DPI Memos

NDDPI State Assessment Memo 2011-12 #7

October 12, 2011

TO: School District Superintendents, Public School Principals, Private School Administrators, Special Education Directors, School District Testing Coordinators

FROM: Heidi Bergland, Program Administrator

RE: Certification of mandatory training on state assessment system

Pursuant to federal requirements, the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI) must ensure that North Dakota school districts conduct sufficient and appropriate training for school personnel who supervise or administer the state assessment. Consequently, the NDDPI requires that, each school district administrator must certify that all school personnel who supervise or administer the state assessment and who have a need to know specific information about test administration and handling of test materials have received appropriate and sufficient training on state assessments.

The school district must use NDDPI training materials to fulfill this requirement:

On-line Training Modules, at http://www.dpi.state.nd.us/testing/assess/training/index.shtm, and/or Fall 2011Test Coordinator's Manual provided in the Test Coordinator'sKits shipped to districts, or available on-line at http://www.dpi.state.nd.us/testing/assess/manual.pdf

School districts must certify on-line to NDDPI that training has been accomplished (i.e., all school personnel who supervise or administer the state assessment and who have a need to know have received appropriate and sufficient training on state assessment, and use of NDDPI training materials).

An on-line form, Certification of State Assessment Training Survey, located at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BR5Y7MS , will be used to submit certification.

The certification form can be completed in less than five minutes.

The school district administrator/superintendent or the designated school district testing coordinator is responsible for submitting the certification.

One survey will be completed for each public school district, non-public school, and BIE school that administers the North Dakota State Assessment.

The certification must be submitted to the NDDPI by 5:00 p.m., October 31, 2011.

The person submitting the certification should maintain a copy for their records.

In the event of testing irregularities (including but not limited to breeches of test security and loss of testing materials), the certification will be referenced in the subsequent monitoring and investigation.

The certification addresses the North Dakota State Assessment specifically. Training for the North Dakota Alternate Assessments (NDAA 1 and NDAA 2) will be provided to school special education personnel, as announced through a separate State Assessment Memo.

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact me at (701) 328-2317, or e-mail at hbergland@nd.gov or Rob Bauer at (701) 328-2224 or rgbauer@nd.gov.

Thank you for your attention to this matter of mutual concern.

Access all State Assessment Memos and other assessment information at http://www.dpi.state.nd.us/testing/assess/index.shtm

Heidi Bergland

Department of Public Instruction

Standards & Achievement Unit

600 E. Blvd. Ave.

Dept. 201

Bismarck, ND 58505-0440

(701) 328-2317 (voice)

(701) 328-4770 (fax)

www.dpi.state.nd.us