STAAR SASS!!!!
January/February 2016: Volume 7
Did We Say We're Moving to Phase 2? Let's make that "Phase 2 Lite!"
In our previous issue of STAAR SASS!!! we reported that STAAR Performance Standards for the 2015-16 school year would be moving to Phase 2. Right after publishing, the commissioner proposed a STAAR performance phase in system for the state of Texas that would raise standards each year between now and the final recommended standard by smaller increments each year. This proposed phase in was filed with the Texas Register on December, 17, 2015, with an effective date of January 6, 2016. An illustration of the new phase in for 2016 including Phase 1, the original Phase 2, and final recommended (not changing) can be found through lead4ward's free resources (click here).
Do you have what it takes to be a STAAR coordinating master or merely padawan? Come find out at the Annual Principal and Campus Testing Coordinator Training!
Are you ready for STAAR Training, padawans? We are offering two half day sessions. Participants are only required to attend one. Principals and their lead STAAR, sped STAAR, and TELPAS coordinators should plan to attend. Dates/times are as follows:
Thursday, February 18th: 12:30 p.m.
Friday, February 19th: 8:30 a.m.
Both sessions will be held in the Technology Building, Conference Rooms A&B. CTCs please bring a laptop or device if you would like to stay afterwards either day for training on the new ETS and Pearson systems.
Sign up is in Eduphoria Workshop.
NCLB is now ESSA, what does it mean for us?
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law on December 10, 2015. This new law replaces the No Child Left Behind (NCLB). As far as assessments, not much has changed. States are still required to administer the same tests annually that were required under NCLB. However, the rules for accountability have changed, eliminating the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) with it's 100% proficiency requirement and essentially giving each state more control over its accountability system with federal guidelines built in (ie: subgroup examination, state assessment usage, grade rate usage, growth measure from year-to-year, etc). For a more thorough comparison of the two systems, please see a chart created in December, 2015, by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) by clicking here.
STAAR Participation Counts Due by Wednesday, January 13th
CTCs will be receiving communication regarding online form to report participation counts for Spring STAAR testing that are due to Assessment & Accountability office by January 13, 2016.
New ETS/Pearson session at the February Continous Improvement Conference!
If you are a campus testing coordinator that is involved with online state testing (STAAR A, STAAR L, TELPAS, etc), please feel free to attend our session at February Conference on Monday, February 1 at 9:45 am. Look for us in the conference catalog!
The 2016 District and Campus Coordinator Manual is Posted!
The 2016 DCCM is now posted on the TEA website (access by clicking here). NOTE: Language in the 2016 District and Campus Coordinator Manual stating that students are required to leave the testing room when they have completed their tests should instead read, "After students submit their tests online, or after their paper tests are collected, students may be allowed to quietly read books or leave the testing room." Replacement pages for the 2016 District and Campus Coordinator Manual will be made available online only and will be posted to the TEA website in January 2016.
Leander ISD Assessment and Accountability Office
STAAR SASS! is a product of the LISD Assessment & Accountability Office. Please contact us with any questions.
Email: jennifer.freeman@leanderisd.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/leanderisd.org/leander-isd-assessment-accountability/
Location: 315 South West Drive, Leander, TX, United States
Phone: 5125700262