Assessments Bulletin
May 1, 2026 |
I hope the end of the school year is going well. The Spring Assessment windows are closed. Thank you to all District/Charter Test Coordinators (DTCs) and school staff for your hard work in completing testing.
Here are some numbers to celebrate:
AZELLA Reassessment: 111,000
Alt ELPA: 1,900
AzSCI: 238,900
ACT Aspire: 81,300
AASA: 1,184,600
MSAA: 1,600
This summer, the Assessments Unit will have various educator committees. If you are interested in being a part of any of our educator committees, please make sure you have submitted an application form. If you know of other educators who might be interested, forward the link to submit an Educator Committee Application. We always appreciate educators who are willing to help us make great assessments.
Each year, the Assessments Unit requests a new District Test Coordinator (DTC) Security Agreement form to be submitted. ADE has created a new system for districts and charters to electronically submit their Test Security Agreements for the 2026-2027 school year in ADEConnect. This process is designed to make submissions more efficient and accessible. ADE will notify districts and charters as soon as the system becomes available later this month.
The Assessments Overview document has been updated with the 2026-2027 Statewide Testing Windows for your planning purposes. Please note that several of these testing windows are still tentative. We will let you know when they are finalized.
We know that there are several new contracts in progress for most of our assessment programs. We will provide updated information as soon as possible. The Achievement Assessment contracts will not be implemented until after this upcoming school year - AASA, AzSCI, ACT Aspire, and ACT are not changing for the Spring 2027 administration.
We are also very excited to announce that the Navvy formative assessment tool will continue to be offered statewide in ELA and Mathematics. Please visit the Navvy Pearson Support page for additional information and to sign up.
The Assessments Team will not be hosting a conference this fall. Instead, we plan to enhance our Friday Focus webinars during the upcoming school year and will be joining the Standards, Accountability, and Effective Teachers and Leaders teams for a new approach to our conferences in the Summer of 2027.
We hope you all have a wonderful and relaxing summer! |
Bethany Spangenberg
Deputy Associate Superintendent of Assessment
Arizona Department of Education |
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Joseph M. Guzman, Ph.D.
Associate Superintendent of Assessment, Standards, Accountability and Research
Arizona Department of Education |
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Reporting from Spring 2026 Achievement Assessments
Refer to the Spring 2026 Achievement Assessments Reporting infographic, which includes all of the Achievement Assessments reporting dates in one location for easy access. Specific reporting dates for each assessment are also included in the District Test Coordinator Important Tasks Checklists (for AASA and AzSCI) and the Schedule of Events (for ACT Aspire and ACT).
Electronic reports, including Student Data Files, Individual Student Reports, and PDF reports for AASA, AzSCI, and ACT Aspire will be available in the respective PearsonAccess Next sites. Electronic reports for ACT will be available in ACT's online reporting system at success.act.org.
Two paper copies of each Individual Student Report will be sent to districts and charters. One copy is to be distributed to parents/guardians, and the other copy is to be placed in the student's secure file. Paper copies of ACT Individual Student Reports are sent directly to schools rather than to the district office. Paper copies of AASA, AzSCI, and ACT Aspire Individual Student Reports are sent to the district address shown in PearsonAccess Next.
Achievement Assessment scores are not embargoed; however, it is important to remember that individual student scores can only be shared with those who have an educational need to view them and with parents/guardians.
Please note the following as scores are published over the coming weeks.
- Students must receive a valid score on each AASA ELA test unit to receive an AASA ELA score. For grades 4-8, the ELA score is comprised of the Writing unit and two Reading units. For grade 3, the ELA score includes the Writing unit, two Reading units, and the Oral Reading Fluency test unit. Students must have responded to at least one test question in each unit to receive a score.
- Students must receive a valid score on each Math test unit to receive an AASA Math score. Students must have responded to at least one test question in each Math test unit to receive a score.
- Students must receive a valid score on each AzSCI test unit to receive an AzSCI score. Students must have responded to at least one test question in each Science test unit to receive a score.
