accommodation for a Special Paper Version test (Braille, large print, or paper test) must also be an instructional accommodation the student uses in Reading, Math, and/or Science classes.
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Assessment Committee Meetings
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We continue to need groups of educators and community members to review test items for ELA, Math, and for the new AzSCI test.
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Educators
If you know of any educators that might be interested, please have them join our committee database. We will be looking for those interested in the content area and for teachers of special education students, gifted students, and EL students.
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Parents / Community Members
If you have friends, neighbors, or relatives
that are not working in K-12 schools and may be interested in the Community/Parent group, please have them sign up!
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Update - Science Waiver Request
ADE did receive flexibility on the Science waiver request regarding administration of both AIMS Science and AzSCI in the Spring of 2021.
More details will be coming soon!
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Tentative Science Test Windows
AIMS Science: March 22 - April 16, 2021
AzSCI: March 22 - April 30, 2021
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The AzSCI Sample Tests for students will be available in late September, with a short tutorial available for educators.
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Technology Updates
Pearson has temporarily delayed dropping support for
Windows 7 and 8.1
to ensure that students requiring distance learning due to COVID-19 can access TestNav tests, if they are running those OSs.
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Tentative AzM2 Test Windows
Paper-Based Test (PBT) Window: April 5 - April 14, 2021
(Writing must be scheduled for April 5 or 6.)
Computer-Based Test (CBT) Window: April 5 - April 30, 2021
(Writing must be completed by April 16.)
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The AzM2 Sample Test will be available on September 14, 2020.
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Technology Updates
As part of the transition to Cambium Assessment, Inc. (formerly AIR), all vendor products and services have been rebranded accordingly. The majority of these rebranding updates were implemented beginning June 12-14, 2020 and include updates to AzM2 program documentation, portal resources, user interfaces/URLs (TIDE, TA Interface, ORS) and contact information for support services such as the AzM2 Help Desk.
The 2020-2021 AzM2 Secure Browser will be available August 14, 2020. The Mobile Secure Browsers for iOS/iPadOS and ChromeOS have been released in their respective app stores. Both the ChromeOS and iOS apps will update automatically if the user already has the AIR version installed from last year. The Android SB app will be removed from that app store and the Secure Browser download page. We will be adding support for Microsoft Edge Chromium web browser (83+) for use with public browser practice tests. There will also be an update to the table which lists the supported operating systems and which Secure Browser to install. You will see the updated table in August on the portal at
https://azm2portal.org/secure-browsers.stml
.
Online Reporting System Data
This is the final year of our AzMERIT/AzM2 contract with our vendor, Cambium Assessment, Inc. All data in the Online Reporting System (ORS) must be downloaded prior to June 30, 2021. We encourage you to download data from 2015-2019 now, and then download the 2020-2021 data in late May or early June of 2021.
If you have any questions regarding AzM2, please email
AzM2@azed.gov
.
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In the 2020-2021 school year, there will be two distinct Menu of Assessments test opportunities. First, 2019-2020 participating districts and charters who were unable to administer ACT to Cohort 2021 students in spring 2020 due to school closures have been given the opportunity to sign up to administer the ACT to these students, who are now Seniors, in fall 2020. ADE and ACT have been in contact with these districts and charters with more detailed information.
Secondly, we will have our traditional Menu of Assessments test opportunity in the spring for Cohort 2022 students (11
th
graders). The notification window closed on July 1, 2020. This year, 145 districts and charters signed up to participate and to administer either ACT or SAT to over 65,000 students. If you are participating in the 2020-2021 Menu of Assessments, please be looking for the first webinar to take place on September 3
rd
. More information will be coming soon.
If you have any questions regarding Menu of Assessments, please email
Testing@azed.gov
.
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Administration 2021
We know that learning this school year looks different for students. The Assessment Section is exploring different options for test administration to align with instructional practices. Alternate assessments were specifically designed to be administered one-on-one to students; therefore, offering other standardized administration procedures for alternate assessments is challenging. We will be sensitive to the needs of students who participate in alternate assessments, especially those with complex needs regarding health and safety.
