The new Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) for Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy developed by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) is part of a comprehensive assessment system with multiple components.
Included among those are two types of interim assessments for optional classroom use designed to support teaching and learning throughout the school year: Interim Comprehensive Assessments and Interim Assessment Blocks. Both interim assessment components will be released and ready for your use on Tuesday, Jan. 27. (Please note you can always view a complete calendar of dates related to the MEA for Mathematics and ELA/Literacy here on our website.)
While these two distinct types of tests draw from the same bank of items and performance tasks, there are some notable differences between the two which are outlined in this interim assessment statement of purpose from SBAC. Additionally, you should know that the interim assessments will be delivered online using the same delivery software as the summative assessment including:
- Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE)
- Test Delivery System (TDS)
- Online Reporting System (ORS)
The interim assessments will also make use of a system called the Teacher Hand Scoring System (THSS) which allows teachers to enter scores for the test questions that cannot be automatically scored by the computer.
For more information about the MEA for Mathematics and ELA/Literacy, visit the Assessment section of the Department’s website or for technical assistance related to the interim assessments, please contact Maine DOE Director of Assessment & Accountability Charlene Tucker at charlene.tucker@maine.gov.