Accountability and Testing of Students in Various Situations:
Policy document regarding student in special/unique situations: OEA has created a policy document that explains in practical terms what the state statutory requirement to assess all enrolled pupils means. This document is intended to simplify the task of determining whether pupils in any of a number of special situations must be tested. For reference purposes, the FAQ questions asking if certain students must be tested will continue to be listed here with a link to the policy document and any information that concerns the logistics of how to assess the student.
A. See the policy document regarding student in special/unique situations.
A. See the policy document regarding student in special/unique situations.
A. See the policy document regarding student in special/unique situations.
A. See the policy document regarding student in special/unique situations. For ACT Aspire, the student can be tested via a district owned laptop, in a secure setting by a trained proctor, with an internet connection. If the student is not tested, the student counts as a non-test participant for accountability purposes.
A. See the policy document regarding student in special/unique situations. Test security needs to be carefully considered when dealing with homebound or hospitalized students.
For ACT Aspire, the high school could send trained staff to the home or hospital and administer the assessment on a district owned laptop. Be sure that the person who is administering the test to the student is an employed district staff member who has been trained in test administration.
Homebound services differ from virtual learning provided during the pandemic in that homebound is a placement determined by an IEP team. A student with a disability who requires in-person specially designed instruction and related services in the home in order to make progress towards their IEP goals and in the general education curriculum, must receive in-person homebound services as part of a free and appropriate public education (FAPE).
A. A significant medical emergency is a health impairment that renders the student incapable of participating in any academic activities, including state assessments, for the entire ACT Aspire testing window. Districts should maintain documentation of the circumstance within their district. The student will be excluded from test participation and achievement-based accountability calculations. See additional guidance on medical exemptions in the Significant Medical Emergency Form. Test coordinators must enter a not-tested code of "significant medical emergency" in the vendor portals.
A. Students who are taught with alternate standards must participate in the DLM assessments. These students should be left in the portal and should not be placed in the Aspire testing sessions. Enter the "alternate assessment" not-tested code in the appropriate portal to indicate that the student took the DLM.
A. See the policy document regarding student in special/unique situations.
A. See the policy document regarding student in special/unique situations. The district of residence should work with the facility to complete testing; however, it is not the facility’s responsibility to test the student. If the student is not tested, the student counts as a non-test participant for accountability purposes.
- High school will send trained staff to the mental health or correctional facility and administer the assessment on a district owned laptop.
- High school and the mental health or corrections facility collaboratively agree that the facility will administer the Aspire test at their facility using facility staff. The high school would be responsible for training facility staff in test administration. High school would set up a test session naming the facility staff as the Room Supervisor. All facility requirements, test administration procedures, and security requirements must be met.
- Student returns to district of residence to test if applicable and appropriate.
A. See the policy document regarding student in special/unique situations. The district of residence should work with the RCC to complete testing; however, it is not the RCC’s responsibility to test the student. If the student is not tested, the student counts as a non-test participant for accountability purposes.
- High school will send trained staff to the RCC and administer the assessment on a district owned laptop.
- High school and the RCC collaboratively agree that the RCC will administer the Aspire test at the RCC using RCC staff. The high school would be responsible for training RCC staff in test administration. High school would set up a test session naming the RCC staff as the Room Supervisor. All facility requirements, test administration procedures, and security requirements must be met.
A. See the policy document regarding student in special/unique situations. The district of residence should work with the above schools to complete testing at the specialized school the student is attending. If the student is not tested, the student counts as a non-test participant for reporting purposes.
The Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Wisconsin School for the Deaf have access to the Aspire portal and will test students at their facilities using their own staff. When necessary, they will request students through the Aspire transfer process from the district of residence.
- High school will send trained staff to Lakeland School or Syble Hopp and administer the assessment on a district owned laptop.
High school and Lakeland School or Syble Hopp collaboratively agree that Lakeland School or Syble Hopp will administer the Aspire test at their site using Lakeland School or Syble Hopp staff. The high school would be responsible for training Lakeland School or Syble Hopp staff in test administration. High school would set up a test session naming the Lakeland School or Syble Hopp staff as the Room Supervisor.
