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Did You Know E-mail September Vicky Billings

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Did You Know E-mail September Vicky Billings

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Hello--

A month of school in the books already!  Have there been changes to your MAP Team this fall?  Contacts that you wish I would include in communications?  That you wish I would remove from communications?  Please help me keep your NWEA account records up to date by emailing me any contact and role changes of which I should know.

DID YOU KNOW? NWEA Professional Development Services provides Formative Assessment Practices workshops.  Formative assessment practices have been associated with some of the best effect sizes in K-12 education, ranging from .4 to .7 in study results.  Effect size tells us how effective something is and a .5 effect size (half a standard deviation) equates to about 1.5 grade levels of impact.  When formative assessment strategies are used in classrooms across a whole school or district, growth can be accelerated in all subject areas and student ownership of learning is increased as well.  Formative assessment practices help drive student engagement, and the engaged student is more likely to grow.

Many of you have already registered to attend one of our Partner Meetings.  Thank you!  I look forward to seeing you there.  There is only a small percentage of classroom educators--teachers, interventionists, ELA/Math coaches--registered.  That may just be the facts of the first six weeks of school, but I mention it in case you have some lead teachers/instructional specialists that you think should attend.

Many of you are brand new to MAP this year.  The Partner Meeting will provide an opportunity to hear from your colleagues who have used MAP long enough to become fully confident of the value of effective implementation and data use.

We have plenty of space available in each location.  Registration in advance is appreciated.

The Houston meeting is only a week away.  The location is Klein ISD’s Multipurpose Center.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Klein, TX

8:30 am - 12:00 pm

Register now »   Registration link closes Sunday

If the Metroplex is your area, the meeting is at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, off George Bush.  They have a CLEAR BAG policy, so make sure your participants are aware of this if they’ve never been here for a meeting.  This is described in the confirmation email.

Thursday, September 29, 2016
Garland, TX

8:30 am - 12:00 pm

Register now »

And finally, to my West Texas area Partners, I realize Lubbock is still a distance for many of you.  If you are unable to attend and you would like to schedule a virtual meeting to review MAP updates with your lead staff, please send me a request.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Lubbock, TX

8:30 am - 12:00 pm

Lubbock ISD Administration Bldg

Register now »

Vicky Billings

Senior Account Manager  |  NWEA

Sherman, TX

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Beginning of the Year E-Mail Vicky Billings

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Beginning of the Year E-Mail Vicky Billings

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Hello!

The countdown to the first day of school has begun!  As your NWEA Account Manager, I hope you’ve had time to refresh this summer and trust you have a fabulous academic year ahead of you.  Don’t hesitate to contact me any time to ask questions or clarify data.  If you are the district lead for MAP and would like to schedule a brief beginning-of-year support call, simply respond to this email with suggested time(s) and any topics on your mind.

IMPORTANT!  PLEASE UPDATE MY PHONE NUMBER!

My (503) phone number will be inactivated soon.  Please update your contact for me from the 503 Oregon exchange to my NEW local number for work:  903-821-2457.  This number currently forwards to the 503 number, so you may begin dialing it immediately.

To ensure all MAP users receive this information, please forward to appropriate district and campus staff. Thank you!

DID YOU KNOW?  We have recently published a Parent’s Guide in English and Spanish?

Save the Dates and Plan Now!

Registration information and more details to follow soon.

Fall MAP User Meetings

Learn ‘What’s New’, plus Tips, Tricks and Best Practices to help teachers and instructional leaders make the Most of MAP data to impact Student Growth

Mornings only.  Space will be limited.  Suggest campus instructional teams attend.

Ø  Houston >> September 21

Ø  Garland >> September 29

Ø  Lubbock >> October 5

Texas MAP Users’ Conferences

Educational conference featuring keynote speaker plus breakout sessions conducted by NWEA and Texas Educators with success stories to tell and best practices to share.  Regarded by past attendees as “some of the best MAP PD we’ve had!”  Plan to bring a group from your district or school and prepare to move the culture of data-informed decision making one step further.  Or, does YOUR district, school, teacher group have a story or strategy that illustrates how MAP has made a difference for students in your district?  Contact me for information about submitting a presentation proposal.

Full day event

10th Annual TX MAP Users’ Conference

Plano, Texas >> February 9, 2017

NEW!  South Texas MAP Users’ Conference

Houston, Texas >> February 16, 2017

New Teaching Staff?  Need Introductory MAP Training?

MAP® Foundations Recorded Training

Part 1:  The Foundations of MAP®

45 minutes

Part 2:  Basic Teacher Reports

51 minutes

Important Updates for MAP® Users:

You can visit What’s New for Educators to learn more about the changes listed below.