- For ACT and ACT Aspire, the English, Reading, and Writing tests must be valid to receive an ELA score. The Math test must be valid to receive a Math score.
- The ACT Composite score is comprised of the English, Math, and Reading scores. The ACT STEM score is a combined score for the Math and Science tests. The ACT ELA score is an average of the Writing, English, and Reading scale scores. Refer to the Understanding ACT ELA Scores infographic for more information about ACT ELA scores.
- Any tests that have been invalidated due to test irregularities will not receive a score.
Student Data File Layouts
Reporting Guides
Notify ADE of Missing Scores
It is the responsibility of districts and charters to verify that all students who tested receive scores back. It is especially important for paper-based testing schools to verify results to ensure all paper test materials were received by Pearson for scoring. Districts and schools should verify scores using the electronic reports that will be published in PearsonAccess Next (PAN) for AASA, AzSCI, and ACT Aspire, and in success.act.org for ACT, and should not wait until paper copies are received to complete this task. If a student is not included in the electronic reports, then they will also not receive paper copies of reports. Any discrepancies must be reported to ADE as soon as possible and no later than June 30, 2026.
Achievement Assessments Corrections Application
Any AASA, AzSCI, ACT Aspire, or ACT test records with an unmatched student name, date of birth, or SSID will begin to appear in the ADEConnect Corrections Application in late May. Unmatched records must be reviewed and matched by the Achievement District Test Coordinator.
To review and update test record demographics in the Corrections Application, you must have the "Achievement District Test Coordinator" role in ADEConnect. Access the Corrections Application by: logging into ADEConnect > View Applications > Assessments > Corrections > Student Demographic Corrections or by: logging into ADEConnect > View Applications > File Metrics > Student Demographic Corrections.
Automated weekly emails will be sent to Achievement District Test Coordinators to inform of any outstanding records in the Corrections Application. Please review and correct any test records in the Corrections Application as quickly as possible. The deadline to complete corrections is June 30, 2026.
Achievement Assessments - Looking Ahead to Spring 2027
Arizona's measures of academic success in Spring 2027 include administering the following assessments. Please note there are no changes to the Achievement Assessments in the 2026-2027 school year, and all Achievement Assessments will continue to utilize the PearsonAccess Next and TestNav platforms in Spring 2027.
- Arizona's Academic Standards Assessment (AASA) - the statewide achievement test for Arizona students in Grades 3-8. AASA assesses the Arizona English Language Arts (ELA) and Arizona Mathematics Standards.
- Arizona's Science Test (AzSCI) - the statewide achievement test for Science, administered in Grades 5, 8, and the 11th grade cohort (Cohort 2028). AzSCI assesses the Arizona Science Standards.
- ACT Aspire - the statewide high school assessment administered in the 9th grade cohort (Cohort 2030). ACT Aspire includes the following test sections: English, Math, Reading, Science, and Writing.
- ACT - the statewide high school assessment administered in the 11th grade cohort (Cohort 2028). ACT includes the following test sections: English, Math, Reading, Science, and Writing.
Tentative test windows for Spring 2027 have been published in the 2026-2027 Assessments Overview. Test windows are tentative and subject to change. If any changes occur, they will be communicated to District Test Coordinators and updated on our websites this summer. |
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AASA Reporting
Move on When Reading (MOWR)
The Move on When Reading (MOWR) indicator will be included on the AASA Grade 3 score reports. To determine whether third grade students met the MOWR requirements for promotion to fourth grade, complete the following after scores are published in PearsonAccess Next.
- Download the AASA Student Data File for your district or charter. The AASA Student Data File Layout is available on the Achievement District Test Coordinator webpage and in PearsonAccess Next under Support > Documentation.
- Filter the "Move on When Reading Requirement" column (column BV).
- Any student who has a "Y" in this column met the cut score for MOWR.
- Any student who has an "N" in this column did not meet the cut score for MOWR. Refer to ADE's MOWR website for additional information about MOWR and good cause exemptions.
