MI-Access Update

Dear Readers,

This issue of The Assist is intended to keep you abreast of important dates and activities related to the development and administration of the MI-Access assessments. The Assessment for Students with Disabilities Program continues to involve stakeholders in all aspects of the development process and to create administration protocols and materials that will help assessment administration go smoothly.

In this issue, you will find important information on

• the progress of the Assessment Plan Writing Team (APWT) for Participation and Supported Independence English Language Arts and Mathematics, which met in September to do a focused review of the Draft Extended Grade Level Content Expectations (EGLCEs) and Extended Benchmarks (EBs);

• how you can provide input on the Draft EGLCEs and EBs through our online survey;

• key dates and procedures from the MI-Access contractor for fall 2006 and spring 2007;

• how to submit research requests during the Tested Roster period through the MI-Access Online System;

• the new Participation and Supported Independence Version 1.5 Online Learning Program; and

• the dates and locations of the OEAA fall conferences.

We hope this information will help you as you administer the fall 2006 MI-Access operational and pilot assessments, and assist you with planning for spring 2007. As always, the staff of the Assessment for Students with Disabilities Program looks forward to working with you throughout the school year as we continue statewide implementation of the Michigan Educational Assessment System (MEAS) in ways that are appropriate and meaningful for students with disabilities.

Sincerely,

Peggy Dutcher
Manager, Assessment for Students with Disabilities Program dutcherp@mi.gov

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Assessment Plan Writing Team Update:
MI-Access Participation and Supported Independence

In late September, the Assessment Plan Writing Team (APWT) for MI-Access Participation and Supported Independence (P/SI) English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics completed an in-depth review of the Draft Extended Grade Level Content Expectations (EGLCEs) and Extended Benchmarks (EBs). The purpose of the focused review was to ensure that (1) there were clear links to the version 12.05 ELA and mathematics general education Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs), and (2) consistency across grade spans (elementary, middle, and high school). In addition, the team considered whether or not each Draft EGLCE and EB was appropriate in terms of complexity and difficulty for the P/SI student populations.  (The P/SI v1.5 assessments that are being piloted from October 16 through November 10, 2006 are based on the Draft ELA and Mathematics EGLCEs and EBs).  

The recommendations of the P/SI ELA and Mathematics APWT will be combined with feedback from the statewide field review of the Draft EGLCEs and EBs that is currently underway.  Field review comments can be submitted through December 1st via the online survey posted at www.mi.gov/mi-access under “Survey Information.”  Copies of the Draft P/SI EGLCEs and EBs for English language arts and mathematics can be downloaded from same Web page.

The APWT will meet again in October to undertake another critical step in the P/SI ELA and Mathematics assessment development process—drafting the P/SI v1.5 performance level descriptors, which will be used during the standard-setting process this spring. In addition, team members will consider such issues as appropriate item formats, assessment length, and how the P/SI assessments might be reported.

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Now is the time to provide your input on (1) the Participation and Supported Independence (P/SI) Draft Extended Grade Level Content Expectations (EGLCEs) and Extended Benchmarks (EBs) for English language arts and mathematics, and (2) the P/SI and Functional Independence Draft EBs for science.  Start by downloading the Draft EGLCE and EB documents from www.mi.gov/mi-access, review the documents carefully, then submit your comments via the online survey posted at www.mi.gov/mi-access under “Survey Information.”  Comments will be accepted from October 2 through midnight December 1, 2006.  They will be used by the MDE and the MI-Access advisory committees as they work to finalize the documents.

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Notes from the Contractor to MI-Access Coordinators

Greetings from BETA/TASA, the MI-Access assessment contractor! Following are a few brief notes that will serve as a quick reminder of some important dates and procedures related to fall and spring assessment. For more detailed information regarding shipments and ordering additional materials, refer to the August issue of The Assist, call the MI-Access Toll-free Hotline at 1-888-382-4246, or send an e-mail message to mi-access@tasa.com.

MI-Access Functional Independence
The fall 2006 MI-Access assessment window for Functional Independence starts on October 9 and continues through November 17, 2006.  During that window, assessments will be administered to students in grades 3 through 8.

As many of the assessment materials—such as the manual, the Webcast, and the MI-Access calendar—indicate, the MI-Access Functional Independence assessment materials must be shipped back to BETA/TASA no later than November 28, 2006.  There are, however, some districts that have already committed to returning materials early. The purpose of early returns is to help the OEAA and BETA/TASA staff collect student data that can be used to verify that the scoring system is calculating student results accurately. 

