1. Session B II A Tour of Useful Resources on the MDE Website
Diane Gamm/Neil Trembley
Research and Assessment
MDE

2. URL for MDE Website

3. Organization of MDE Website

4. Special Links (On Red Line at Top)
A-Z Index (not sophisticated)
About MDE (Misc Section Links)
Calendar (new; three sortable fields)
Contact MDE (overlap with About MDE)
Directions (to MDE offices)
Directories (full of interesting information)
Employment (apply online)
Maps (some interactive)
Site Map
Stay Connected
Text Version (displays text-only version of page)

5. Main Sections (below and to right of panoramic picture)
Academic Excellence
School Report Card (for the public)
Accountability Programs
Assessment and Testing (our home!)
Teacher Support
Data
Data Submissions (Educator Portal, Test WES)
Data Downloads
Learning Support

6. Left Side of Page

7. About This Program Stay Connected Content Archive Related Links
Left-side Links
About This Program
Director and contact information
Stay Connected
Links to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
Sign up for updates
Content Archive
Related Links
Non-MDE sources (e.g., Reports for S & P)

8. Research and Assessment Home Page
Home > Accountability Programs > Assessment and Testing
Assessments (test-specific information)
DAC Corner (general information)
Professional Development
Workshops, training, etc.
Assessment Advisory Groups
Consider signing up!

9. 1. Procedures Manual The DAC’s bible Contents
Has virtually all policy and procedural information related to assessment
Contents
Description of state tests
Responsible practices and responsibilities; roles
Accommodations
LEP Issues
Students in special circumstances
Home: Accountability Programs: Assessment and Testing: DAC Corner: Policies, Procedures & Guidelines

10. 1. Procedures Manual (cont.)
Test Administration
Post-Test Edits/Test WES
Assessment Reports
Appendices
Forms
Policies and Procedures
Other Assessments
Glossary and Index

11. General calendar for 2010-11 is set
2. Testing Calendar
General calendar for is set
Home: Accountability Programs: Assessment and Testing: DAC Corner: Testing Calendars
GRAD retest schedule
First Tuesday through Second Wednesday
Districts decide in which months to test

12. Original item samplers
3. MCA-II Item Samplers
Original item samplers
Give look and feel of real test
Include answers and annotations
No new ones will be developed
New format arrived in 2009
In perspectiveforeducators.com
Teachers can build their own “tests”
Home: Accountability Programs: Assessment and Testing: Assessments: MCA-II: Item Samplers

13. At Pearson (online tests)
3.1 More Item Samplers
At MDE
Reading and Math MCA-II
GRAD Writing (56 pages of useful info)
At Pearson (online tests)
Science MCA-II
Math MCA-III
GRAD retests

14. 4. Assessment Manuals 2011 Title I Assessment Manual
Reading and Math MCA-II
Mathematics MCA-III
Reading, Math and Science MCA-Mod
Reading, Math and Science MTAS
Science MCA-II
Title III Assessment Manual
TEAE
MN SOLOM
Diploma Assessments
GRAD Retests
BST Retests

15. 4.1 More Assessment Manuals
Procedures for handling test materials
Delivery
Preparation
Return
Forms
Non-Disclosure Agreement
Test Administration Report
Test Security Notification Form
Home: Accountability Programs: Assessment and Testing: Assessments: MCA-II: Manuals & Directions

16. 5. MCA-II Test Monitor Directions
When to fill in bubbles
Items forbidden in testing room
Dealing with test segments (2 or 4)
Most frequent source of serious test admin error
Breaks during testing
Activities when student is done with testing
Home: Accountability Programs: Assessment and Testing: Assessments: MCA-II: Manuals & Directions

17. 6. Test WES
To access Test WES, two steps are needed.
Go to - Home: Accountability Programs: Assessment and Testing: DAC Corner
Superintendent’s Permission Form(s)
Test WES Instructions PDF (Log on and follow instructions)

18. Edit and Resolve Records
Test WES Functions
Edit and Resolve Records
Search Discrepancies
Search Student
View and Print Reports
Discrepancies
AYP Participation
Changed Records

19. Appeal and Waiver Requests
Functions (cont.)
Appeal and Waiver Requests
Waiver (for 1% limit)
Appeal (of AYP result)
File Transfer
Precode File
GRAD Retest Precode File
Interim DSR
Bare-bones
No achievement data

20. Search “Discrepancies”

21. The “Mother Lode” for test results
7. Educator Portal
The “Mother Lode” for test results
Data > Data Downloads > Educator Portal
Content tabs
Test Results (similar to School Report Card)
Test Results Download
Growth Reports
Test WES Reports
Accountability Reports (AYP)
SAHMS (includes Minnesota Student Survey)

22. 8. Data > Data Downloads
Assess to Excel files of statewide, district and school test data

23. A key to unlocking District or School Student Results (DSR) files
9. Universal File Format
A key to unlocking District or School Student Results (DSR) files
From Test Results Download tab at Educator Portal
Formats for over 200 fields
Score Label Definitions for over three dozen Test/Grade combinations
Locations: DAC Corner, Educator Portal (Test Results Download tab), and CD from Pearson

24. DSRs usually imported into student data system (UFF not needed)
Trends
DSRs usually imported into student data system (UFF not needed)
DACs now more familiar with Excel
DACs creating reports that replace the Summary Reports of previous years
Macros built into Excel
More data and functionality built into Educator Portal
Menu-driven “Slice and Dice” capability

25. 10. Raw Score to Scale Score Tables
For each Raw Score on a test, there is a
Scale Score
Achievement Level
Minnesota Percentile Rank (sometimes)
Tables illustrate variations in test difficulty
Gr. 3 Rdg MCA-II: 33/44 (75%), E, 50th %ile
Gr. 11 Math MCA-II: 32/65 (49%), P, 51st %ile
Home: Accountability Programs: Assessment and Testing: Assessments: MCA-II: Technical Reports

26. Percentile for Achievement Level Cut Scores
(2008 data)
Reading
Math
Grade 
Partial
Meets
Exceeds 3 12 22 54 7 25 70 4 13 30 64 33 73 5 28 18 41 74 6 15 35 71 19 81 17 39 21 42 79 8 38 66 23 44 83 10 40 11 50 89

27. Top Ten DAC Resources on MDE Website
Before Testing After Testing
Procedures Manual
Testing Calendar
Item Samplers
Assessment Manuals
Test Monitor Directions
Test WES
Educator Portal (also, School Report Card)
Data Downloads
Universal File Format
Technical Reports

28. Honorable Mention: Interpretive Guide
Background information for interpreting data in test reports
Tests students take
Substrands tested
Individual Student Reports explained
Using Educator Portal Test Results tab
Using DSR file
Home: Accountability Programs: Assessment and Testing: Assessments

29. Honorable Mention: Test Specifications
Answers the question, “What’s in the test?”
Benchmarks covered
Level of cognitive complexity required
Types of items (proportion of each)
Other sources of information
Academic Standards are very general
Item Samplers too specific (for content)
Draft Test Specs for MCA-III now available
Home: Accountability Programs: Assessment and Testing: Assessments: MCA-II: Test Specifications

30. Procedures Manual has many answers Email: mde.testing@state.mn.us
Questions?
Procedures Manual has many answers