- This column will be blank for any Grade 3 student with an incomplete or invalidated ELA test. Refer to ADE's MOWR website, follow up with ADE's MOWR team at moveonwhenreading@azed.gov, or otherwise consider that the student has not met the MOWR cut score.
AASA District Data File
Per ยง15-741, districts may request a district data file for AASA. The Spring 2026 AASA district data file will include student and item information, and other relevant data points not contained in the standard data file, including item type, theta scores by reporting category, scale score by reporting category, and number of items by reporting category. For a district or charter to receive an AASA district data file, a request must be submitted to ADE by June 5, 2026, by completing the request form. The district data files will be sent to the requesting DTC in a secure file in Summer 2026.
AASA Parent Portal
The AASA Parent Portal is an optional resource schools and districts/charters may use to allow families to securely access and view their student's AASA score reports online. The Parent Portal is available for AASA only. Paper copies of AASA Individual Student Reports will still be sent to districts and charters and should be provided to parents.
For parents to access their student's score reports in the AASA Parent Portal, a claim code will be required. The claim code can only be provided to parents by the student's school or district; however, schools are not required to distribute AASA Parent Portal claim codes.
A claim code file (in CSV format) is available to download in PearsonAccess Next by the following user roles: AASA District Test Coordinator, AASA District Report Only, AASA School Test Coordinator, and AASA School Report Only. To access the file, go to Reports > Operational Reports > Students & Registrations > Claim Codes.
A Parent Portal User Guide is published on the AASA website in English and Spanish and can be used to distribute claim codes to parents/guardians. |
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Alt ELPA Updates
Thank you for competing the Alt ELPA summative assessment, which closed on March 13. Alt ELPA reports are available in the Cambium platform under the reporting portal. Hard copies will be sent to the District of Attendance later this month. More information will be e-mailed to Alternate Assessment Test Coordinators. The Alt ELPA Screener window will close on May 8, 2026, and will reopen for the 2026-2027 school year on August 3. Please remember that students must be determined eligible for Alternate Assessments before taking the Alt ELPA Screener.
MSAA Updates
The MSAA test window ended on April 24. Over 6000 students completed MSAA testing. The MSAA system is closed until reporting opens on July 13. Only District Test Coordinators will have access to the MSAA reporting portal.
Securely Shredding and Deleting MSAA Test Materials
Test Coordinators are responsible for ensuring that printed test materials are securely shredded after the testing window closes. Downloaded folders and test materials (DTAs, printed versions of a student's test, etc.) must be permanently deleted from the desktop. Test Administration Manuals are not secure test materials and do not have to be shredded. These materials may be discarded. Do not send any materials to ADE.
MSAA Reports
The MSAA reporting portal will be open from July 13 - September 18, 2026. Reports will be available for ELA, Mathematics, and Science. Reports are available at the District of Attendance (DOA) so your tuitioned-out and privately placed students will not be included in your reports. Please work with the DOA to get the results. More information on downloading reports and receiving hard copies of the student reports will be sent to the test coordinator in July.
MSAA User Access
All users will be removed from the MSAA system after reporting closes. You will no longer have access to any student or administration information. You will continue to have access to sample items and other instructional resources. User accounts will be created again in January. This step is necessary to keep the systems up to date.
2027 MSAA Administration
The Spring 2027 MSAA test administration window has not been finalized. Please plan for approximately the same window of mid-March until end of April. The confirmed test window will be shared with Alternate Assessment Test Coordinators when it is available.
