Achievement District Test Coordinator Updates
November 16, 2021 |
Achievement District Test Coordinators,
Please see updates and reminders regarding 2021-2022 Achievement testing below. In this email, we have included updates for AASA and ACT. We have no new updates for AzSCI or ACT Aspire this week. If you have any questions, please contact us at AASA@azed.gov or AzSCI@azed.gov. |
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AASA Writing Stand-Alone Field Test (SAFT)
PearsonAccessNext (PAN) opens on Wednesday, November 17 for the Writing SAFT. District Test Coordinators will receive an automated email with access and to set up your password. If you already have access to PAN for AZELLA, you will just receive access to AASA and will not receive an email. Please see the Writing SAFT DTC Important Tasks Checklist for a detailed list of upcoming tasks to be completed. A summary of the tasks which begin November 17th or which must be completed within the next two weeks is included below.
- Verify contact information and shipping address in PAN - November 17-December 13, 2021
- Create user accounts in PAN - ongoing beginning November 17, 2021
- Revise student enrollments in AzEDS prior to ADE's extraction of student information - no later than November 19, 2021
- Participation Count Window - November 22-December 3, 2021
- Quick Guide for this task is coming soon!
- Review students in PAN - Students will be visible in PAN November 29, 2021. New students can be added beginning November 30, 2021.
AASA Resources and Sample Tests
We continue to post updated/rebranded resources on the AASA page of our website. Recently posted documents include Blueprints, Item Specifications, Writing Rubrics, and Writing Guides.
Please have students practice using the AASA Sample Tests. To access the sample tests, go to https://home.testnav.com/, click on "Arizona", then click on "Mic Check & Sample Tests". You do not need to log in to access the Sample Tests. There are ELA, Writing, and Math Sample Tests at each grade level as well as an Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) Sample Test for Grade 3.
Practicing with the Sample Tests will help students to become familiar with the test features, tools, and different types of items in the online tests. Sample Test Scoring Guides are also posted on our website. |
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Select ACT Test Window
ACT's PearsonAccessNext (PAN) platform is now live, and all District Test Coordinators with Cohort 2023/Grade 11 students must select a test window no later than December 3, 2021. As of Monday, November 15, less than half of the schools in Arizona with 11th grade students have their test window selected in PAN.
One test window must be selected in which to complete all ACT testing, including any makeup testing. The online vs. paper testing selection in PAN should match what was submitted to ADE through the ADEConnect Testing Mode Application, which closed October 15, 2021. Information about selecting a test window in PAN is located on the ACT-hosted website for Arizona (Step 1). |
ACT Accommodations Requests - Submit early!
ACT accommodations requests should be submitted directly to ACT using the Test Accessibility and Accommodations (TAA) system. More information is available on the ACT-hosted website for Arizona (Step 3). The deadline for submissions is January 7, 2022; however, we strongly encourage you to submit all requests prior to Winter Break. The January 7, 2022 deadline is a hard deadline, and ACT is not able to accept initial requests after that date. In addition, if you have not submitted ACT accommodations requests before, it can take some time to set up your account before you submit - please do not wait until the deadline! Only 350 Arizona requests have been submitted and approved so far, and we know there are many more Arizona requests to be submitted before the deadline!
ACT Parent Consent Forms
Following the ACT webinar last week, ADE has updated our FAQ document, which we created following the Friday Focus webinar on Statewide High School Assessments. ACT's guidance is that the ACT Consent to Release Information form be signed by parents and kept on file at the school for any request for student accommodations on the statewide ACT test. This form is also located on the ACT-hosted website for Arizona (Step 3).
ADE Upload of Students for ACT
ADE will upload Cohort 2023/Grade 11 students to ACT's PAN platform. Students will be visible in PAN on January 3, 2022. District and School Test Coordinators should review the ADE upload of students and make any necessary revisions or additions no later than January 14, 2022 in order to receive student Pre-ID labels.
ACT Office Hours
ACT is hosting both general office hours and accommodations office hours sessions to help answer your questions!
- ACT State Office Hours - sessions are held Wednesdays, 1:00-2:00pm and Thursdays, 9:00-10:00am Arizona time. Please see this link for a list of topics and to register.
- ACT Accommodations Office Hours - Sessions are held Tuesdays, 11:00am-12:00pm Arizona time. Please use this link to join the meeting.
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