Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System

ACCESS for ELLs Assessment Update: End of Testing and Extending the ACCESS for ELLs Testing Window

To:	Principals and English Language Learner (ELL) District Program Directors
From:	Dan Wiener, Administrator of Inclusive Assessment Alexis Glick, ACCESS for ELLs Program Specialist
Date:	February 3, 2015

Greetings! As the end of ACCESS for ELLs testing approaches, we are providing you with several reminders about completing and returning your test materials, including information on extending the ACCESS testing window, if needed.

Returning your School's ACCESS for ELLs Test Materials by the February 13 deadline

Schools should return test materials as soon as testing is completed. Schools that have completed testing are expected to arrange a UPS pickup no later than 3:00 p.m., Thursday, February 12 and to have all materials picked up from the school by 5:00 p.m., Friday, February 13. You may return materials before this date, but please do not send partial shipments of materials. Directions for arranging a UPS pickup from your school are provided on the green form in your test materials, entitled "Returning Materials to MetriTech." You may test students as late as Thursday, February 12 in order to meet the Friday shipment deadline, but remember to request a pickup on Thursday.

Important Information on Extending the ACCESS for ELLs Testing Window

We recognize that schools across the state have been closed, some for an extended period, as a result of severe weather. Schools should continue to make every effort to complete the testing of their ELL students and ship their materials by Friday, February 13, prior to the February vacation. However, we will allow a continuation of testing after February break between February 23 and February 27, for schools that need it. Those schools would be expected to arrange a UPS pickup no later than 3:00 p.m., on Monday, March 2 and to have all materials picked up from the school no later than 5:00 p.m., Tuesday, March 3. Schools may also schedule their pickup earlier if testing is completed. Please communicate this information to all relevant staff. Schools that have not completed testing by February 13, and will resume testing after the break must keep all test materials in a secure (locked) location at the school. Based on the number of schools that delay their return of test materials until March 3, there may be a delay in the reporting of test results until later in May.

Completing the Back Cover of Test Booklets

Most of the demographic information requested on the back cover of the test booklet is already provided in SIMS, so schools will only need to provide some of this information. Refer to the table on page 3 of the Massachusetts Supplement to the ACCESS for ELLs Test Administration Manual-January 2015 for a description of the information to be provided by schools, depending on whether the school received a label for the student, and whether accommodations were given.

Demographic Data Verification Window

Schools will be asked to verify the accuracy of their ELL students' demographic information during the Demographic Data Verification Window, scheduled for sometime in April. After logging in to the MetriTech Demographic Data Verification system, schools will be able to correct any discrepancies in students' names, SASIDs, dates of birth, grades, and "Not Tested" reasons.

Thank you for your attention to this information. If you have questions regarding ACCESS for ELLs testing, please contact mcas@doe.mass.edu or call (781) 338-3625.

Last Updated: February 4, 2015