Session Descriptions

Select a Session Block to view Session Descriptions:

Session Block 1 (8:30am - 10:00am)
Session Block 2 (10:15am - 11:45am)
Session Block 3 (12:45pm - 2:15pm)
Session Block 4 (2:30pm - 4:00pm)

Session Block 1 (8:30am - 10:00am)

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Updates
Presented by: Jeff Greig & Ronald Michaels

Get an update on implementation efforts and assessment development for the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Efforts including professional development opportunities and curriculum work through the collaboration of the State Department of Education, Connecticut Science Center and state educators will be highlighted. Preparations for the “go live” NGSS assessments starting in spring 2019 will be shared, including a look at the 2018 field test, and a preview of new interim assessments for science.

Using Data from the CT SAT
Presented by: Michelle Rosado & John Fallon
Panelists: Dan Moleti, Joseph Blake and Matthew Ryan

This session will focus on using data from the Connecticut SAT School Day. Participants will learn about the features of the redesigned College Board portal, EdSight and EdSight Secure. A panel of educators from high schools in Connecticut will discuss how they use SAT, PSAT and AP data from the College Board portal and EdSight to inform staff and support instruction. Schools will also highlight how they have incorporated KHAN academy into their instruction.

Ensuring Data Quality: A Systems Perspective (for district/school leaders)
Presented by: Ajit Gopalakrishnan

Panelists: Ray Martin, Marquelle Middleton, Laura Guerrera, Alison Zhou, Keryn Felder and Kendra Shakir

What does it take to submit high-quality, accurate data to the state? What systems, procedures, and practices must be in place locally to do this every year, with each and every collection? With increased transparency and stakes, it is now more important than ever to have a system of data management throughout the whole district. This session will introduce approaches to promoting a culture of data quality including data verification, professional learning, data literacy, collaboration, and local system maintenance. The session is designed for district and school leaders to attend along with their data staff.

Best Practices for Test Coordinators
Presented by: Abe Krisst

Panelists: Tara Battistoni, Anne Keene, Diane Filardo and Jill Correnty

Is it possible to run a trouble free and smooth state summative testing window? This panel discussion, with four veteran Connecticut test coordinators, will overview some best practices for administering state summative assessments. The topics covered will be helpful to new test coordinators as well as experienced test coordinators.

Identifying Students for the Alternate Assessment – Principals, District Test Coordinators, Special Education Administrators [REPEATED IN BLOCK 2]
Presented by: Diane Murphy & Bryan Klimkiewicz

Panelist: Dori Papa-Santini

The department will review the process for appropriate identification of students with disabilities for participation on state alternate assessments (CTAA and CTAS). A summary of themes from the Bureau of Special Education’s recent IEP document review of evidence for participation on these assessments will be shared. Data trends related to student learner characteristics for students participating on the alternate assessment will be discussed.

Interpreting the Metrics in the Profile and Performance Report (PPR)
Presented by: Stephanie O'Day

Panelists: Gilbert Andrada & Renee Savoie

There are many data points in the profile report but they fall broadly into the following three buckets: counts, percentages (or proportions), and summaries (or averages). There are also some derived indicators that use an amalgam of the data and create an index (e.g., DPI/SPI, Accountability Index). This session will help participants to gain a deeper understanding of the metrics in the Profile and Performance Report (PPR) in order to facilitate valid interpretations.

Using Data to Develop Guidance for Selecting Supports, Accommodations, and Assessments
Presented by: Deirdre Ducharme & Janet Stuck

This session will explore resources and data considerations as guidance when determining appropriate assessments, accessibility supports and accommodations to support student access to Smarter Balanced assessments, the Next Generation Science assessment, and the Alternate Assessment System. What does the data tell us about who is using the accessibility features such as Text-to-Speech and Read Aloud on state assessments? What guidance is available to help identify the students who are most appropriate for these types of supports? How does the data describe students participating in the Alternate Assessment System: the CTAA (ELA and Math) and the Connecticut Alternate Science (CTAS) Assessment, and what interpretations can be made from it?

Session Block 2 (10:15am - 11:45am)

A Panel Discussion: How can data analysis inform and enhance decision-making for current English Learners?
Presented by: Michael Sabados, Janet Stuck, & Megan Alubicki Flick

Panelists: Kemen Holley, Jean Borrup, Mary-Beth Russo, Pedro Mendia-Landa, & Raffaela Fronc

In this session, presenters will use key data points to look deeper into the foundational purposes of programs for English learners (ELs), the design and staffing of such programs, and the monitoring process and performance of former ELs who have met the English language proficiency exit criteria. A panel of practitioners from districts with varied EL populations and demographics will offer practical and experiential insights to further explore these topics.