Professional Development Hours Certificate
Professional development (PD) hours certificates will be e-mailed to the Alternate Assessment Test Coordinators. Please distribute the PD certificates to those individuals who completed the TA and/or TC training modules. There are separate certificates for Test Coordinators and Test Administrators for both Alt ELPA and MSAA. Please contact us if you need a list of your test administrator training status for Alt ELPA or MSAA. |
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Important Upcoming Tasks
May 8 | Last day to download AZELLA Annual, Placement, Reassessment, and Understand Scoring Professional Development certificates from the AzLMS
May 8 | Placement Test window closes
May 14 | Paper copies of the Spring 2026 AZELLA Reassessment Individual Student Reports arrive at districts and charters
Last day of school | Download and print your EL73 Reports
May 29 | Placement Test Cycle 12 and cumulative FY2026 Student Data Files available in PAN
June 8 | Download and save ALL electronic reports (District- and School-Level) and Student Data Files (District-Level only) from PearsonAccess Next for the Placement 2025-2026 and Spring 2026 Reassessment administrations
June 11 | Paper copies of the Placement Cycle 12 Reports arrive at districts and charters
June 30 | 2026-2027 District Test Coordinator Security Agreement due
Spring 2026 AZELLA Reassessment Results
Approximately 113,000 students completed the Spring 2026 English Language Proficiency Assessments (AZELLA, Alt ELPA Summative, and Braille tests).
The electronic results of the Spring 2026 AZELLA Reassessment Test are available in PAN now. The paper copies of the Individual Student Reports will arrive at districts and charters on May 14, 2026. Please remember it is very important to check the Corrections (File Metrics) application in ADEConnect for student records that need correcting before they can pass Integrity.
When using the Spring 2026 AZELLA Reassessment Student Data File, the File Layout must be used with the Student Information System (SIS) first. The SIS administrator will need to work with the SIS vendor to get this layout file in place prior to uploading the Student Data File.
Districts may not disclose or share any student demographic information or student IEP or 504 plan information with any unauthorized person(s). This includes sharing EL data with districts or schools outside of the originating district.
AZELLA Reassessment Adjustments for Spring 2026
If you were not able to attend the April 8th webinar, please be sure to view the video recording linked below for information regarding the adjustments to the AZELLA cut scores and performance level descriptors (PLDs).
April 8, 2026 - AZELLA Reassessment Adjustments for Spring 2026 Webinar
2026 State EL Reclassification Rate
ADE's Accountability & Research Division is responsible for calculating and publishing the State EL Reclassification Rate. These files are available by Fiscal Year under the "State Assessment Public Files" and in the "English Learner Proficiency Test - AZELLA" section from the Accountability & Research Data website.
The 2026 state EL reclassification rate will be published in the Fall of 2026 by ADE's Accountability & Research Division. Please contact ADE's Accountability & Research Unit at Achieve@azed.gov with your questions.
School Year 2026-2027
It is the AZELLA DTC's responsibility to periodically check the AZELLA DTC web page for information and updated documents that will be used for the 2026-2027 school year.
AZELLA Training and Qualifications 2026-2027
Requirements, qualifications, and dates will be provided to districts and charters as soon as they become available.
Accessing Student's EL70 - ELP Student Test History Reports
Districts will be able to access a student's EL70 Report within two (2) calendar weeks after the last day of school for the 2025-2026 school year and within 2 weeks prior to the student's school enrollment date for the 2026-2027 school year provided the school enrollment has been processed through AzEDS and passed Integrity. The date in which access to the student's EL70 Report is granted is dependent on when the district's Student Information System has synchronized the school enrollments to AzEDS. Student school enrollments can be verified with the school's STUD10 - Student Data Verification Report found in the AzEDS Portal.
2026-2027 Placement Test Administration
The Placement assessment administration opens on the district's first student instructional day of the school year and runs throughout the school year ending in mid-May. Districts and charters may begin testing after the District Test Coordinator, School Test Coordinators, Technology Coordinator, and Test Administrators have completed the pre-testing requirements for the placement test. The Placement administration compliance time frames must be adhered to.
The following groups of students must be administered a Placement test (or Alt ELPA Screener) within the first two calendar weeks of the 2026-2027 school year. Referral forms are not necessary.
- Students who received an "Undetermined" ELP record from the 2025-2026 school year must be administered a new Placement assessment.
- Students who have the red font quick alert message on their EL70 Report.