A detailed letter outlining the purpose of the Early Returns Program was recently sent to all districts, along with a confirmation form committing the district to early returns.  If your district is interested in participating in the program but have not yet completed the form, please fax it back to BETA/TASA on or before October 30.  Once committed, districts must ship their materials so that BETA/TASA receives them no later than November 14, 2006.

Participation and Supported Independence Version I.5 Pilot
The table below lists some important dates concerning the P/SI v1.5 pilot assessments that are being administered this fall to students in grades 3 through 8 and 11.

As the table shows, the final return date for materials is the same as the closing date of the pilot assessment window. Therefore, districts may choose to schedule their assessments to ensure completion before the last day of the window so that materials can be returned on time.  As always, detailed information on distributing, administering, and returning the P/SI v1.5 pilot assessment materials can be found in the pilot manual at www.mi.gov/mi-access.

Please note that the OEAA will administer the operational P/SI v1.5 assessments to students in grades 3 through 8 and 11 during the spring MI-Access assessment window (February 19 – April 6, 2007).  The results from the operational assessments are the ones that will be used for accountability purposes (Education YES! and NCLB).

Spring 2007 MI-Access Assessments
In the coming months, district coordinators will receive a great deal of correspondence about the spring 2007 MI-Access assessments.  Although many districts are currently focused on the fall 2006 window, BETA/TASA wants to remind everyone that important dates for spring 2007 are included on the 2006/2007 MI-Access Calendar as well as in the 2006/2007 MI-Access Functional Independence Coordinator and Assessment Administrator Manual.

For example, district coordinators will want to make a special note that the MI-Access spring 2007 Pre-ID process will take place between December 1, 2006 and January 6, 2007, which is slightly earlier than last year. They should also note that MI-Access has a different assessment window closing date than the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP). Given these differences, BETA/TASA is asking districts to mark their calendars now and plan ahead! 

From all of us at BETA/TASA, we wish everyone the best in navigating the assessment process throughout the year. Thank you!

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Submit Research Requests in the MI-Access Online System

In past issues of The Assist, a table has been included showing which assessment functions take place in the MI-Access Online System versus the OEAA Secure Site.  In this issue of The Assist, that table has been updated to show that MI-Access research requests need to be submitted during the Tested Roster period in the MI-Access Online System.

Research requests are an important tool for District MI-Access Coordinators to use when there is a discrepancy between the list of students the district thinks it assessed and what appears on the Tested Roster in the OEAA Secure Site. Remember, research requests must be completed during the designated Tested Roster period; if you wait until the preliminary Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) calculations are available for district review, it will be too late!

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Important MI-Access Dates

Field Review of Draft ELA and Mathematics EGLCE and EB (P/SI) and Draft Science EB (FI/SI/P)
October 2 - December 1, 2006

Fall 2006 MI-Access Functional Independence Assessment Window
October 9 - November 17, 2006

Fall 2006 MI-Access Functional Independence Assessment Materials Return Date
Ship to BETA/TASA no later than November 28, 2006

Fall 2006 P/SI v.1.5 Pilot Assessment Window
October 16 - November 10, 2006

Fall 2006 P/SI v.1.5 Pilot Assessment Materials Return Date
Ship to BETA/TASA no later than November 10, 2006

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Bookmark These Web Sites

www.mi.gov/mi-access
MI-Access

www.mi-access.info
MI-Access Information Center

www.mi.gov/oeaa
Office of Educational Assessment and Accountability

www.mi.gov/meap
MEAP

www.mi.gov/mme
Michigan Merit Examination

www.mi.gov/elpa
Michigan English Language Proficiency Assessment

www.mi.gov/naep
National Assessment of Educational Progress

www.michigan.gov/schoolimprovement
Office of School Improvement

www.cenmi.org/matr
Michigan Assistive Technology Resource

www.nochildleftbehind.gov
US Education Department

www.mistreamnet.org
View the Archived MI-Access Fall 2006 Webcast and MME Training Webcasts

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This online newsletter related to the assessment of students with disabilities is available to local and intermediate superintendents, directors of special education, MI-Access Coordinators, MEAP Coordinators, SEAC, Special Education monitors, MDE staff, school principals, Parent Advisory Committees, and institutes of higher education.