Monthly Test Coordinator Webinar Registration Links, Presentations and Recordings
These monthly meetings will help you stay informed and current on state assessment plans, policies, and any changes that happen throughout the year as we plan for and prepare for state assessments. This is also a chance for you to ask all any questions you have to ensure smooth assessment administrations. Recordings of the webinars and presentation slide decks will be posted to this section.
We encourage anyone involved in planning and preparing for the RI state assessments to attend these meetings. This includes district and school administrators, data and technology directors, special education and EL directors of any district or school administering the RI state assessments to Rhode Island students.
Monthly Test Coordinator Webinar Series
- All webinars will include assessment-specific updates, tasks for the current and upcoming months, Q&A time for any questions, occasional short presentations and demonstrations by state testing vendors, and in-depth reviews of state assessment data.
- All Test Coordinator Monthly Webinars are held from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
- Register here for the 2022-23 Monthly Test Coordinator Webinar Series
Webinar Recordings, Slide Decks, and Handouts
- October 19, 2022 (Topics included preparing for ACCESS for ELLs and Alternate ACCESS Field Test, and review of required training for state assessments)
- September 21, 2022
Test Coordinator Memos
If you are a district or school test coordinator and have not been receiving these memos, please check the Organization Directory for your LEA or school profile to see if you are listed with the District Testing Coordinator or School Testing Coordinator role (not title), as appropriate.
- If you are listed on that profile, please check your junk mail folder in case the memo was misfiltered. If it is not there, please email assessment@ride.ri.gov with a request to be added to the test coordinators' listserv.
- If you are not listed on that profile, please contact the person responsible for updating the profile (usually a district data manager or a principal or head of school) to add you, and then email assessment@ride.ri.gov to let us know you should be added to the test coordinator listserv.
RIDE uses the Organization Directory information for many of our listservs, and so that information should be kept as accurate as possible to ensure communications are received.
All memos sent to the assessment listserv for the current administration cycle will be posted here, most recent first.
RISAP Test Coordinator Handbook
RISAP Test Coordinator Handbook for 2022-23 [PDF] (Updated 11.28.2022) contains the state policies that apply to all of the state assessments. Specifically, this handbook outlines state policies on:
- responsibilities of the district and school test coordinators
- criteria for being a test administrator
- participation in student assessments
- cell phone/electronics requirements
- medical exemption criteria
- general information on each assessment
- school monitoring visits
- test irregularity reporting (download Word version of form)
State Assessment Computer-Based Testing Hardship Wavier Application (docx) is for an LEA that may not have the capacity to administer one or more of the state assessments* digitally (using computers, laptops, or other approved electronic device) to all students.
Outplacement Schools
Outplacement schools are schools that receive tuition from a Rhode Island public school district for any student enrolled in their school. The outplacement school can be either within Rhode Island or in another state. Outplacement schools are required to administer Rhode Island state assessments, as applicable, to any student enrolled in their school.
Follow the steps below to ensure that you receive the most current information on Rhode Island State Assessment Program procedures and policies.
- Make sure someone in your school has access to eRIDE. This is the portal RIDE uses for registering students, confirming enrollment, creating test coordinator accounts, shipping test materials, and sending communications regarding state testing. If you do not know who has access to eRIDE, or your school does not have an account, contact Mario Goncalves at Mario.Goncalves@ride.ri.gov or (401) 222-8968.
- Review your school's information in the eRIDE Master Directory to ensure it is up-to-date (search by your school's name). It is critical for the school address to be accurate since it will be used to ship test materials and student score reports. Please also make sure the names and contact information for the roles below are accurate (note: eRIDE allows multiple roles to be assigned to one person if that person's responsibilities include them):
- District Test Coordinator: Make sure that the person who fulfills the test coordinator responsibilities for your organization is listed with the District Test Coordinator role, and that their name, phone, and email are correct. If this information changes, please update as soon as possible.
- Technology Coordinator: Most of our state assessments are given using computers. Technology Coordinators are an important part of preparing for computer-based testing and handling mid-test technology needs.
- Data Manager: Most of our state assessments require additional information, such as accommodations, to be entered into an online testing platform after RIDE has registered students for the test. Student data in the assessment systems must be kept up-to-date throughout the testing window.
- Special Education Director: Our state assessments include accommodations and other testing supports for students with disabilities. To ensure that students have the appropriate accommodations and testing supports, RI requires that this information be included in the IEP or 504 Plan.
- Identify which students must participate in the Rhode Island statewide assessments. See the RISAP Participation Requirements for State Assessments tab on this page.
- Review the assessment schedules for each state assessment you will administer, and select testing date(s) for your school. Assessment administration windows can be found at www.ride.ri.gov/Assessment-Schedules.
- Attend test coordinator training for the statewide assessment(s) you will be administering. If you missed the test coordinator training sessions, review posted training recordings and slide decks to familiarize yourself with the assessments, policies, and tasks to complete before, during, and after testing for each assessment. Registration, recordings, and slide decks can be found at: www.ride.ri.gov/Assessment-Training.
- Read the test coordinator's manual(s) for the assessment(s) that your school will be administering. Test coordinator's manuals contain critical information about assessment preparation, administration, and close-out, including detailed guidance for information covered in the test coordinator trainings. Manuals and supporting materials, as well as test administrator's manuals, for each assessment can be found at www.ride.ri.gov/Assessment-Manuals.
- Check the online registration systems to ensure that anyone in your school who requires access, has it. If you do not have access to the online testing system you need, use the Help Desk Information for State Assessments tab on this page to find the appropriate contact person.
