Archdiocesan ITBS/iRM Testing Consortium Overview

2011-2012 Archdiocesan ITBS/iRM Testing Consortium Overview

ARCHDIOCESAN ITBS/iRM TESTING CONSORTIUM: The Catholic Schools Department working with Riverside Publishing is pleased to announce our first data/assessment consortium supporting student growth and improvement for Grades 3-8 using the ITBS/iRM assessment tool. In order to gather Archdiocesan data relevant to support the new Improving Student Learning (ISL) Instrument (Edition 2010) and to uplift Archdiocesan policies in the area of assessment and reporting student learning, the ITBS/iRM assessment tool will be a quality common measure to help track longitudinal data of our students.

Catholic Schools: Policies and Procedures Binder for the Archdiocese of Seattle
2.7 ASSESSMENT AND REPORTING STUDENT PROGRESS
http://www.seecelebrateandlive.org/s...cedures-Manual
2.7 (A) Under the guidance and direction of the principal, each school shall determine a plan for regular student assessment.
2.7 (B) Student assessment programs shall be identified and used each year at selected grade levels to ensure that students are mastering the skills appropriate to their age group.
2.7 (C) Schools shall submit the results of student assessment results to the Superintendent upon request.
2.7 (D) Test results shall not be released to the public except with the permission of the school principal.
2.7 (E) To ensure that parents are informed of the progress of their child(ren),
schools shall issue report cards and provide opportunities for parent-
teacher conferences.

Fall 2011 Testing Program Parameters:

*The Archdiocesan ITBS/iRM Consortium will use the Iowa tests of Basic Skills (ITBS), Form A, beginning fall 2011 using the Paperless Plan for our delivery method.

*Revised Testing Window:
Tuesday, October 12 through Thursday, October 28, 2011
After additional consultation, we have adjusted the testing window to better reflect the fall mid-point for the national norms’ comparison. Background: The fall, mid-year, and spring norms are empirically established. By definition, the fall mid-point is set at October 22^nd and the spring mid-point is set at April 30^th. When students are administered the Iowa Tests at these points, their scores are reflective of the national averages from the students in the standardization sample. The Technical manual provides all of the data points and statistics related to the normative studies. October 22^nd is the mid-point of the fall national norms for 2010, 2011, 2012 using the current forms (A-C) of The Iowa Tests. Data will be available before Thanksgiving vacation. The fall testing window will follow the testing pattern of the last two weeks in October each year.

*Testing: Grades 3- 8

*Costs: Each school is responsible for their local building costs. The Catholic Schools Department will be responsible for costs associated with rolling-up test scores of participating schools at the Archdiocesan level. CoGAT is an optional testing choice and currently four schools use it to accompany the ITBS/iRM test. For additional information about CoGAT, please visit directly with Valerie Kosinski, our Riverside Special Accounts Coordinator.

Professional Development Plan for 2011 - 2012:

1. Pre-Test In-service: September 20, 2011 10:00 a.m. to noon at the Chancery to meet Valerie Kosinski from Riverside and receive your schools’ customized order.
2. Post-Test In-service: December 7 and Dec. 9, 2011 Isaac Orr Conference Room – All ITBS/iRM Consortium schools are invited to bring their data teams for a one day in-service (offered two different days) at the Chancery to model presentation of iRM and a road map of accessing each of the data displays in iRM, such as longitudinal averages and accreditation data. Trainer: Dr. Will Gray, National Accounts Manager, Riverside Publishing will be with us on Dec. 7th and Sandy Smith will be leading the Dec. 9th day.
3. Optional Webinar trainings available throughout the school year- as needed.
4. Online ITBS/iRM Forum located on SeeCelebrateandLive.org This is our common location for core documents, annual testing data and our online professional learning community. Check it out at: http://www.seecelebrateandlive.org/s...iRM-Consortium

Please follow this link to confirm your participation Archdiocesan ITBS/iRM Testing Consortium Commitment form by Wednesday, August 10, 2011. Optional Local Choices and Materials: Riverside will honor the archdiocesan parameters and then optional testing materials are also available for your school’s consideration. Ie: Some schools might choose to test at a Grade 2 level and that can occur with the school communicating this request to Riverside directly at time of registering with Riverside.
Our Riverside Special Accounts Coordinator is: Valerie Kosinski

Consortium Assessment Coordinator
Valerie.Kosinski@hmhpub.com
(800) 323-9540 ext. 7079
FAX (630) 467-7192 attention: Valerie
Customer Service at 800.323.9540 and ask for Special Accounts

Our local Riverside Sales Representative is Tyler Brown. Please contact Tyler Brown directly to set up local school professional development as needed.

Tyler Brown
Riverside Publishing
Assessment Consultant
206-295-7842
Tyler.brown@riversidepublishing.com




For additional information or questions, please contact Sandy Smith at sandra.smith@seattlearch.org

Respectfully submitted,
Sandra Barton Smith
Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum

FAX: 206-654-4651 Catholic Schools Department