Joint Education Interim Committee

Assessment Updates & WAEA Overview

Brent Young, Chief Policy Officer June 4, 2015

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Spring 2016 Assessment • Elementary and middle grades

– PAWS reading and math: grades 3 – 8 – PAWS science: grades 4 and 8 – Multiple choice

• High school – Aspire: English, writing, math, reading, and science in grades 9 & 10

• On-line, combination of multiple choice and constructed response • Replaces ACT Explore and ACT Plan which are not available to WY in the spring

of 2016 – ACT: English, writing, math, reading, and science in grade 11

• Multiple choice • Elementary, middle, and high school

– Alternate for students with significant cognitive disabilities, Wy-ALT, in reading, math, and science in grades 3 - 11

– English proficiency assessment for English learners, ACCESS, grades K - 12

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Timelines for Contracts • States’ procurements have been challenged in recent

months • RFP could be released for statewide assessment by July,

2016 and a new test administered in the spring of 2018 • Current ETS contract scope covers

– PAWS item development and test/form build for spring 2015 and spring 2016 AND spring 2017

– PAWS test administration, scoring and reporting for spring 2015 and spring 2016

– Extension to cover spring 2017 administration, scoring, and reporting is possible

• ACT contract is annual • AIR contract for Wy-ALT covers spring 2015 & spring 2016;

spring 2017 could be covered via an extension

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Timeline

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Oct ‘15 Task Force Report to Select

Committee

Jan – Mar ’16 Legislature

considers potential statutory changes

April – June ’16 WDE develops

RFP

July - Aug ’16 WDE releases RFP

for statewide assessment

Sept - Oct ’16 WDE receives &

evaluates responses to RFP

Nov – Dec ’16 WDE negotiates contract for

statewide assessment

Jan ‘17 WDE begins work

with vendor/districts to get ready for new assessment system

Mar – Apr ’17 PAWS, Aspire, ACT

and Wy-ALT administration

Spring 2018 NEW assessment

system implemented

Exemption Request to USED

• SEA0087, Section 6(e): “The state board, with assistance from the state superintendent, shall immediately request the United States department of education . . . to allow for administration of the statewide student assessment [every other year] to assess reading, math, and science . . .”

• Request sent on May 18, 2015. 5

WAEA Overview

• Phase I – School Accountability • Phase II – Educator Accountability • District and state assessment system changes • Established the Select Committee on Education

Accountability and its Advisory Committee

Statutory Changes Enrolled Act 90, 2011 General Session Enrolled Act 65, 2012 Budget Session Enrolled Act 116, 2013 General Session Enrolled Act 87, 2015 General Session

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WAEA Goals

• Become a national leader among states • Have all students graduate college or career ready • Increase the rate at which students learn • Reduce and minimize achievement gaps • Improve the quality of teaching and leading • Maximize the fiscal and strategic efficiency of Wyoming

education • Increase the credibility of and support for Wyoming

public education

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WAEA Phase I Framework

• Based on January 2012 report from LSO consultants and the Advisory Committee

• Established indicators of school quality to be used in a school rating system – Elementary/middle grades: achievement, growth, equity – High school: achievement, equity, readiness

• Established four possible ratings for all public schools – Exceeding expectations – Meeting expectations – Partially meeting expectations – Not meeting expectations

• Established annual reporting requirements regarding school performance

• Established system of “consequences and supports”

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State System of Support

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• Comprehensive School Improvement Plan – Plan consolidates 12 requirements at both the

state and federal level W.S. 21-2-204 (f) (viii) • Partnerships

– University of Wyoming, AdvancED, Wyoming district superintendents, local and national consulting experts: EA087, Section 7 (a)

• Combine multiple measures from both federal and state accountability models

State System of Support

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• Instructional Core – Meaningful Content & Skills

• Instructional Quality • Student Engagement

See: City, E. A., Elmore, R. F., Fiarman, S. E, & Teitel, L. (2003). Instructional rounds in education: A network approach to improving teaching and learning. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Educational Press. [see particularly, chapter 1: The Instructional Core].

State System of Support

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State System of Support

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Barber, Michael; Moffit, Andy: Kihn, Paul Deliverology 101, A Field Guide For Educational Leaders Thousand Oaks: Corwin. 2011

WAEA Phase II Framework

• Based on February 2014 report from the Advisory Committee with support from the LSO consultants

• Established frameworks for educator evaluation and support aligned with the goals of WAEA, promoting improvements in student learning so that all Wyoming students graduate college or career ready – School and district leaders – Teachers

• Established seven standards to comprise leader evaluations – Standard 1, Unwavering Focus on Student Achievement and Growth, must be

evaluated every year • Established major components for teacher evaluations based on national teacher

standards (InTASC), grouped in 4 practice domains PLUS contribution to measured student learning – Learner and learning – Content knowledge – Instructional practice – Professional responsibility

• Balanced local decision-making with statewide structure to promote flexibility while maintaining credibility of the system

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WAEA Timelines

Phase I: School Accountability • Initial pilot of school rating system developed in 2012-13; results not shared with districts • Major changes in methodology resulted in formal pilot of school rating system; pilot school

performance reports released in Fall 2013 • Inaugural school performance reports (SPRs) released in Fall 2014 • Currently on track to produce second year of SPRs in Fall 2015

Phase II: Educator Accountability • Enrolled Act 87 moved implementation of educator evaluation to 2018-19 for school/district

leaders and to 2019-20 for teachers Phase I and II: System of Supports • Currently developing a plan – with stakeholders and the University of Wyoming – to support

educators and schools in their improvement efforts

Assessment System • Enrolled Act 87 authorized an Assessment Task Force to review options for a statewide

assessment system and report findings and recommendations to the Select Committee in October 2015

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