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An archive of the weekly update for District Assessment Coordinators from the Division of Statewide Testing.

March 22, 2023 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS Testing Window Closing, MCA/MTAS Irregularities, Test Security Notification and Test Administration Report, Save the Dates! Balanced Assessment Systems and Assessment Inventory Professional Learning Series, Upcoming Opportunities.

March 15, 2023 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: March Q&A Session: General Test Administration, ACCESS/Alternate ACCESS Reminders, Monitoring MCA Test Sessions, and On-Demand Reports in PearsonAccess Next.

March 8, 2023 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: Soft Release of the MCA Student Readiness Tools (SRTs), Students Moving Into or Out of the District during Testing, Indicating EL for ACCESS/Alternate ACCESS, Science MCA Test Materials, Verifying Student Information for MCA/MTAS, and Graduation Requirements Records (GRR) System Unavailable.

March 1, 2023 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: Reminder: ARC Process Deadline is March 3, Preparing for MCA/MTAS, District Testing Calendar Reminder, Student Data Privacy When Communicating with MDE, Testing Windows and Scheduling Testing, and ACCESS Q&A Webinar.

February 22, 2023 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: Soft Release of the MCA Student Readiness Tools (SRTs), ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS Administration, and Test Administration Reminders.

February 15, 2023 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: Cell Phone and Device Policy, Common ACCESS/Alternate ACCESS Misadministrations, Updates on the Alternate ACCESS Field Test, Initial Shipment of MCA and MTAS Test Materials, PearsonAccess Next Setup and Preparation, PearsonAccess Next and TestNav Changes for 2023 MCA and MTAS Test Administrations, After Hours Testing, MTAS Administration 2023 Informational Meeting – Recording and Reading Sample Tasks Now Available and Odds & Ends.

February 8, 2023 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: WIDA AMS: Tasks and Resources, Reviewing User Accounts in PearsonAccess Next, Monitoring Training Completion, Medical Excuse Audit Findings, Upcoming Opportunities, and Odds & Ends.

February 1, 2023 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: February Q&A Session: Precode and General Test Administration, ACCESS/Alternate ACCESS Reminders, Updates on the Alternate ACCESS Field Test, MTAS Participation Documentation, Student Participation and Students in Special Circumstances and Situations, Upcoming Opportunities, and Tech Update.

January 25, 2023 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: Preparing for ACCESS/Alternate ACCESS, PearsonAccess Next: New DACs (1–2 years), MDE Review of District Test Security Procedures, and District Monitoring of Test Administration.

January 18, 2023 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: ACCESS/Alternate ACCESS Additional Materials, Procedures Manual – Correction, Upcoming Resource Availability for MCA/MTAS, MCA Testing Directions: Online, District Testing Calendar Reminder, WIDA Educator Participation Opportunity, and Upcoming Opportunities.

January 11, 2023 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: Preparing for ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS, Alternate Assessment Decision-Making and Documentation, Entering Preferred Names for MCA and MTAS, Training Management System (TMS) Dating Issue, and Upcoming Opportunities.

January 4, 2023 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: MDE DAC Test Administration Training Participation, Pearson DAC Test Administration Training, Pearson Technology Coordinator Training (Live), MTAS Administration 2023 Informational Meeting, Upcoming Opportunities, Tech Update.

December 21, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: January Q&A: Preparing for Test Administration, Verifying Shipping Addresses in MDE-ORG by Jan. 20, Preparing for Statewide Assessments: Selecting Test Administrators and Test Monitors, Odds and Ends, and Tech Update.

December 14, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: ACCESS Materials Ordering Closes Dec. 16, Staff Training Requirements, Alternate ACCESS Field Test FAQ Resource, Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) Participation Documentation, October 1 Filter, Upcoming Opportunities.

December 7, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: Register for In-Person Training by Thursday, MCA Testing Directions, MTAS Manual and Forms, Submitting Security Violations to MDE, Spring 2023 MCA Infrastructure Readiness Checklist, Upcoming Opportunities, Odds and Ends, Tech Update.

November 30, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: DAC Test Administration Training: Registration, Preparing for ACCESS/Alternate ACCESS, Upcoming Opportunities, Odds and Ends.

November 23, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: November Q&A Session 2: Pretest Editing, Test Administration Training: Save the Date, December Q&A Session: Save the Date, Preparing for the ACCESS/Alternate ACCESS Testing Window, Pretest Editing in Test WES for MCA/MTAS Preparation, Upcoming Opportunities, Odds and Ends.