- Check the online registration systems for each assessment to ensure all Rhode Island students in your school are registered for the correct assessments in the correct grade level. If you are missing students or students are enrolled by mistake, contact the responsible/sending district(s) for those student(s). It is the responsibility of the responsible/sending districts to update their records, the Enrollment Census, the Special Education Census, and the LEP Census.
- Review information about accommodations and accessibility features in the RISAP Accommodations and Accessibility Features Manual at www.ride.ri.gov/Accommodations and ensure the appropriate accommodations are included in the student’s IEP or 504 Plan and that EL supports are documented, as necessary, for EL students.
- Note that for some assessments (e.g., RICAS, NGSA), paper-based testing accommodations (e.g., paper based, large print paper, Braille paper edition) have earlier student assignment deadlines than accommodations or accessibility features for online tests. This is due to the need to print and ship those materials. Each assessment has a process to handle requests for additional paper test accommodations resulting from changes to IEP/504 Plans after that deadline. Visit the Help Desk Information for State Assessments tab on this page for test-specific contact information.
- If student information in any of the online test platforms is incorrect, please contact the student's responsible/sending district: the district may need to update the student's information in eRIDE.
- Train your test administrators. RIDE has posted an editable presentation with foundational information about statewide assessment in Rhode Island at www.ride.ri.gov/Assessment-Training. Depending on the assessment, there may be additional online modules or certifications necessary for test administrators to be able to give the assessment.
ACCESS for ELLs
Support information and state contacts can be found on Rhode Island's member page for the WIDA Consortium.
Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) Alternate Assessments
DLM Service Center: Contact the DLM Service Center with questions including Moodle training issues, Educator Portal, and Student Portal:
District Special Education Director or Testing Coordinator: Contact the district special education director or testing coordinator with questions about test administrator training, correct grade level of a student, student eligibility for alternate assessments, and student rosters and teacher accounts in Educator Portal.
RIDE: Contact the RI Department of Education with questions about student data in the Enrollment Census or Special Education Census, accommodations decisions, medical exemptions, test irregularities, or other state testing policies.
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
For information about participating in NAEP, please visit the NAEP website.
Next Generation Science Assessment (NGSA)
Please contact the help desk for questions regarding any Cambium online systems including: the portal, the secure browser, TA Certification Course, the Practice Test, NGSA TIDE, the TA Interface, or the Student Interface. You may also call with questions about technology requirements and ordering any of the paper tests.
Please provide the help desk with a detailed description of your problem, as well as the following:
- If the issue pertains to a student, provide the SASID and associated district or school for that student. Do not provide the student’s name.
- If the issue pertains to a NGSA TIDE user, provide the user’s full name and email address.
- Any error messages that appeared.
Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System (RICAS)
Contact the RICAS Service Center with questions about the RICAS Resource Center website, PearsonAccessNext, passwords, and questions about the PNP process:
RI SAT School Day and PSAT10
For state policy questions
- RIDE: Heather Heineke at heather.heineke@ride.ri.gov if you have any questions about the SAT and PSAT10.
- College Board: Contact the College Board with questions about technology, submitting accommodations using SSD Online, or accessing the K-12 Reporting Portal.
Rhode Island State Assessment Program Participation Policy
Below is the Rhode Island State Assessment System policy which describes who is expected to participate in state assessments. This policy includes LEA responsibilities to ensure that students have the opportunity to participate in the required assessments for their current grade level*. These policies are also included in the RISAP Test Coordinator Handbook.
NOTE : Students will not make-up state assessments they missed, regardless of the reason. Students will be registered for the state assessments at the grade level shown in the Enrollment Census for the 2022-23 school year.
- Required assessments by grade level: (PDF) This chart outlines the required tests for each grade level.
- Public School Students: It is expected that any student attending public school or charter school in Rhode Island will participate in the required tests for their current grade level* either with or without accommodations.
- Students Attending Outplacement Schools: It is expected that students attending an outplacement school, whose tuition is paid for by a Rhode Island LEA, will participate in the required tests for their current grade level*, regardless of where the outplacement school is located. If a student attends an outplacement school in a state other than Rhode Island, it is the responsibility of the Rhode Island LEA to ensure that the outplacement school has a plan for administering the required assessments for that student's current grade level*.
- English Learners: In addition to participating in the required academic assessments (English language arts, mathematics, science) for their current grade level*, students who are English learners and who are currently receiving, or are eligible for, services are expected to participate in either ACCESS for ELs or Alternate ACCESS for ELs.
- NOTE: English learners are students who have not attended U.S. schools for a cumulative number of 12 months beginning on or after April 1, 2022. These students are exempt from taking English language arts tests for one year but are still expected to participate in mathematics and science tests, as appropriate, for their current grade level*.
- Alternate Assessment: Students who qualify for the alternate assessment will participate in the Dynamic Learning Maps alternate assessments for their current grade level in English language arts, mathematics, and science, as appropriate, for their current grade level*. If the student is also an English learner, they will also take Alternate ACCESS for ELLs.
- NOTE: There is no alternate assessment at the 10th grade; students who qualify for the alternate assessments will not participate in PSAT10. Students in the tenth grade who are also English learners will take Alternate ACCESS for ELLs.
- Homeschooled Students: Homeschooled students may participate in any of the state assessments for their current grade level* if the parents and school district have included participation in the state assessments in the student's homeschool plan. Families should contact their local school district office to arrange participation.
- *Notes on Current Grade Level:
- Current grade level is defined as the grade level that is recorded in the Enrollment Census by the LEA. RIDE will register the student for all required tests at the grade level recorded in the Enrollment Census. Testing the student at any grade level other than what is recorded in the Enrollment Census may result in test scores being invalidated.
- If a student skips a grade level, the student does not make up tests for skipped grades.
- If a student is retained, the student takes the tests for their current grade level again, even if the student took the test the previous year.