As the early literacy winter universal screening window opens, many educators and school administrators are preparing to communicate assessment results to parents and families.
The Iowa Department of Education has provided a FAQ document, outreach tips, and talking points designed to support building administrators and teachers in communicating to parents and families of students identified as “at risk” or as having a substantial deficiency in reading based on assessment results.
The DE welcomes your feedback on communication needs around implementation of the early literacy progression law. Send feedback to staci.hupp@iowa.gov.
Beginning this school year, the state’s required assessment for English Language Learners will be an online assessment: the English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century (ELPA21). It will replace the Iowa English Language Development Assessment.
The ELPA21 is required for all English Language Learners in K-12. The tests are to be administered annually from Feb. 15 - April 15. The cost for the assessment is wholly paid by the Iowa Department of Education.
The Department will provide training for tech coordinators, test coordinators, and test administrators with a series of four, one-hour webinars. They are also providing a test administration certification module for teachers.
All webinars are scheduled from 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. and the first training is Dec. 14. The recording and materials will be posted on the Iowa Department of Education’s ELPA21 website and the Area Education Agencies’ Agora site for English Language Learners.
Registration information can be found here.
For more information, contact Colleen Anderson, Student Assessment, Iowa Department of Education at (515) 281-3249.