Several resources are available to support parents during distance learning in preparing for alternate assessments. The
MSAA Parent Guides
provide information on what the assessment looks like for their child such as the skills focused on and the embedded supports in the assessment. These guides are available for all tested grades in both English and Spanish. We are also developing a Parent Brochure, which will be available soon, that provides an overview of the design of MSAA along with additional resources, such as links to instructional supports and the MSAA sample item page.
Eligibility Determination and Student Selector Application
Assessment determinations/eligibility decisions are made annually at the students’ IEP meeting. Eligibility for these students should be made early in the school year, even if the annual IEP is due later in the year. The only conditions under which a student with a significant cognitive disability, the population for whom these assessments were designed, should newly qualify for participation in alternate assessments is 1) as a transfer from out of state, or 2) as the IEP team makes the determination for a student in Grade 2 transitioning to Grade 3. Students must be identified for participation in alternate assessments using the Student Selector Application, which is open in the fall.
To add students to the alternate assessment systems after the Student Selector Application closes, the Alternate Assessment Test Coordinator must submit a letter signed by the Alternate Assessment Test Coordinator and District Superintendent/Charter Holder. The letter will include a list of students’ SSIDs and an explanation for missing the students in the selection process. For explanations related to a deficiency in policy or practice, include steps the LEA will take to correct the issue.
An explanation stating that the IEP team did not make the determination that the student is eligible for alternate assessment before the close of the Student Selector Application
will not be accepted since this does not follow eligibility guidelines.
Please notify your teachers early so that they are prepared to give you their lists of eligible students this fall. Eligible students participate in AIMS A Science (Grades 4, 8, and 10 only), MSAA ELA and Math (Grades 3 through 8 and Grade 11), and Science Alternate Assessment (field test Grades 5, 8, and 11 only).
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Assessments
Both MSAA ELA and Mathematics (Grades 3-8 and 11) and AIMS A Science (Grades 4, 8, and 10) will continue to be administered Spring 2021. Additionally, we will be field testing our Science Alternate Assessment (SAA) aligned to the Arizona Science Standards that were adopted in 2018. More information on the Science Alternate Assessment will be shared in a webinar this fall.
Accommodations
Please ensure that the appropriate instructional and testing accommodations are included as you conduct the IEP meetings (
scribe, paper versions, etc.
).
Note: A paper version/administration of the MSAA is an accommodation and must be documented in the student’s IEP.
More information on accommodations for alternate assessments can be found in the
Accommodations
webinar posted on our website.
AIMS A Science Reporting Window
- AIMS A Science testing was completed and full reports are available. The reporting portal for AIMS A Science will be open from August 15 – September 30, 2020. Instructions for accessing reports will be sent to the designated Alternate Assessment Test Coordinator in a separate notification. Hard copies of student reports will be sent this month. One copy should be sent home and the other placed in a secure student file.
- The District of Residence receives these reports and will need to coordinate with the District of Attendance to share student results.
- Downloads will be available through ADEConnect for Test Coordinators only.
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Resources
The
TIES Center
has published several resources to support
distance learning
for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities within any LRE. The website includes general resources for parents and provides guidance for implementing inclusion practices
. One recent publication is a new resource for instructional planning for students with significant cognitive disabilities whether instruction is at school, at home during distance learning or in a hybrid situation.
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Coming Soon
We have two new website changes! At the end of the month, ADE will be launching a new look. The same great resources will be available on the new website with a more user-friendly layout. Also, MSAA will have its own website. MSAA resources and information will be available on the new site. Look for more information when the MSAA website is launched this fall. A direct link to the MSAA website will be posted on ADE’s new website.
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PearsonAccess
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2019-2020 Reports and Data Files
All
the 2019-2020 AZELLA Placement Test and Spring 2020 AZELLA Reassessment Test reports and student data files from PearsonAccess
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(PAN) (district- and school-level entities) must be downloaded by October 2, 2020. After this date, these reports and data files will not be available. The test administration in PAN must be changed prior to selecting Reports >> Published Reports to access the reports and data files.
