Updated 7.30.2021
As additional updates are posted on the initial section of this page, RIDE will archive previous updates about the 2020-21 state assessment administrations to this section.
5/6/2021 - Student Opportunity To Learn Survey
To further support schools and districts this year in understanding the effects of the pandemic on students’ learning experiences, RIDE is launching an Opportunity to Learn (“OTL”) Survey designed to collect information from students in grades 3-12 about their learning experience this year. This short survey takes approximately ten minutes to complete, and includes only nine questions related to student attendance, location, resources available, and self-assessment about a student’s capacity to successfully learn and retain knowledge during the school year.
The survey will be open from May 12 through June 11.
The OTL Survey is not a state assessment, though we strongly encourage participation as this will provide useful information about students’ learning experiences this year. The survey is versatile and can be administered in class, as a homework assignment, or remotely using a web browser.
RIDE has posted a survey administration quick guide and a PDF of the questions below:
Please note that because the survey requires a student login, the survey will be managed through the NGSA TIDE system and school test coordinators will need to generate login tickets for students.
District and school test coordinators, please be aware that starting on May 7 you may begin to see students from grade levels other than 5, 8, and 11 in your NGSA TIDE system – non-tested grades are included for this survey only. You are welcome to create rosters for this survey and generate survey tickets through the NGSA TIDE system.
If you have any questions, please contact assessment@ride.ri.gov.
3/18/2021 - FAQs about RI State Testing for SY2020-21
RIDE has posted an FAQs from the 2021 Test Coordinator Training Sessions document to address a number of frequently asked questions for state assessments this year in a variety of topics.
3/5/2021 - Parent Letter from Commissioner Infante-Green
LEAs and schools are welcome to download this letter from Commissioner Infante-Green to share with their families about our upcoming state assessments this spring.
3/5/2021 - ACCESS Test Window Extended
RIDE is pleased to inform you that ACCESS testing is going well. We thank everyone for their efforts to engage students in this important assessment. As of today, we are 86% through the window with a 82% completion rate for the online assessments.
As this is critical information for students and families as well as educators, we are making one last extension to the ACCESS testing window until Friday March 26, to make the assessment available to everyone and/or complete sessions.
The last day to return materials is Wednesday, March 31. We really appreciate all your hard work.
3/5/2021 - Scheduling Considerations Document Posted
RIDE has crafted a detailed document discussing options and considerations for districts and schools planning administration of the spring 2021 state assessments. The following topics are addressed:
- considerations based on in-person, hybrid, or full distance learning models
- available testing space
- assigning and training test administrators and proctors
- accommodations
- test scheduling options and examples
- preparation of devices used for testing
- communication within school and with students and families
The document also includes an appendix with questions for consideration grouped by topic that can be used as a "checklist" of sorts when teams are planning administration.
Download the 2021 RISAP Scheduling Support Document (current version: 3.5.2021). If you have any questions, please contact assessment@ride.ri.gov.
2/12/2021 - State Assessment Testing Windows Extended
RIDE remains committed to supporting schools and leaders who are managing the challenges of teaching and learning during this pandemic. At this time of year, many of our schools are administering the ACCESS for ELLs state assessments, and many more beginning preparations for the upcoming spring 2021 state assessments administration.
As we proceed with planning for those assessments, we would like to acknowledge the diligence, persistence, and creativity of our educators in the many ways you continue to support student learning while also administering important assessments that will help us all understand how our students are doing in their learning this year.
To assist schools in coordinating in-school administration of the upcoming assessments, RIDE has extended the state testing window for our state assessments this school year. The updated dates are posted at www.ride.ri.gov/Assessment-Schedules and the full set of testing windows are listed here as follows. (Note: SAT School Day has not changed.)
- ACCESS for ELLs: January 4 - March 12, 2021
- RICAS (English Language Arts): March 29 - May 14, 2021
- RICAS (Math): April 12 - May 28, 2021
- RI SAT School Day with Essay: April 13-15, 2021 (Primary Test Window); April 27-29, 2021 (Make-Up Test Window); see website for paper accommodations dates
- PSAT10: April 13 - May 5, 2021 (All make-ups must take place within this window)
- Dynamic Learning Maps Alternate Assessments (ELA, Math, Science): April 5 - May 28, 2021
- RI NGSA (Science): April 26 - June 4, 2021
If you have any questions about our state assessments, please contact assessment@ride.ri.gov.