November 16, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: November Q&A Session 2: Pretest Editing, MCA Supports for Students with Dyslexia, Test Security Training: Options and Documentation, Required Distribution of Individual Student Reports (ISRs), WIDA Supported System Requirements, Upcoming Opportunities, Odds and Ends, and Tech Update.

November 9, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: WIDA Accounts, Additional Assessment Data Available, Upcoming Opportunities, and Odds and Ends.

November 2, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: November Q&A Session 1: Training Preparation, Alternate ACCESS Field Test – Test Administrator Manual Updates, Upcoming Opportunities, Odds and Ends.

October 26, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: MCA/MTAS Student Result Labels Additional Reprint, 2022–23 Accessibility and Accommodations Updates for ACCESS/Alternate ACCESS.

October 19, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: Required Distribution of Individual Student Reports (ISRs), Student Data Privacy, User Account Management in PearsonAccess Next, Upcoming Opportunities.

October 12, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: New DAC Orientation, October Q&A Session: DAC Roles and Yearly Overview, and Odds and Ends.

October 5, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: New DAC Orientation, District Testing Calendar Reminder, Statewide Testing Participation for Students with IEPs or 504 Plans, Deadline for MCA and MTAS Late Score Entry or Rescore Requests, and Deadline to Apply to be a MTAS Field Auditor.

September 28, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: Procedures Manual for 2022–23, Benchmark Achievement Level Descriptors on Testing 1, 2, 3, , 2022–23 College Entrance Exam Requirement, Central Office Services Service Device (COS-SD) Update, October Tech WIDA Q&A Webinars, Odds and Ends, Upcoming Opportunities, and Tech Update.

September 21, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: New DAC Orientation: Registration, District Test Security Procedure Reviews, Apply to be an MTAS Field Auditor, Reimbursements for College Entrance Exams, Data and Assessment Literacy (MnDAL) Online Learning Modules for Teachers, Science MCA Test Materials, Odds and Ends.

September 14, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: District Assessment Coordinator Trainings and Q&A Sessions (2022–23), Service Available for Spring 2023 MCA and MTAS: Regularly Scheduled Extracts to SIS and Data Warehouse Vendors, Translation Procedures, Alternate ACCESS for ELLs Field Test in 2023, New Resource for Using Science Results during Academic Standards Revision, Odds and Ends.

September 7, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: Deadline This Friday: Reimbursement Requests, Student Assessment History Report, ACCESS/Alternate ACCESS Updates and Resources, Invitation to Math Teachers and Teachers of Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (repeat).

August 31, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: Final Assessment Results Data, Benchmark Reports Coming Soon, Family Resources, Educator Edition, Odds and Ends.

August 24, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: Final Assessment Results Release Tomorrow, Final Individual Student Reports Delivery, Invitation to Math Teachers and Teachers of Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities, 2024–25 State Testing Calendar.

August 17, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: Final Assessment Results Release, Final Individual Student Reports Delivery, Updating DAC Assignments in MDE-ORG, Odds and Ends.

August 10, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: Assessment Results Remain Embargoed, Student Assessment History Report Rollover, Entering Reimbursement Requests in GRR, Federal Testing Grant Awards Public Comment, Odds and Ends.

August 3, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: Release of Test Results Summary, August Q&A Webinar for New DACs, Historical Growth Z-Score Data Leaving Academic Rosters August 8, New Monthly Newsletter: Educator Edition, Odds and Ends.

July 27, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: Release of Test Results Summary Delayed, New DAC Reporting Training 2, Accountability System Updates and Key Dates, District Testing Calendar, PearsonAccess Next Reports: Planned Unavailability, Odds and Ends, Upcoming Opportunities.

July 20, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: New DAC Reporting Training 2, Embargoed Test Results Summary, Entering Reimbursement Requests in GRR, WIDA Secure Portal Enhancements, Upcoming Opportunities.

July 13, 2022 | Assessment Update

This update contains articles on the following topics: MDE Employment Opportunity: Standards Implementation Manager, July Q&A Webinar for New DACs,, Confirm Shipping Address for Final Reports, New Pathways to Exit EL Status, PearsonAccess Next Reports: Planned Unavailability, ACCESS/Alternate ACCESS: 2022–23 Technology Documentation, Call for Assessment Inventory Examples to Spotlight Districts and Schools, Upcoming Opportunities, Tech Update.