2020-2021 Placement Test Administration
The Administration of the AZELLA Placement Test can begin in accordance with the expiration or clarification of Governor Ducey’s Executive Order for the “start of in-person classes," provided that all pre-testing requirements have been completed and students have been registered for the Placement Test in PAN. AZELLA tests, including KPT,
may NOT be administered prior to August 17, as not to contradict the Executive Order.
Test Administration during COVID-19
On July 2, 2020, ADE’s Assessment Unit provided AZELLA DTCs the
AZELLA Placement Test Administration Guidance for the 2020 – 2021 School Year
document outlining the test administration procedures for the Kindergarten Placement Test, the Stage II Placement Test, and the Stages III – V online Placement Test.
The Guidance document is available in the Resource Documents section of the AZELLA Training Management System (TMS) website and in the Support Documentation tab in PearsonAccess
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for the Placement 2020 – 2021 administration.
The Guidance document provides detailed information to facilitate a test administration that responds to the current situation while still maintaining the validity and reliability of the test. Please keep in mind that all AZELLA Placement test administration
must be done
in person
, in a secure test environment
(i.e., at a school campus or district office). Additionally, the Test Administrator must follow the test administration directions found in the corresponding TADs and read the scripted directions
exactly
as they appear in the TAD, unless otherwise indicated in the Guidance document.
Pre-testing Training
The AZELLA DTC and other AZELLA staff members are required to complete online training modules through Pearson’s
AZELLA Training Management System
(ATMS).
You must create an ATMS account using your work email address and
please use either the Firefox or Chrome web browser when accessing the ATMS
.
There are 9 training modules (8 for those districts who do not serve K-2 students) that must be completed. Training modules must be completed following the correct AZELLA role or category. The AZELLA DTC is required to complete the online training modules associated with the
District Test Coordinator category
. Modules completed under any other category cannot be verified by ADE and you, the AZELLA DTC, will be required to retake the module under the DTC category.
ONLY
the DTC follows the DTC category modules.
ADE reviews module completions the day after modules are completed.
The AZELLA DTC is responsible for creating and delivering an in-person
or virtual Placement Test training session
tailored specifically to your district and schools to include, but not limited to, district policies and procedures for the AZELLA Placement Test, test security, testing schedules, test materials, and reviewing the required ATMS training modules by AZELLA role or category. All AZELLA staff for the district and schools within the district are required to attend this training presentation either
in-person or virtually
. This is an opportunity for the DTC to clarify or address any questions or concerns from the AZELLA staff.
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In addition to the completion of the ATMS modules,
staff that will be administering the Kindergarten Placement Test and/or the local scoring of the extended Writing response for Stage II Placement Tests (Grades 1 and 2) need to train and qualify in the
Understand Scoring
Pearson platform. Every user must create a new account for the current school year. The keyword required for creating a new account is case sensitive
:
2021azella
.
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AZELLA Placement Tests
- Kindergarten Placement Test (KPT) and the Stage II Placement Test are paper-and-pencil tests
- Stages III-V are online tests
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Which Students Require an AZELLA Placement Test?
The AZELLA Team and OELAS have collaborated to produce the
English Learners Identification Guidance
. Please be aware that if you need to utilize the
temporary
procedures that permit the presumption of EL identification for some students, you will still need to administer an AZELLA Placement test
as soon as practicable
. Should you have questions or require clarification regarding the temporary entrance procedures or compliance requirements, please contact our partners at OELAS.
Potential English learners are identified in Arizona by the parent responses on the student’s Home Language Survey. If any of the responses on this form indicates a language other than English and/or American Sign Language (ASL), the student should be tested with an AZELLA Placement Test upon the student’s first enrollment in an Arizona public school.
