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2019 OPI Data and Assessment Conference

The Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) is pleased to offer the upcoming “2019 OPI Data and Assessment Conference: Get READY for 2020!” This conference is designed to help persons involved with the Montana Comprehensive Assessment System (MontCAS) receive technical assistance to administer the state required assessments and professional development to explore resources to support data-driven decision-making.

Register Here!

Hotel reservations can be made by calling the Bozeman Best Western Plus Grantree Inn at 406-587-5261. Ask for the OPI Assessment Conference Room Block to get the best rate. The hotel is located at 1325 N 7th Ave, Bozeman, MT 59715.

 

Overflow hotel information: If there are no longer rooms available at the Best Western Plus Grantree Inn, the Holiday Inn is offering rooms at the conference rate. Reserve a room online or call the Holiday Inn at 406-587-4561 and ask for a room in the OPI Room Block.

Conference Resources

Links to conference resources are listed below. The OPI Assessment Division is going paperless this year. We ask that you print any of the below resources to bring to the conference with you.

Get READY for 2020! Conference Program - The full conference program with descriptions of session presentations.
Short Agenda - A quick, one-page guide showing only presentation titles, locations and times.
Guidebook Access Guide - A guide to accessing the conference digitally on your personal device via Guidebook.
Hotel Map - The map of the event location to assist you in finding sessions.
Renewal Unit Request Process - A step-by-step guide for accessing and completing the Renewal Unit Request form. 
 

The focus of this year's conference will be on celebrating our past and present successes and looking forward to exciting changes while maintaining consistency and stability within the MontCAS program. We look forward to hosting a range of sessions including, but not limited to, current practices, such as building local comprehensive balanced assessment systems to support teaching and learning,  as well as highlighting what's new in 2020!

 

The conference will be conducted at the GranTree Inn in Bozeman, Montana and attendees will attend a two-day conference filled with diverse sessions to meet their individual needs. The conference will begin at 8:00 am on Day 1 and conclude at 12:00 pm on Day 2. 


The Assessment Division will be offering many ‘just-in time’ trainings to prepare schools for the upcoming 2019 assessments, provide critical updates since last year, and offer a wide range of exceptional trainings centered on Montana’s initiatives. To maximize professional development and training needs, it is important for attendees to attend the entire two-day conference. Below are OPI’s initiatives to prepare students for success. You can learn more about the initiatives here.

Registration for this conference will take place in early December. Links to registration will be posted on the MT Assessment Conference page as soon as they are available. This page will also host the final agenda, session materials, hotel location maps, and other logistical details for planning. Participants are encouraged to make their travel arrangements as soon as possible under the “OPI Assessment Conference” room block with the GranTree at 406-587-5261.

On Day 1 there will be keynote presentation brought to you by the renowned expert on assessment Dr. Jim Pellegrino followed by six sessions and four sessions on Day 2. Each session will offer five different presentations to choose from including our popular new system test coordinator track.

The OPI Assessment Division is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need an accommodation, require an alternate format of a document, or have questions concerning accessibility, please contact the OPI Assessment Help Desk at 1.844.867.2569 or e-mail OPIAssessmentHelpDesk@mt.gov no later than January 7, 2019.

---Draft Agenda---Information included is subject to change at any time and without notice. Refer to the MT Assessment Conference page for the most up-to-date information.

 

2018 Conference Materials

Find below presentations, slides and power points from the 2018 OPI Assessment & Data Conference sessions.

Statewide Assessment Materials

ACT: Did Someone Say FREE? - presented by Stephanie Lewis, ACT

EL Students & the ELP Proficiency Report - presented by Eric Meredith, OPI Measurement & Accountability Division

Mining for Gold: Digging Into Your ACT Data - presented by Stephanie Lewis, ACT

ACT Test Administration & Accommodations - presented by Melody Wall (Billings) and Kellee Forkenbrock (Helena), ACT

CRT Alt Science Test Administration - presented by Bree Gunter, Measured Progress

MSAA: Supporting Assessment Readiness for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities - presented by Yvonne Field, OPI Assessment Division

NAEP's Digital Transition & Innovative Assessments - presented by Ashley McGrath, OPI NAEP State Coordinator

The Nuts & Bolts of the Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments - presented by Yvonne Field, OPI Assessment Division and Becky Berg (Billings)

Smarter Balanced: Online Reporting System - presented by Brittany Valdez, Measured Progress

Smarter Balanced: Test Administration - presented by Bree Gunter, Measured Progress

Smarter Balanced: Test Administration New Features - presented by Brittany Valdez, Measured Progress

Smarter Balanced Digital Library - presented by Becky Berg (Billings) and Barbara Frank (Helena)

So, You got some Data? - presented by Eric Meredith, OPI Measurement & Accountability Division

You have data Spreadsheet

You have data Spreadsheet Instructions

Updates & Information on Accessibility & Accommodations for Smarter Balanced - presented by Paula Schultz, Office of Public Instruction

New Test Coordinator Track Part 1: Understanding Statewide Assessments - presented by Yvonne Field, OPI Assessment Division