12/22/2020 - Health & Safety Guidance for 2021 ACCESS Administration posted
RIDE has released Health & Safety Guidance for 2021 ACCESS Administration. This guidance includes a checklist for district testing coordinators as well as a series of recommendations for scheduling. Recommendations were reviewed by representatives from EDOC and RIDOH. The guidance is also posted on the RIDE Assessment Manuals & Materials page. For additional information, please contact assessment@ride.ri.gov.
11/25/2020 - ACCESS test window extended
The 2021 ACCESS for ELLs test window has been extended to accommodate the scheduling and logistical challenges posed by COVID-19. The extended ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS test windows will be January 4 – March 12, 2021. Please note that the ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS tests must be administered in person; no remote option is available.
To provide additional flexibility, RIDE will allow teacher assistants and para-professionals to serve as test administrators for the online grades 1-12 ACCESS tests during the 2021 ACCESS administration. However, test administrators for the Kindergarten, paper, and alternate ACCESS tests must hold a ESOL or BDL certificate. All test administrators must successfully complete the appropriate online WIDA training courses.
In December, RIDE will release an FAQ about the 2021 ACCESS administration, as well as additional parent resources about the importance of testing and educator guidance for implementing safety precautions in schools.
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.
NEW! SY2021-22 Monthly Test Coordinator Webinar Series
Register once through this link for the entire series. Topics are still being determined, and will be updated here as well as shared through the Test Coordinator Memos.
Webinar presentations and recordings from the previous school years have been posted in the 2019-20 archive section and 2020-21 archive section of this page.
Notes:
- In addition to the topics listed below, all webinars include: assessment-specific updates, tasks for the current and upcoming months, State Assessment Calendar for the current school year.
- All Test Coordinator Monthly Webinars are held from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
| Date |
Title and Topics |
Materials |
| 9/15/21 |
Preparing for the 2021-22 School Year: close-out on 2020-21 assessment reporting, preparation for 2020-21 state assessments, assessment schedules, RIDE website resources, RISAP TC Handbook, September tasks, state assessment updates
|
|
| 10/20/21 |
October 2021 Monthly Webinar: close-out 2020-21 assessment reporting (tentative reporting schedule, ADP/SDP demo, student score reports, NGSA reporting FAQs), preparing for 2021-22 state assessments (test coordinator training, ACCESS for ELLs, NAEP), tasks and reminders, references (state assessment calendar, web resources list, contact information) |
|
| 11/17/21 |
TBA |
Posted after the webinar |
| 12/15/21 |
TBA |
Posted after the webinar |
| 1/19/22 |
TBA |
Posted after the webinar |
| 2/16/22 |
TBA |
Posted after the webinar |
| 3/16/22 |
TBA |
Posted after the webinar |
| 4/20/22 |
TBA |
Posted after the webinar |
| 5/18/22 |
TBA |
Posted after the webinar |
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. Memos from the previous cycles can be found in the 2019-20 archive section and 2020-21 archive section of this page.
RISAP Test Coordinator Handbook
RISAP Test Coordinator Handbook for 2021-22 [PDF] (Posted 8.2021) 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
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. Registration can be found at: www.ride.ri.gov/Assessment-Training. If you missed the test coordinator training sessions, review test coordinator manuals and posted presentations to familiarize yourself with the tasks to complete before, during, and after testing for each assessment.
- 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 AIR online systems including: the portal, the secure browser, TA Certification Course, the Practice Test, 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 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 SR/PNP:
Use the RICAS Resource Center to access PearsonAccessNext in order to submit the SR/PNP. Training modules, manuals, practice tests, and other materials to support test administration can be found here also.
RI SAT School Day with Essay and PSAT10
For state policy questions
- RIDE: Heather Heineke at heather.heineke@ride.ri.gov if you have any questions about the SAT with Essay 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 participation policy for the 2021-22 school year 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 2021-22 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, 2021. 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.