Student criteria for administering a complete AZELLA Placement Test beginning at “the start of in-person classes” date, as defined by Governor Ducey’s Executive Order:
- New Kindergarten and grades 1 through 12 students that are new to Arizona and meet the eligibility requirements for an AZELLA Placement Test;
- EL students with an Undetermined AZELLA test result;
- EL students who were not administered the Spring 2020 AZELLA Reassessment Test due to school closures;
- EL students who are showing as EL Group 8 on the EL73 Report; and,
- EL students who qualify for the Moving from EL Services to Mainstream referral.
Kindergarten students with an EL need who are repeating Kindergarten for the current school year
may not
be administered a new KPT. You will use the student’s most recent AZELLA record from the prior school year for eligibility of EL program services.
The EL70 Report must be reviewed for each student enrolling in your school because an AZELLA test history supersedes an all-English Home Language Survey (HLS) and enrollment form.
All
students,
regardless of disability
, who have a non-English HLS require an AZELLA test. There are
no provisions, in either state or federal law, which would allow the exemption of AZELLA testing
for students who are enrolled in the Special Education program and require an AZELLA test.
The AZELLA DTC must submit the
AZELLA Additional Accommodations Request Form
for any student who has a documented disability (for example: deafness or blindness) that precludes assessment in one or more domains of AZELLA
prior
to administering the AZELLA test to the student. The same form must be used when requesting additional accommodations (not the Universal Test Conditions) that are listed on a student’s IEP or 504 Plan for daily instruction and test accommodations. These additional accommodations must be listed specifically for AZELLA or an English Language Acquisition state assessment.
If a district or charter does not receive state funding for a Foreign Exchange student, then the student should NOT be administered an AZELLA test, neither Placement nor Reassessment.
PearsonAccess
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AZELLA DTCs’ PAN accounts will be enabled on
August 17, 2020
to align to the Governor’s Executive Order, provided that all
pre-testing requirements
have been completed. DTCs will be able to submit an additional order for KPT and Stage II Placement materials once their PAN account has been enabled.
Student Test Registrations
- Students must be registered in PAN for the AZELLA Placement Test, including the KPT, prior to their test being administered.
Placement Test Materials – KPT and Stage II
Stages III, IV, and V do not have paper testing materials as these tests are online using Pearson’s TestNav application. The Kindergarten Placement Test (KPT) and Stage II Placement Test are paper tests, and these materials should already be stored in a locked and secure place with the DTC.
Additional materials can only be ordered through PAN by the AZELLA DTC. ADE does not have these testing materials. Your Placement 2020-2021 administration PAN account must be enabled before you can place an order for additional materials.
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Pearson sent to AZELLA DTCs, 1 plastic hand pointer for every school that serves K-2 students to aid in the safe test administration of the KPT. A plastic hand pointer is
used by the student
to point to the test book as appropriate. The student may use any plastic hand pointer, of similar length, available to the school or district that can be cleaned and sanitized according to the CDC guidelines between individual test administration. You will have the opportunity to order additional plastic hand pointers through PAN; however, ADE will only approve 1 hand pointer for every
qualified
KPT administrator who will be administering the test.
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AZELLA Computer – Based (online) Testing
Pearson has provided
TestNav System Requirements
information for the Stages III – V online AZELLA Placement Test, which should be shared with your district IT personnel.
Any headphones or earbuds may be used for the Stages III – V Placement Listening, Reading, and Writing sub-tests; however,
a unidirectional with a noise-cancelling microphone must be used for the Speaking sub-test.
The
Logitech ClearChart Comfort/USB Headset H390
is the recommended headset for the Speaking Test. You may refer to this
Headphone and Microphone
document. For non-USB headphones with microphones, the
Handheld Device
section includes information for 3.5mm single-jack requirements.
State Student Identification Number (SSID)
All students who will be administered an AZELLA test must have an active SSID. When creating a student in PearsonAccess
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(PAN) and registering the student for an AZELLA test,
an 11-digit SSID must be entered in PAN
, which means that
leading zeros must be added
to the student’s SSID number.