Leveraging EDS: Certification, TEAM and Successful Completion
Presented by: Ray Martin
Panelists: Julianne Frost & Gady Weiner

The Educator Data System (EDS) is more than just lists of educators. The EDS offers districts the ability to check educators’ certification information, identify and address educator compliance problems, report TEAM completion and indicate educators’ successful service. This session will highlight these functions of EDS and explain how districts can use these functions to improve their educator management.

Developing a Meaningful Local Assessment Plan
Presented by: Ajit Gopalakrishnan & Desi Nesmith

Different assessments serve different purposes. Standardized state summative assessments provide an efficient and reliable estimate of a student’s overall performance; they enable valid interpretations of student achievement and growth, both at the individual and aggregate level. Reading assessments in Grades K-3 identify students who are below proficiency and need explicit reading instruction. Formative assessment processes help teachers to adjust ongoing teaching and learning while providing valuable feedback to students. Interim assessments evaluate students’ knowledge and skills relative to a specific domain or sub-skill. This session will allow participants to explore their district/assessment plans with the goal of reducing redundancy and increasing efficiency.

Strategies that Promote Academic Growth: Voices from the Field
Presented by: Renee Savoie

In May 2018, the CSDE convened school and district leaders from 15 communities to discuss local practices that are leading to strong academic growth for students based on Smarter Balanced results. Collectively, the group identified a variety of key strategies for success organized around six themes: climate, culture, and social and emotional factors for students and teachers; targeted and focused improvement of curriculum and instruction; data-based decision making; responsive and effective professional learning; district wide coherence; and personalized learning.

Attend this session to hear directly from several invited panelists who participated in the May 2018 event. They will share their stories of what has worked for their students and staff. You will learn about their successes and challenges associated with the implementation and continuing support for programs promoting student growth.

Identifying Students for the Alternate Assessment – Principals, District Test Coordinators, Special Education Administrators [REPEATED]

Presented by: Diane Murphy & Bryan Klimkiewicz

Panelist: Dori Papa-Santini

The department will review the process for appropriate identification of students with disabilities for participation on state alternate assessments (CTAA and CTAS). A summary of themes from the Bureau of Special Education’s recent IEP document review of evidence for participation on these assessments will be shared. Data trends related to student learner characteristics for students participating on the alternate assessment will be discussed.

\ EdSight Secure [REPEATED IN BLOCK 3]
Presented by: Performance Office Consultants

EdSight Secure is CSDE's secure website where Local Education Agency (LEA) staff can access student-level detail in various reports. In this session, we will review the existing reports and demonstrate how district staff can use these reports to analyze student performance and identify students in need of additional support. We will also explain how district and school staff can gain access to the site. Bring your laptops to this interactive session.

Connecticut Writing Portfolio Resources for Grades K-2
Presented by: Cristi Alberino, Deirdre Ducharme & Joanne White

Participants will receive an overview of The Connecticut Writing Portfolio Guides for Grades K-2, which include materials that can be used by teachers to complement the instruction of writing over the course of the school year. Each guide includes a sample reading text and writing prompt that can be replicated or used as a model when assessing student writing and growth over time. Though the prompt focuses on only one particular purpose for writing, each guide includes scoring rubrics and a collection of transcribed and annotated student response anchor papers. These resources can be embedded with a variety of grade-appropriate texts and writing activities to inform student writing in the classroom.

Session Block 3 (12:45pm - 2:15pm)

Identifying learning disabilities among English learner students in CT: Articulating the challenges
Presented by: Caroline Parker & Maria Paz Avery

What should researchers keep in mind as they develop case studies of Connecticut districts designed to describe the processes for identifying learning disabilities among English learners? This focus group is a great opportunity to connect with researchers from the Regional Education Laboratory Northeast and Islands (REL NEI) at the design stage of their project. Share your insights and jointly consider critical issues such as documenting the local context, identifying relevant data sources, and including multiple stakeholder views.

Early Indication Tool (EIT) [REPEATED IN BLOCK 4]
Presented by: Charles Martie & David Alexandro

Early warning systems (EWS) in education typically focus on students’ high school dropout risk. The Connecticut State Department of Education extended this model to create the Early Indication Tool (EIT), a K-12 system that identifies students who are at risk of missing milestones and/or dropping out, and ultimately facilitates more timely interventions. The purpose of this session is to explain the development of the EIT models and discuss how school and district leaders are using the EIT to improve student outcomes.

Using Next Generation Accountability Results in the District and Community
Presented by: Ajit Gopalakrishnan

Panelists: Meriden, West Haven & Greenwich

Connecticut’s Next Generation Accountability System, first implemented in 2014-15, provides a more holistic, multifactor perspective of district and school performance on a broad set of 12 indicators. It focuses considerable attention on academic growth because growth provides a more accurate picture of curriculum and instructional effectiveness. Superintendents from Greenwich, Meriden, and West Haven will share how these accountability results are changing the conversation and focus within their school districts and in their local communities.