New Test Coordinator Track Part 2: Policies & Procedures - presented by Yvonne Field, OPI Assessment Division

New Test Coordinator Track Part 3: Smarter Balanced Test Administration for New Users - presented by Bree Gunter, Measured Progress

New Test Coordinator Track Part 4: CRT Science for New Users - presented by Brittany Valdez, Measured Progress

New Test Coordinator Track Part 5: ACT For New Test Coordinators - presented by Melody Wall (Billings) and Kellee Forkenbrock (Helena), ACT

New Test Coordinator Track Part 6: Special Population Assessments - presented by Yvonne Field, OPI Assessment Division

 

General Session Materials

Ad Hoc Reporting & Data Analysis - Presented by Paul Soucheray, Infinite Campus

AIM Data Collection Updates - Presented by Gail Harms, OPI Measurement & Accountability Division

Assignment Score Analysis in Campus Learning: Empowering Teachers - Presented by Paula Soucheray, Infinite Campus

Campus Learning + Google Drive: Easier than Google Classroom - Presented by Paula Soucheray, Infinite Campus

Every Student Succeeds Act and Assessment - Presented by Susie Hedalen, Office of Public Instruction

Interim/Benchmark & Formative Testing: Integrated with Campus - Presented by P. Soucheray and Greg Wright, Infinite Campus

Montana Early Warning System - Presented by Eric Meredith, OPI Measurement & Accountability Division

Early Warning System Supplement 1

Early Warning System Supplement 2

Early Warning System Supplement 3

Montana Statewide Dropout & Graduate Report: Billings - Presented by Andy Boehm, OPI Measurement & Accountability Division

Montana Statewide Dropout & Graduate Report: Helena - Presented by Andy Boehm, OPI Measurement & Accountability Division

Montana's Learning Standards: What's New & What's Next? - Presented by the OPI Content & Standards Team

Moving the Needle for Students Experiencing Homelessness - Presented by Heather Denny,  OPI Educational Opportunity and Equity Division

OPI Science Assessment Taskforce - Presented by Ashley McGrath, OPI NAEP State Coordinator

PAO Formative Assessments: Science Online Repository - Presented by Ashley McGrath, OPI NAEP State Coordinator

Personalizing Your PD - Presented by Jessica Bryant, OPI Content, Standards & Instruction Division

Statewide Longitudinal Data & K20 Research - Presented by Daniel Bruce and Brett Carter, OPI Measurement & Accountability Division

Upping the Rigor of your Math Assessments - Presented by Marisa Franklin, OPI Content, Standards & Instruction Division

Using Assessments to Enhance Writing - Presented by Christy Mock-Stutz, OPI Content, Standards & Instruction Division

Using GEMS Well to Understand the Data Available to You - Presented by Dr. Robin Clausen, OPI Measurement & Accountability Division

Using Standards to Improve Teaching and Learning - Presented by Anne Keith, 2010 Montana Teacher of the Year

Additional conference materials can be found to the right. These materials include resources and supplemental materials that may have been mentioned in one of the conference sessions. If you heard about a resource at the conference and don't see it here, please contact our office at mfortner@mt.gov or 406-444-3511 and we'll see if we can locate if for you.

2017 Conference Materials

Find below presentations, slides and Power Points from the 2017 OPI Assessment & Data Conference sessions.

General Sessions Materials

The Joys of Testing - Missoula Keynote Presentation by Kelly Elder

Keep On, Keeping On - Keynote Presentation by Tammy Lacey

English Language Proficiency (ELP) Assessment Report - Presented by Eric Meredith, OPI Data Analyst

Formative Science Assessments Using NAEP - Presented by Ashley McGrath, NAEP State Coordinator, OPI

GEMS: Montana Early Warning System for Dropouts - Presented by Eric Meredith, OPI Data Analyst

GEMS Student Level Report Example 

GEMS School Level Report Example

AIM Data Collection Updates - Presented by Gail Harms, AIM Student Information Manager, OPI

CRT & CRT Alt Materials

CRT Science Administration - Presented by Jared Bunzey, Program Manager, Measured Progress

CRT Alt Science Administration - Presented by Jared Bunzey, Program Manager, Measured Progress

Smarter Balanced Materials

Smarter Balanced

Smarter - Roles, Permissions & Accommodations - Presented by Megan Self, Program Manager, Measured Progress

Smarter Test Administration - Presented by Megan Self, Program Manager, Measured Progress

What's New in Smarter - Presented by Gail Pagano & Vitaliy Shyyan, Smarter Balanced Consortium

Smarter Balanced Reports - Presented by Megan Self, Program Manager, Measured Progress

Interim Assessments

Interim Assessment Overview - Presented by Jessica Eilertson, State Assessment Director, OPI

Interim Assessment Hand Scoring, Math - Presented by Jessica Eilertson, State Assessment Director, OPI

Interim Assessment Overview, Ennis Schools - Presented by Pam Birkeland, Special Projects, OPI

Interim Frequently Asked Questions

Digital Library

Digital Library Overview - Presented by Pam Birkeland, Special Projects, OPI

Digital Library Fact Sheet