Many students attending Lakeland School of Walworth County and Syble Hopp Elementary and Secondary School of Brown County are taught with alternate standards and will take the alternate assessment, Dynamic Learning Maps. These students will not be administered ACT Aspire. Students attending either of these facilities and who are taught with general education standards will be tested with ACT Aspire.
All facility requirements, test administration procedures, and security requirements must be met.
A. See the policy document regarding student in special/unique situations. The district of residence should work with the school/program/facility of attendance to complete testing; however, the best interest of the student must be considered and collaboration between the school/program of attendance and the district of residence is essential. If the student is not tested, the student counts as a non-test participant for reporting purposes.
Currently, ACT Aspire’s portal has no way to efficiently manage students who attend school in one district (school/district of attendance) but for accountability purposes need data reported back to the district of residence/accountability. Refer to Aspire Portal Guidance for Students Who Attend School Outside Their School of Residence.
Options available for Aspire testing at a school/program/facility described above include:
- High school will send trained staff to the school/program/facility and administer the assessment on a district owned laptop.
- High school and the school/program/facility collaboratively agree that the school/program/facility will administer the Aspire test at their site using school/program/facility staff. The high school would be responsible for training school/program/facility staff in test administration. High school would set up a test session naming the school/program/facility staff as the Room Supervisor. All facility requirements, test administration procedures, and security requirements must be met.
- Student returns to district of residence to test if applicable and appropriate
A. For ACT Aspire, Virtual schools are responsible for testing all students enrolled in grades 9 or 10 with ACT Aspire. This may be done in the district that is responsible for the virtual school, or with district staff at other arranged sites. Other districts should not test students who live in their attendance area and attend a virtual school in another district. These students will be tested on a district owned laptop, by a trained proctor, in a secure setting, with an internet connection. Refer to Aspire Portal Guidance for Students Who Attend School Outside Their School of Residence.
A. No. Your district may not test private school students. Private schools participating in the Choice Program are required to administer the State Assessments to students enrolled in the Choice Program.
Private schools have the opportunity to purchase the ACT Aspire directly from the vendor. For additional information regarding testing go to Private School Testing.
A. No. You are neither required nor permitted to include home-schooled students in the ACT Aspire, including those enrolled in your district for two or fewer classes per day.
A. When a parent or guardian requests that the student be excused from participating in the WSAS, this request must be honored at grades 4, 8, and 9-11, per Wis. Stats. 118.30(2)(b)3. This request may come at any time during the testing window. All students excused by parent opt-out are marked as “not tested” students in school and district reporting and accountability determinations. Enter the not-tested code "parent opt-out" in the portal.
A. A parent must submit a written request for student opt-out to the principal or the school board. Per Wis. Stats. 118.30(2)(b)3., if the student is in grades 4, 8, and 9-11 the request must be granted. However, if the student is not in the above mentioned grade levels, the decision to grant the request is at the discretion of the school board.
A. Yes. You must test all students enrolled using the assessment that is required for the grade level in which the student is placed. If the student is not a full academic year student, the student counts in accountability determination only as a test participant and is not calculated into ELA and mathematics proficiency rates.
A. No. The ACT Aspire cannot be administered out of state. If the student is still enrolled in the district/school, the student counts as a non-participant for reporting and accountability determinations.
A. No. The student does not need to be included in the count of students enrolled in the district if the placement is out-of-state.
A. In case of ACT Aspire, any student who enrolls in a school during the ACT Aspire testing window should be tested. School personnel should manually enter the student into the portal as a new student if transferring from a school that is not a Wisconsin Public School or request a transfer through the Aspire portal from a previously attended school if the student was enrolled in a Wisconsin Public School. If the student enters the school near the end of the testing window, the school should administer as many ACT Aspire tests as possible and practical.
A. An FAY student is one who has been continuously enrolled in a school or district from the 3rd Friday of September to the completion of testing, with no enrollment gaps of 30 days or more. For more information, contact Phil Cranley at DPI at (608) 266-9798.
