BULLETIN NO. 009-15 T&L/ASI/IT
Page 2
February 26, 2015
February 26, 2015 (X) Action Required
Due Date: June 30, 2015 ( ) Informational
BULLETIN NO. 009-15 TEACHING AND LEARNING/Assessment and student information/information technology
TO: Educational Service District Superintendents
School District Superintendents
School Building Principals
School District Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Administrators
School District Technology Coordinators
FROM: Randy I. Dorn, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
RE: 2014–15 Assessment and Reporting Requirements for Social Studies, The Arts, Health, Fitness, and Educational Technology
iGrants Form Package 408
CONTACTS: Carol Coe, Program Supervisor, Social Studies
360-725-6351,
Anne Banks, Program Supervisor, The Arts
360-725-4966,
Lisa Kloke, Program Specialist, Health and Fitness
360-725-4977,
Dennis Small, Director, Educational Technology
360-725-6384,
The purpose of this bulletin is to:
1. Detail the annual (2014–15) reporting requirements, process, and timelines of assessments and other strategies in Social Studies, The Arts, Health, and Fitness (RCW 28A.230.095), and for Educational Technology (RCW 28A.655.075), including a description of the optional information districts are asked to submit to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).
2. Clarify the recommended use of OSPI-developed assessments in the areas of Social Studies, The Arts, Health, Fitness, and Educational Technology.
3. Share recommendations and resources available to help teachers administer and use the OSPI-developed assessments.
BACKGROUND
Consistent with the four State Learning Goals outlined in the Basic Education Act, OSPI has supported student learning in Social Studies, The Arts, Health, Fitness, and Educational Technology through state-developed learning standards and assessments in these areas as directed by the Legislature in 2004 (House Bill 2195) and 2007 (Senate Bill 1906). Since the 2008–09 school year, school districts have reported their implementation of assessments in Social Studies, The Arts, Health, and Fitness. In addition, beginning with the 2011–12 school year, districts that choose to implement Educational Technology assessments must report this information in addition to the annual reporting for the other subject areas.
For ease of reporting, OSPI has combined reporting requirements for all five areas through iGrants Form Package 408 for the 2014–15 school year. This form package will be available online in February 2015, for districts to begin completing the report and entering information on the assessments or other strategies implemented during the year. All OSPI-developed assessment reporting for the 2014–15 school year is due to be submitted and finalized in iGrants no later than June 30, 2015.
Annually, OSPI compiles the results of school district reporting in these subjects and shares a statewide summary on the OSPI website. This information is useful to the state in determining technical assistance needed to support measuring student learning in these areas, as well as to understand the use of OSPI-developed assessments in these subjects.
REQUIREMENTS
Assessments in Social Studies, The Arts, Health, and Fitness
RCW 28A.230.095 requires the following of school districts:
· To have in place assessments or other strategies at the elementary, middle, and high school levels chosen by the district that assure that students have an opportunity to learn the state learning standards in Social Studies (including civics), The Arts, Health, and Fitness.
· To report their implementation of these assessments annually through an implementation verification report.
For the 2014–15 school year, school districts are required to report their implementation of assessments in the following subject areas at elementary, middle, and high school levels in iGrants (Form Package 408) no later than June 30, 2015:
· Social Studies (Note: Districts must require students to complete at least one assessment in civics in the 4th or 5th grade, 7th or 8th grade, and 11th or 12th grade)
· The Arts
· Health
· Fitness
Assessments in Educational Technology
RCW 28A.655.075 requires the following:
· OSPI shall obtain or develop Educational Technology assessments that may be administered in the elementary, middle, and high school grades to assess the Educational Technology learning standards.
· If a school district uses the OSPI-developed Educational Technology assessments, then the school district shall notify OSPI of the use.
For the 2014–15 school year, districts that use the OSPI-developed assessments for Educational Technology must report their use through iGrants form package 408 no later than June 30, 2015.
Optional Reporting
In an effort to obtain a more comprehensive picture of state implementation, OSPI asks school districts to consider completing the optional sections of iGrants Form Package 408. The optional reporting includes which assessments or other strategies are administered, the number of students that participated, their grade levels, and how districts are using the assessments as part of instruction and teacher professional development to assure student achievement on the state standards in these content areas.
Recommendations and Resources
OSPI recommends districts use the OSPI-developed assessments in Social Studies, The Arts, Health, Fitness, and Educational Technology to meet the requirements of RCW 28A.230.095 and RCW 28A.655.075. If local assessments or other strategies are used to meet the requirements, it is strongly recommended that they are reviewed for quality and alignment to state standards, are based in research, and are able to measure individual student achievement. In addition, school districts are encouraged to develop policies and procedures that support the implementation of assessments in these areas, as well as the collection and retention of assessment data.
All current OSPI-developed assessments in Social Studies, The Arts, Health, Fitness, and Educational Technology have scoring guides, professional development resources, and teacher reporting templates available for download. These materials and resources can be accessed from the OSPI-developed assessment web page: http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/OSPI-DevelopedAssessments.aspx.
Interested educators are invited to view the webinar “Using OSPI-Developed Assessments in Social Studies, The Arts, Health, Fitness, and Educational Technology" that took place on February 25, 2015. To view this informative webinar, please go to: http://www.k12.wa.us/CurriculumInstruct/Webinars.aspx.
If you have questions, please contact:
· Carol Coe, Program Supervisor, Social Studies at 360-725-6351,
· Anne Banks, Program Supervisor, The Arts at 360-725-4966,
· Lisa Kloke, Program Specialist, Health and Fitness at 360-725-4977,
· Dennis Small, Director, Educational Technology at 360-725-6384,
This bulletin is available at http://www.k12.wa.us/BulletinsMemos/bulletins2015.aspx.
The agency TTY number is 360-664-3631.
K–12 EDUCATION
Gil Mendoza, Ed.D.
Deputy Superintendent
TEACHING AND LEARNING
Jessica Vavrus
Assistant Superintendent
ASSESSMENT AND STUDENT INFORMATION
Robin Munson, Ph.D.
Assistant Superintendent
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES
Peter Tamayo
Chief Information Officer
OSPI provides equal access to all programs and services without discrimination based on sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. Questions and complaints of alleged discrimination should be directed to the Equity and Civil Rights Director at 360-725-6162 or P.O. Box 47200 Olympia, WA 98504-7200.