Up-to-Date System Requirements for Technology Coordinators

Seasonal Setup Quick Guide – perform these tasks every MAP® testing season.  For System and Data Administrators

New Growth Goals Module for Student Profile Report

The Student Profile Report has a new module that helps teachers set growth goals for students. The growth goals module puts growth norms, a chart of longitudinal data with summative and college readiness benchmarks, and past student goals at your fingertips. This new module helps you set, save, and review student goals, and facilitate student and parent conversations. You’ll find the new Student Profile Report on the MAP Reports page in the Next-Generation Reports section.

More Clarity on the Student Growth Summary Report

We’ve improved the Student Growth Summary Report to make it easier to find the answers to these questions:

1.   How does this grade stack up relative to similar schools?
2.   How much has this grade grown between test events?
3.   How has this grade grown compared to similar schools?
4.   How many students in a grade met their individual growth projections?

Updates to Test-Taking Apps

Optional updates of the apps for testing on iPads® and Chromebooks® have been made.

The updated iPad app adds support for iPad Pro and fixes an issue with printing

On Chromebooks, the close button has been removed from item screens

Is Your Lab Ready for Fall Testing?

In the last several months, we added support for many new versions of operating systems and browsers. At the end of July, some older versions of operating systems and browsers—including older lockdown browsers for Windows—will no longer be permitted for testing. Check the current list of supported environments at the System Requirements Quick Reference to be sure your lab is ready for fall testing.

New Roster Import Requirement

Beginning in July, you can no longer import a roster file without the heading row. This change will make the import process more precise. If the heading row is missing from your roster file when you import, an error informs you to copy the missing row from the roster template (available from the MAP homepage).

Troubleshooting Tip: Restart Your Internet Browser After a Release

For the best possible testing experience, on the Monday following a release, please close and restart any browser that was left open over the weekend to make sure you have the latest updates.

Vicky Billings

Senior Account Manager  |  NWEA

Sherman, TX

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Beginning of the Year and Information Request E-Mail Amanda Towerman    Information Request and BOY e-mail

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Beginning of the Year and Information Request E-Mail Amanda Towerman    Information Request and BOY e-mail

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Subject: NWEA - Welcome Back & Fall 2016 Updates

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|  | Welcome back!  As your NWEA Account Manager, my role is to strengthen and grow our partnership by focusing on the following:  ·         Keeping you informed about the many tools, services and resources NWEA offers ·         Assisting with your reporting questions and data needs ·         Planning and scheduling MAP workshops and other professional development ·         Keeping you connected to other MAP users in your area ·         Discussing options for expanding or renewing your testing license  Please let me know if your MAP team has changed this school year, and do not hesitate to contact me if I can provide your district with support. My contact information can be found below. I am looking forward to working with you!  Best,  Amanda   NWEA Fall Updates 2016 ** Please share this information with your teachers and administrators**  ·         MAP Administration and Report Center (MARC) Help Video Tutorials ·         Accessible Tests for Screen Readers ·         System Requirement Quick Reference ·         Next-Generation Reports: Student Profile Report ·         MAP Science for use with NGSS ·         A Parent’s Guide to MAP ·         Your Roster  MAP Administration and Report Center (MARC) Help Video Tutorials  We’ve updated our video tutorials to include short clips on MAP setup, testing, and data. Login to MARC and click “Help” in the top, left-hand corner. Under “Video Tutorials,” click “More…” for the entire list.  Accessible Tests for Screen Readers  As part of our ongoing initiative to add more accessibility and accommodations features, we are proud to announce that MAP is now compatible with assistive technologies for students with a visual impairment. You may now request MAP tests that are compatible with JAWS and ZoomText, which allow students to use a screen reader, refreshable braille, magnification, and color contrast. Please contact me if you would like to learn more aboutAccessible MAP.  System Requirement Quick Reference  In the last several months, we added support for many new versions of operating systems and browsers. Some older versions of operating systems and browsers—including older lockdown browsers for Windows—are no longer permitted for testing. Check the current list of supported environments at the System Requirements Quick Reference to be sure your lab is ready for fall testing.  Next-Generation Reports: Student Profile Report  Have your teachers seen the new Student Profile Report? Over the next year and beyond, you will see a continual stream of new reporting, bringing you innovative features:  ·         One-stop—All data relevant to you as an educator appears on one interactive page, instead of several separate reports. ·         Intuitive—Organized around the answers you need to do your job—answers that educators like you have requested from NWEA. ·         Tailored—With each software update, you have a chance to try another set of features, and provide direct feedback that will shape the next update.  The Student Profile Report has a new module that helps teachers set growth goals for students. The growth goals module puts growth norms, a chart of longitudinal data with summative and college readiness benchmarks, and past student goals at your fingertips. This new module helps you set, save, and review student goals, and facilitate student and parent conversations. You’ll find the new Student Profile Report on the MAP Reports page in the Next-Generation Reports section.  MAP Science for use with NGSS  We have recently completed alignment of MAP Science assessments with your Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Now you can assess your students’ achievement on your new science standards this coming school year. For more information about MAP Science for use with NGSS, you may find our FAQ here.  A Parent’s Guide to MAP  We have updated our Parent’s Guide to MAP document. Please feel free to share this with parents on your school websites, at Back to School Nights, or at parent/teacher conferences.  ·         A Parent's Guide to MAP ·         A Parent's Guide to MAP (Spanish) Your Roster  Remember that you must import a new student roster each test term. We recommend revising your most recent file, then importing it for the upcoming term. Students will not appear under “Manage Test Sessions” until the start date of your upcoming term.  To make roster imports more precise, you can no longer import a roster file without the heading row. If the heading row is missing from your roster file when you import, an error informs you to copy the missing row from the roster template (available from the MAP homepage).   Amanda Towerman
Senior Account Manager, Connecticut & New York   |   NWEA™
OFFICE  503.444.6404  |  MOBILE  571.217.4761  | TECH SUPPORT 877.469.3287
NWEA.ORG|  Partnering to Help All Kids Learn   < ���������

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Beginning of the Year and Information Request E-Mail Barbara Campbell                       Update Information Request and BOY e-mail send via SF.

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Beginning of the Year and Information Request E-Mail Barbara Campbell                       Update Information Request and BOY e-mail send via SF.

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|  | Welcome back!  As your NWEA Account Manager, my role is to strengthen and grow our partnership by focusing on the following:  ·         Keeping you informed about the many tools, services and resources NWEA offers ·         Assisting with your reporting questions and data needs ·         Planning and scheduling MAP workshops and other professional development ·         Keeping you connected to other MAP users in your area ·         Discussing options for expanding or renewing your testing license  Please let me know if your MAP team has changed this school year, and do not hesitate to contact me if I can provide your district with support. My contact information can be found below. I am looking forward to working with you!  Best,  Barbara    NWEA Fall Updates 2016  ** Please share this information with your proctors, teachers and administrators**   MAP Administration and Report Center (MARC) Help Video Tutorials  We’ve updated our video tutorials to include short clips on MAP setup, testing, and data. Login to MARC and click “Help” in the top, left-hand corner. Under “Video Tutorials,” click “More…” for the entire list.  Accessible Tests for Screen Readers  As part of our ongoing initiative to add more accessibility and accommodations features, we are proud to announce that MAP is now compatible with assistive technologies for students with a visual impairment. You may now request MAP tests that are compatible with JAWS and ZoomText, which allow students to use a screen reader, refreshable braille, magnification, and color contrast. Please contact me if you would like to learn more aboutAccessible MAP.  System Requirement Quick Reference  In the last several months, we added support for many new versions of operating systems and browsers. Some older versions of operating systems and browsers—including older lockdown browsers for Windows—are no longer permitted for testing. Check the current list of supported environments at the System Requirements Quick Reference to be sure your lab is ready for fall testing.  Next-Generation Reports: Student Profile Report  Have your teachers seen the new Student Profile Report? Over the next year and beyond, you will see a continual stream of new reporting, bringing you innovative features:  ·      One-stop—All data relevant to you as an educator appears on one interactive page, instead of several separate reports. ·       Intuitive—Organized around the answers you need to do your job—answers that educators like you have requested from NWEA. ·      Tailored—With each software update, you have a chance to try another set of features, and provide direct feedback that will shape the next update.  The Student Profile Report has a new module that helps teachers set growth goals for students. The growth goals module puts growth norms, a chart of longitudinal data with summative and college readiness benchmarks, and past student goals at your fingertips. This new module helps you set, save, and review student goals, and facilitate student and parent conversations. You’ll find the new Student Profile Report on the MAP Reports page in the Next-Generation Reports section.  MAP Science for use with NGSS  We have recently completed alignment of MAP Science assessments with your Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Now you can assess your students’ achievement on your new science standards this coming school year. For more information about MAP Science for use with NGSS, you may find our FAQ here.   A Parent’s Guide to MAP  We have updated our Parent’s Guide to MAP document. Please feel free to share this with parents on your school websites, at Back to School Nights, or at parent/teacher conferences.  ·         A Parent's Guide to MAP ·         A Parent's Guide to MAP (Spanish)   Proctor Quick Start Guides  Need a refresher for your proctors or new staff members?  Please visit this link to gain quick access to quick start guides and tutorials.  Your Roster  Remember that you must import a new student roster each test term. We recommend revising your most recent file, then importing it for the upcoming term. Students will not appear under “Manage Test Sessions” until the start date of your upcoming term.  To make roster imports more precise, you can no longer import a roster file without the heading row. If the heading row is missing from your roster file when you import, an error informs you to copy the missing row from the roster template (available from the MAP homepage).    Barbara Campbell, M.Ed, CETL NWEA Senior Account Manager/Michigan
TECH 877.469.3287 | OFFICE 503.548.5171
NWEA.ORG | Partnering to Help All Kids Learn  Fall Regional Workshops  Applying Reports at Fenton Public Schools on October 7th Eliciting Evidence at Forest Hills Public Schools on October 18th Clarifying Learning at Forest Hills Public Schools on October 18th19� �~X��