- Students associated with EL Group 8 on the EL73 Report.
- IMPORTANT NOTE: Students will not be shown on the EL73 Report until the district has synchronized their school enrollment to AzEDS.
Private School Students Testing
All private schools wanting to participate in the English proficiency assessments (ELP), must pay for their own tests and conduct their own testing.
Approved Private Placement Students
Students who are placed into an approved private placement by the district are included in accountability for the district. These students are required to be tested with an ELP test as required.
Students Who Are Not Eligible for ELP Testing
- Students participating in a Foreign Exchange program for whom the district does not receive state funding are not eligible for ELP testing. These students are required to be proficient in English to be accepted into the program.
- Students who have the blue font message on their EL70 Report indicating they were withdrawn from EL services due to SPED criteria in Fiscal Year 2019 and earlier are not eligible for ELP testing.
- Empowerment Scholarship recipients are not eligible for ELP testing.
Student Testing Questions and Concerns
If you have questions or concerns about a student's AZELLA test, please send your inquiry to AZELLA@azed.gov. You must include the student(s) SSID number(s). |
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Join the AZELLA team for AZELLAology, an hour long, informal, live customer service question-and-answer video call in Microsoft Teams.
The dates, times, topics, and invitation links are posted on the AZELLA DTC webpage under the AZELLAology section.
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If you have any questions about AZELLA, please contact us at AZELLA@azed.gov. |
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NAEP 2026
The NAEP 2026 administration is now complete. Of the randomly sampled schools and districts, Arizona had 100% participation. Schools throughout our great state were selected, from Yuma to Monument Valley; Lake Havasu to Tucson; and, of course, the 3rd largest primary sampling unit in the United States, Maricopa County. There were small schools, large schools, and charter schools. There was even one school sampled this past year that had only one 4th grade student. Every school in Arizona has a chance to be selected.
This year, over 220 schools were sampled in the various NAEP assessments in Arizona. Most selected schools participated in Math and Reading in Grades 4 and 8, assessments that are congressionally mandated and will be reported out as the Nation's Report Card with an expected release date of January 2027.
Ten schools in Arizona participated in a national sampling of 8th grade Civics and US History. That assessment will inform stakeholders what 8th grade students comprehend regarding Civics and US History content. A small sample of Arizona schools participated in the 12th grade Pilot assessment that was written to the newly revised Reading and Mathematics frameworks to provide the baseline for the data for future reporting of Grade 12 results across the United States.
We want to extend a big thank you to the school coordinators that made the assessments run smoothy in our state! The field staff had extraordinary things to say about our schools' participation. The Arizona Department of Education fully understands that NAEP is an "extra" duty that we ask of schools that are selected. District Test Coordinators ensured their schools understood the requirements and many of you helped the schools with data collected. Again, 100% participation happened because you all took the time to help NAEP complete the data collected and assessment.
NAEP 2027
The Arizona Department of Education has been informed by the National Center for Education Statistics that schools in Arizona are part of the NAEP 2027 Grade 8 Science Pilot assessment. NAEP Grade 8 Science has updated assessment frameworks that incorporate the Next Generation Science Standards. While this assessment is moving forward, districts and schools cannot be notified until such time as the Congressional Office of Management and Budget grants their full approval to NAEP 2027 Grade 8 Science documents.
NAEP 2026 by the Numbers
- 12,914 schools were assessed throughout the United States.
- 506,156 students took a NAEP assessment this year.
- There are over 32,481 educators in school/district roles in the Assessment Management System.
- The first widescale NAEP administration using school devices as the primary assessment mode was completed.
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If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Gary McIlvaine, AZ Director of NAEP and International Assessments.
602-364-1583
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The Assessments Bulletin is published electronically every August, November, February, and May for distribution to Test Coordinators in Arizona schools. Test Coordinators are responsible for disseminating information in The Assessments Bulletin as appropriate.
Arizona Department of Education - Assessment Section
602.542.5031 |
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