WDE Assessment Updates

Will DonkersgoedState NAEP CoordinatorWY Dept. of Education

Topics

• 2014-15 Assessment System– New alternate assessment– New exemption practice

• Assessment/Accountability-Related Bills– SF0008– SF0110– HB0159

Spring 2015 Assessment• Most of the state assessment system remains

in place from 2014• Except!• Exemption practice has changed, and• WY has a new alternate assessment!

Spring 2015 Assessment• Exemptions not allowed in most states• AG’s office recommended elimination of category

of “medically fragile” due to privacy concerns • Exemption categories include (only)– Students in out of state placements,– Students expelled with services, and– Students who are ELs and educated in US schools for

less than one year• Submission process is via Wyoming Transcript

Center; no more faxes or hard copies to WDE

Spring 2015 Assessment• Search for new alternate assessment, aligned to new 2014

standards extensions in ELA and math that also integrated a science test

• WY was a member of NCSC, but that test does not include a science component

• American Institutes for Research (AIR) offers an ALT that’s aligned to CCSS extensions and has a science component– Higher quality than legacy Pearson items– Reduced burden on teachers for administration (e.g. only 25% of

students statewide will require a second scorer, and then only in math)

– TAs enter student responses into an online system and get immediate results

– Lower cost than PAWS-ALT

Future of State Assessment• Spring 2015 – (mostly) same as 2014– PAWS, grades 3-8– SAWS, grades 3, 5, & 7– Explore, Plan, ACT in grades 9-11– Compass and Workkeys for students in grades 11-

12• Spring 2016– Current plan is to continue PAWS, SAWS, and ACT– Plan and Explore will not be available in 2016

Current Bills• SF0008 – Sponsored by Select Committee

– Changes graduation requirements for students, eliminating “measure or multiple measures,” and eliminates tiered diplomas

– Institutes an assessment task force– Adopts framework for educator evaluation, changing timeline for

implementation to 17-18 for leaders and 18-19 for teachers• SF0110

– Eliminates PAWS and SAWS, instituting ACT’s Aspire in grades 3, 5, 7 and 9 in 2015-16 only

– State Board to weigh options for 2016-17 and beyond– Adds $500k to AG’s budget to defend state’s position with US ED– Requires SPRs every other year rather than every year

• HB0159– Eliminates SAWS

Questions?