A. FAY is applied for public reporting of assessment results and when using assessment results in accountability calculations including school and district report cards. A student's assessment results are only included in performance-based accountability calculations (i.e., priority area calculations in accountability report cards) for a school if he or she was enrolled in the school for the full academic year. District accountability report cards include students in achievement-based calculations who were enrolled in the district for the full academic year. Test participation calculations do not factor in FAY status because, while schools and districts are only held accountable for the performance of students enrolled for the full academic year, a student is expected to participate in the required statewide assessments regardless of how long they have been enrolled in the school or district.
A. Use your own judgment about whether it is appropriate to test a student who has suffered a recent trauma. If the student is not tested, be aware that the student will count as a non-test participant for accountability purposes.
A. See the policy document regarding student in special/unique situations.
English Language Learners
A. ESEA requires that all students participate in statewide assessment to be used for accountability. Federal regulations provide some flexibility related to the assessment and accountability for recently arrived ELL students only (See 34 CFR § 200.6 (b) (4)).
Districts will need to first determine if the student has recently arrived in the United States before making assessment and accountability decisions. Recently arrived refers to a student that has attended a U.S. school for less than 12 months and has a language proficiency level of 1 or 2 as determined by ACCESS for ELLs®.
A recently arrived ELL may be exempt from one required administration of the state’s English Language Arts assessment. If the student does not participate in the ELA assessment, he or she must participate in ACCESS for ELLS. Recently arrived students must participate in all other content areas, with or without accommodations. Students in a school or district for less than a full academic year (FAY) are counted for test participation only; their assessment results are not factored into school or district report cards.
A. If the student does not participate in the ELA assessment, he or she must participate in ACCESS for ELLs®. Recently arrived students must participate in all other content areas, with or without accommodations. Students in district for less than a full academic year (FAY) are counted for test participation only; their assessment results are not factored into school or district report cards.
A. Please refer to the English Learner Supports for the ACT Aspire webpage.
Students With Disabilities
A. Yes. State and federal law requires districts and schools to test all students, including students with disabilities. Students with disabilities may take the ACT Aspire assessment with accommodations or may take the Alternate Assessment (Dynamic Learning Maps) if the student qualifies.
A. Decisions regarding student participation in ACT Aspire or DLM are the responsibility of the student’s Individual Education Program (IEP) team. If a student is not tested, the student counts as a non-participant for reporting and accountability purposes.
A. The decision to participate in the DLM is made using the DLM Participation Checklist. Use of the checklist requires a thorough review of student-specific data to assess the student’s current educational performance relative to the academic performance standards for all students. More information about DLM.
A. Only students with disabilities who require the accommodations of Braille, Large Print or American Sign Language can take the ACT Aspire test in paper format. All other students must test with computer-based testing (CBT). To order a paper-based test, the test coordinator must complete the student’s Personal Needs Profile (PNP) in the Aspire portal indicating Braille, Large Print of American Sign Language and then place that student in a paper-based test session by the calendar deadline. Until the student is put into the paper-based test session, the order is not complete and the school will not receive the required testing materials
Grade Classification
A. In Wisconsin, local school boards determine policy about grade level placement. Therefore, check with your district for guidance about when a student should be advanced to a new grade level, and test all students who are, according to district policy, enrolled in a tested grade (3-11). Please remember to update the student’s record in your local student information system (SIS) and transmit the data to DPI through WISEdata.
Miscellaneous
A. You can find the manuals and checklists in the The ACT Aspire Wisconsin Website.
A. The ACT Wisconsin biweekly email is an informational resource from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction - Office of Educational Accountability. Information about ACT Aspire and the ACT with writing is included in the email as well as helpful resources, training opportunities, deadline reminders and quick links. The ACT Wisconsin biweekly email is sent to DACs, school test coordinators, and high school principals. For archived editions please visit the assessment correspondence web page.
A. Although not recommended, ACT does not prohibit testing grades 9 and 10 in the same testing room. If testing together, grades 9 and 10must be separated into different testing sessions.
WISEdata
A. WISEdata can and should be kept up-to-date throughout the school year. The Office of Educational Accountability will populate testing portals based on information submitted through WISEdata. Watch the DAC Digest for specific dates when OEA will pull data to populate the testing portals.