Professional Learning Series: Learn about the WIDA English Language Development Standards for Multilingual Learners

Are you a classroom or content area teacher with multilingual learners (MLs) in your classroom? If you’re looking to enhance your practice, the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards are a great place to start. The ELD Standards are the essential foundation for providing effective instruction for MLs.

Join April Perkins, ESOL & Bilingual Programs Specialist, for a statewide virtual professional learning community (PLC) to support you in integrating this standards framework into your practice. See dates and topics below. All PLC sessions will be from 3:30-4:30pm. To receive the Zoom link for each session, click on the links in the Module/Topic column.

The PLC will be centered around the WIDA self-paced eWorkshop WIDA ELD Standards Framework: A Collaborative Approach. Participants will complete each module in advance of the session. In order to access the eWorkshop, you will need a free WIDA Secure Portal account, which you can obtain by contacting WIDA Client Services at 1-866-276-7735.

If you have any questions, contact April Perkins at april.perkins@maine.gov.

Date	Module/Topic
9.20.22	Module 1: Connect Current Knowledge and Practices to the WIDA ELD Standards Framework
10.18.22	Module 2: Integrate Student Assets into Content Learning
11.8.22	Module 3: Focus on Key Language Uses
12.13.22	Module 4: Identify Language Expectations Within a Unit
1.17.23	Module 5: Put Language Expectations into Action
2.28.23	Module 6: Plan for Language Growth Over Time

Priority Notice: 2022-2023 Assessment Calendar and Assessment Program Updates

Thank you, Maine educators and administrators! Your hard work, diligence to scheduling, and investment in assessments supported and ensured a successful administration of state assessments during the 2021 – 2022 school year.

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) remains committed to our mission of promoting learning opportunities of the highest quality for all Maine students by providing information, guidance, and support to our schools, educators, and school administrative unit (SAU) leadership, and we’re excited to share some updates to the Maine assessment program. This includes ensuring that Maine’s assessment system provides educators and SAU leadership with the timely data they need, while limiting the amount of instructional time impacted by necessary assessment administration.

During the height of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Maine DOE heard from and responded to the needs expressed by SAUs and schools to focus more on supporting students. The Maine DOE formed a partnership with NWEA to expand MAP Growth to all schools and SAUs for grades 3-8 and high school as an emergency effort to provide educators, school communities, and the state with real-time information about student achievement.

The Maine Department of Education has continued to hear from educators and administrators across the state that timely and useful data to inform instruction remain vitally important. We have also heard that growth measures comparing the performance of different cohorts each spring have been unhelpful. Therefore, in the spring of 2023, the Maine DOE will begin implementing a flexible, innovative assessment that is similar to the MAP Growth assessment model for math and reading in grades 3-8 and the second year of high school. This assessment will also serve as our federally required, statewide assessment. The assessments will be adaptive each year for grades 3-8, and fixed form (not adaptive) in the second year of high school. The first administration will occur during the spring 2023 assessment administration window, with a full transition to a through-year (a required fall assessment and optional winter implementation) model in the 2023-24 school year. Growth will then be measured based on fall to spring performance within the same cohort of students. Assessment items will include well-vetted, adaptive MAP Growth items along with specific grade-level items, producing a valid RIT score that is nationally comparable and will provide a measure of consistency over time in addition to Maine-specific grade level performance levels.

This transition will allow us to maintain existing interim assessments and the required summative assessment in fewer assessment administrations in a manner that will provide a system of equitable, student-centered, and personalized measures to provide evidence, data, and instructionally relevant information and tools.

What is a flexible, through-year assessment program?

The assessments are intended to provide information for educators throughout the year. This means assessments can be administered 2-3 times a year: fall, winter (optional), and spring. Although many of the elements below are a familiar part of the current program, items highlighted** reflect new features/functionality now available.

The assessments are computer adaptive, providing a personalized experience for each student.
The assessments provide educators information about student performance relative to end of year achievement level expectations. **
The assessments are efficient, leveraging information about how students performed in previous administrations to personalize later assessment experiences. **
The spring assessment generates a summative score that meets federal requirements. **
The assessments support within year growth and national comparisons via a norm-referenced score (i.e., RIT scores) provided after each administration.

Key benefits of this flexible, through-year state assessment model for educators and students in Maine include:

A two- to three-times-per-year assessment program that allows for performance monitoring while eliminating the need for a standalone and disconnected state summative assessment each spring, supporting the continuity of the overall assessment experience. **
In addition to a state scale score, the assessment will provide RIT scores that yield national normative information.
A reduction of overall assessment administrations compared to prior assessment administration cycles. There will only be two required administrations of math and reading each year. There will no longer be a separate language usage assessment.
A reduction in lost instructional time (each assessment is estimated to take less than 1 hour).
New, interactive reports and tools designed to provide timely and actionable information to support our Maine educators and students.
Continued cost saving for district leaders as this program will provide districts and schools with information previously provided by interim assessments, reducing the need for districts to purchase an interim assessment.

Next steps:

To support a smooth transition, the Maine DOE will continue to provide MAP Growth administrations for Math and Reading in the fall (required) and winter (optional) of the 2022/2023 school as we prepare for the spring 2023 administration. Maine DOE will be sponsoring professional learning opportunities designed to support educators in the administration of the assessment and their use of through-year data for instructional purposes. Further information regarding professional learning will be forthcoming.
It should be noted, there are no changes to the alternate assessment provided to students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA) will continue to be utilized in mathematics, ELA, and science.