Connecting PSIS Data and State Summative Assessments
Presented by: Abe Krisst, Kendra Shakir & Michelle Rosado

Performance Office team members will walk through the school year timeline for PSIS and how it connects to the assessment systems. The steps necessary to ensure accurate data for assessment and accountability reporting will be a focus of this session. This session will be especially helpful for District Test Coordinators, Test Center Supervisors, English Language Assessment Coordinators, and PSIS District Coordinators who are new to this role.

Significant Disproportionality Updates
Presented by: Diane Murphy & Bryan Klimkiewicz

New IDEA Regulations regarding Significant Disproportionality by race in identification for 1) special education, 2) educational environments/placement and 3) disciplinary removals will be reviewed. The department will highlight the new analysis rules for all three areas and explain the impact of these changes on districts. In addition, Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) will be discussed.

EdSight Secure [REPEATED]
Presented by: Performance Office Consultants

Connecticut Alternate Science Assessment\
Presented by: Deirdre Ducharme, Janet Stuck & Amy Bowman

An Overview of the Development and Design of the Connecticut Alternate Science Assessment (CTAS) This session will describe the development of the Connecticut Alternate Science (CTAS) Assessment and the important inclusion of various stakeholder groups in the test development process. Available pilot information will be shared as well as next steps in the process for the operational test and beyond. Discussion and data will include: Identification of students eligible for participation reflecting on primary disability category and Learner Characteristics Inventory (LCI) student characteristics; components of CTAS compared to the Connecticut Alternate Assessment (CTAA) for language arts and math; a description of stakeholder involvement and their recommendations; the Early Stopping Rule; and CTAS Resource Packet decisions about formatting and structure.

Session Block 4 (2:30pm - 4:00pm)

New Enhancements to AIR’s Assessment Systems
Presented by: Amy Bowman & Jeremy Fisher

American Institutes for Research systems are used to support the Smarter Balanced Assessment, NGSS Science (including CTAS) Assessment and CTAA. Each year, AIR makes enhancements and updates to the systems based on feedback from teachers, school/district personnel, and the state. During this presentation, AIR will highlight enhancements that will be incorporated in the 2019 AIR systems. Special focus will be placed on the participation reports in the Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE), additional scoring capabilities in AIRWays and the updated student login interface in the Test Delivery System (TDS).

Early Indication Tool (EIT) [REPEATED IN BLOCK 4]
Presented by: Charles Martie & David Alexandro

Time Spent Taking the Smarter Balanced Assessment
Presented by: Xiaowen Liu & Mohamed Dirir

Response time reflects the time it takes a student to complete a test. Computer-based tests make it possible to collect response times of a student on each item and information that can be used to enhance test development and administration. Response time data can be used, for example, to monitor aberrant behaviors such as cheating and guessing. These data can also be used to identify which item types students spend more time considering. In this study, we examined response time of the Connecticut 2017 Smarter Balanced assessment. We conducted descriptive analysis of the response time for different types of items and for both ELA and Math. We further examined how response time relates to other indicators such as accuracy of the score estimation, item position, and student’s performance level.

Physical Education Assessment
Presented by: Ray Martin & Abe Krisst

With the inclusion of the Connecticut Physical Fitness Assessment (CPFA) in the state’s Next Generation Accountability System, the CPFA has taken on greater importance in schools. The Department has revised the CPFA Test Administrator’s Manual and announced increased test administration flexibility. This session will highlight these changes, as well as provide stakeholders an opportunity to ask questions about the CPFA portion of the Accountability system.

How Districts Can Use Non-Cognitive Measures to Improve Student Outcomes
Presented by: Al Larson & Renee Savoie

Two online, district-based systems have been developed to produce valid and reliable measures of motivation, mindset, school climate, sense of belonging, college/career skills and health/diet. These systems address the social-emotional component of Connecticut’s Student Success Plan and are freely available to school districts. These practical systems were designed for teachers in order to help improve student-teacher relationships, increase student motivation, identify students in social-emotional distress and alert teachers to fragile students before the start of school.

EdSight Secure Help Desk Table/ Lab; Help Desk Availability of Performance Office Consultants
Presented by: John Watson, Stephanie O'Day & Rick Cloud

An open session staffed by Performance Office staff and data managers. Apply the information from the EdSight Secure session in the presence of EdSight-knowledgeable staff. Meet your data managers and ask your questions in person.

Interim Assessment Discussion with School-level Users
Presented by: Cristi Alberino & Deirdre Ducharme

Is your district considering incorporating the Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments in schools? Are you an experienced user of the interim assessments who would like to improve the ways in which the interims are used? Join us for an informal discussion about the best practices and uses of the interim assessments and their supporting programs, such as the Assessment Viewing Application and the AIR Ways Reporting System. This session will promote collaborative sharing of user strategies for implementation, data analysis, and instructional planning to improve student learning outcomes.