ADEConnect – AZELLA Reports and the AZELLA Corrections Application
All AZELLA DTCs must have an ADEConnect account with the role of
AZELLA District Test Coordinator
. Other district and school staff who require access to the AZELLA (EL) Reports from ADE must have the role of ELL for ADEConnect. Only 1 person per district can have the role of
AZELLA District Test Coordinator
. You must contact your ADEConnect Entity Administrator for this. If you already have this role and access to the EL Reports, then no further action is required.
AZELLA Reports available through ADEConnect:
- EL70 – AZELLA Student Test History Report (must be reviewed for every student)
- EL72 – AZELLA Roster Report
- EL73 – EL Student Need Report (needs to be reviewed weekly)
- Students who are identified as EL Group 8 on the EL73 Report MUST be administered a current AZELLA Placement Test immediately.
The AZELLA Corrections application is used to identify and correct matching errors between test record student demographic data and the AzEDS SSID student data. A student’s Placement or Reassessment AZELLA test record will land in the AZELLA Corrections application if the student demographics, that is the SSID, last name, first name, and/or the date of birth, that was entered into PearsonAccess
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for the test does not match exactly what is on record in AzEDS for the student. For the test record to move out of the AZELLA Corrections application and onto the student’s EL70 Report, all the student demographic errors must be fixed. You will be provided possible matches in which you can identify which student is the correct student or you can search for the correct student by the SSID number. Corrections made in this application will not be reflected in the published Pearson reports. The published Pearson reports will not be republished.
Communicating with the AZELLA Team
The best way to communicate with ADE is by email. The AZELLA State Test Coordinator and other AZELLA staff can monitor the AZELLA Inbox and respond much quicker to your inquiry or request. Many requests involve student AZELLA records research which can take some time to complete, while other inquiries may require ADE to include Pearson. During high volume testing times, responding to emails are the AZELLA Team’s priority.
- Use a meaningful subject line that includes your district name.
- Include full contact information in your signature line or elsewhere in the email.
- Include the student’s SSID number if your question is regarding a specific student. For student privacy reasons, please do not include the student’s name and birthdate when providing ADE with the SSID.
The AZELLA Team strives to respond to emails within one business day unless further research is needed.
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OELAS UPDATES
The September PELL Meeting will be held virtually on the week of September 14th, 2020.
More information to come forward from OELAS.
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NAEP Update
As of the date of this publication, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is planning for the NAEP 2021 Assessment to be administered to Grades 4 and 8 in Reading and Mathematics while also examining the feasibility of the assessment. School samples have not been released as of yet, and information is being collected on current school calendars and schedules. The Long-Term Trend Assessment for age 17 is being targeted to take place in the spring of 2021. ADE will be working with and supporting any LEA and/or school that has been selected to participate in any 2021 NAEP Assessments as things continue to rapidly change.
2025 NAEP Reading and Math Framework Update
The National Assessment Governing Board is currently leading updates to the Mathematics and Reading Assessment Frameworks for the NAEP, also known as the Nation’s Report Card. The frameworks guide development of the assessments and define what knowledge and skills are covered in each subject area assessment. Final updates to the frameworks will be reflected in the administration of the 2025 Reading and Mathematics assessments.
NAEP Frameworks:
- Are developed through a comprehensive, inclusive, and deliberative process
- Describe the content and format of a NAEP assessment, including:
- What to measure at each grade,
- How to measure it, and
- How achievement levels are to be represented
- Are written for diverse audience of educators, policymakers, and the general public
Why Update the Reading Framework?
The NAEP Reading Assessment has not yet been informed by:
- Recent standards, curricula, and instruction
- Recent research on reading comprehension and its assessment
- Latest perspectives on the nation’s future needs and desirable levels of achievement
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If you have any questions, please feel free to contact:
Mr. Gary McIlvaine Ed.S.
Arizona Director of NAEP and International Assessments
602.364.1538
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The Arizona Assessments Conference has been postponed. The new conference dates are September 27-29, 2021 at Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel. More information to come!
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The Examiner
is published electronically every August, November, February, and May for distribution to Test Coordinators in Arizona schools. Test Coordinators are responsible for disseminating information in
The Examiner
as appropriate.
Arizona Department of Education - Assessment Section
602.542.5031
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