Assessment Calendar Now Available

The assessment calendar for the 2022-2023 school year is now available. The schedule is located below and available on the assessment calendar webpage.

Assessment	Content Area	Grades	Assessment Window Dates
NWEA (fall-required)	Math & Reading	3 -8, 2nd year of HS	October 3 – 28, 2022
ACCESS for ELLs Alt. ACCESS for ELLs	English Language Proficiency	K-12	January 9, 2023 – March 3, 2023
NWEA (Winter -optional)	Math & Reading	3 -8, 2nd year of HS	January 9, 2023 – February 3, 2023
MSAA	Math, ELA, Science	Grades 3 – 8, 3rd year of HS Grades 5, 8 and 3rd year of HS	March 13, 2023- April 28, 2023
NWEA (spring- required)	Math & Reading	3 – 8, 2nd year of HS	May 1 -26, 2023
Maine Science	Science	Grades 5, 8 and 3rd year of HS	May 15 – 26, 2023

Questions can be directed to Janette Kirk, Chief, Office of Federal Programs.

Maine DOE Thanks Maine Educators Serving on Multi-State Alternate Assessment Item Review Committee

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) wishes to thank the ten Maine educators who recently participated in the Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA) Item Review Committee in Minneapolis, Minnesota!

MSAA is Maine’s alternate assessment is based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS) in ELA/literacy and mathematics, for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who have been found eligible by the IEP Team. As a partner in the MSAA Consortium, Maine engages actively in the ongoing development cycle of this assessment throughout the year. As a result of this collaboration, Maine’s students with the most significant cognitive disabilities participate in state assessment that has been designed with input from the same dedicated and expert Maine educators who serve this population every day.

During the Item Review Committee, Maine educators served on panels to review proposed items for the Spring 2023 MSAA. Items were reviewed for both alignment to content and potential bias and sensitivity issues. Panelists also provided critical feedback on the accessibility of items across diverse student populations. During this experience, Maine participants collaborated with educators from across the MSAA Partner Entities: TN, AZ, MT, DC, the Bureau of Indian Education, the Department of Defense Schools, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

The expertise of Maine educators is critical to the development of the state’s alternate assessments. Their engagement ensures that Maine continues to strive towards high standards and achievement for all Maine students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.

Many thanks to the following panelists for sharing their time and expertise during this review!

Abbey Trask, Special Education Administrator, Saco Public Schools

Kelley Wallace, Special Educator, MSAD 17

Leora Byras, Maine DOE Special Services, Federal Monitoring Team

Lisa Backman, Assistant Director of Special Education, Ellsworth Public Schools

Mark Dennett, Special Educator, Augusta Public Schools

Sue Hedrich, Special Educator, Lewiston Public Schools

Morgan Brewer, Special Educator, Lincoln Academy

Misty Favreau, Special Education Administrator, Lewiston Public Schools

Michele Libby, Special Educator, Acton Elementary School

Melanie Bowlus, Teacher of the Deaf, Maine Educational Center for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing

Panelist Opportunities for Maine Science Educators

The Maine Department of Education is currently recruiting elementary (5^th grade) educators and alternate participants (grades 8 and 3^rd year of high school) to participate in an upcoming standard setting for the state’s science assessment, Maine (MEA) Science.

Maine educators and the DOE play a crucial role in the development of this assessment for students. No prior experience with standard setting or standard setting methodology is required however, panelists should be a science expert that teaches students who participate in the Maine Science assessment and have a thorough understanding of the assessed Maine Learning Results (MLRs) Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Participants must be able to differentiate between student performances at different levels of achievement. Standard setting panels consist of 10 educators per grade band (grade 5, 8, and 3^rd year of high school). Panelists will have the opportunity to discuss and determine application thresholds for Maine.

Current needs include:

Grade 5 – 4 Educators
Grade 8 – Alternates*
3^rd year of High School – Alternates*

*Alternates need to indicate they would be available should a panelist be unable to participate.

The standard setting is scheduled to take place from July 26^th – 28^th 2022 in Augusta. Travel, accommodations and expenses will be covered with a daily stipend provided to selected panelists.

Please consider applying or sharing the upcoming opportunities with colleagues. The expertise and contributions of Maine educators are a critical element of the continued development cycle for these assessments.

Interested? Complete the panelist registration survey.

Want more information? Please reach out to Janette Kirk, Chief of Federal Programs at Janette.Kirk@maine.gov.

Panelist Opportunities for Maine Science Educators

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is currently recruiting educators to participate in an upcoming standard setting for the state’s science assessment, Maine (MEA) Science.

Maine educators and the DOE play a crucial role in the development of this assessment for students. No prior experience with standard setting or standard setting methodology is required, however panelists should be a science expert that teaches the students who participate in the Maine Science assessment and have a thorough understanding of the assessed Maine Learning Results (MLRs) Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Participants must be able to differentiate between student performances at different levels of achievement. Standard setting panels consist of ten (10) educators per grade band (grade 5, 8, and 3^rd year of high school). Panelists will have the opportunity to discuss and determine application thresholds for Maine.

The Assessment Team is currently recruiting educators with a general science background, however preference will be given to high school teachers with the following areas of science expertise to ensure broad representation of all science domains:

Chemistry
Physics
Life Science
Earth & Space

The standard setting is scheduled to take place from July 26^th – 28^th 2022 in Augusta. Travel, accommodations, and expenses will be covered with a daily stipend provided to selected panelists.