Bright 💡Ideas

I trust you had a wonderful holiday break and are ready to tackle the new year. Whether you are starting your second semester or just finishing the first semester, I hope this newsletter gives you insight for starting 2024 off right!

Assessment Updates
Check out the sections below on the new Blueprint Report and the change to pdf attachments for your assessments. These are just the latest improvements that Renaissance has made to enhance the teacher experience in DnA. Stay tuned for more updates in the coming months!

Score Processing Fast Lane

Workshops

Be sure to check out the latest workshops offered through the CISD: All About the P/SAT Going Digital and Writing 3-D Science Assessments.

Pro Tips

This month's pro tips features the first of two parts on learning about the New Item Bank. Take the time to watch the tutorial and start thinking of ways you can use the NIB today!

Have a great start to the new year!

Kim

Need an assist? As always, don't hesitate to contact me with your DnA questions. I'll do my best to help you as quickly as possible! nicholsk@calhounisd.org

You may have noticed a new icon in your assessments. This new link to a Blueprint Report provides logistical information on your assessments. The blueprint report gives you insight into the number and type of questions on the assessment, the number of questions that are linked to standards, as well as the question groups linked on the assessment. You can find the "exploded pie chart" icon in the following locations:

• Flexible Assessments- answer key screen
  
• New Item Bank assessments - Overview (donut data) screen

Check out the example below:

Renaissance has revised the storage of pdf files in DnA. Renaissance is now the owner of the area for storing pdf files which was formerly stored with a third party vendor.

If you find there is a glitch with the visibility of your pdf, the change in vendors may be the source of the issue. Don't worry! If students cannot view your pdf, simply delete the pdf from the assessment. (I recommend you download and save it first!) Then, you can upload it again and re-attach the pdf to the assessment. This will make sure your pdf is now stored with Renaissance.

With the change in storage, there is also a new way to preview your pdf. When you preview the pdf attached to the assessment, it will now open in a new tab on your browser.

Don't hesitate to contact me if you need help with your pdf attachments...nicholsk@calhounisd.org

As standardized assessments go digital, it is even more important to prepare our students for this shift in testing. A great tool to help prepare students is the New Item Bank style of assessments in DnA. Use the NIB with Live Proctoring features to assess your students digitally.

The New Item Bank has thousands of prebuilt questions ready for your use. You can also author your own questions and add them to the bank. Create tests or quizzes or check for understanding with a combination of your own questions and prebuilt ones.

I recommend that you start small with quizzes, bell ringers, or exit tickets to help your students acclimate to digital, interactive testing. Make it fun and exciting to "test online" in a low stakes environment. Students will learn how to navigate the system and help you decide the best way to use this in your classroom at the same time. Check out the first part of two on everything you need to know about the New Item Bank!

• New Item Bank Basics, Part 1

Last month's Pro Tips featured Student Groups in DnA. In case you missed it, see the links below:

• Tutorial: Creating Student Groups
• Help Guide: Creating Student Groups

The Calhoun ISD curriculum and technology departments are partnering together to bring you the latest on the digital P/SAT from the GELN, College Board, and MDE. There are 3 new, in person workshop sessions available this month and next at the CISD. We have offered each session twice at different dates/times to offer flexibility for your attendance. Please share this information with anyone who might be interested in learning more about the P/SAT going digital!

Workshop Sessions:

Test Administration

• Jan. 30th 8:30-11:30

• Feb. 12th 12:30-3:30
  
  

• Jan. 30th 12:30-3:30

• Feb. 12th 8:30-11:30
  
  

*Most appropriate for districts that gave the digital PSAT in the fall

• Jan. 29th 3:00-5:00

• Feb. 12th 3:30-5:30

Calhounisd.org → professional development → search for SAT: P/SAT workshops

Calling All Science Teachers!

The CISD is working in collaboration with the BCAMSC to bring you this workshop on writing 3-D assessments aligned with the NGSS curriculum. This workshop is open to ANY SCIENCE TEACHERS K-12 using any science curriculum. The focus is developing and writing small, formative tasks that will engage students and help teachers gain insight into student understanding. This is a two day, in person workshop. Participants will receive all of the materials necessary and leave the workshop with a fully written and published assessment task for immediate classroom use. Participants will also earn 12 SCECH for the two day workshop.

Secondary Science Teachers: March 14 and April 11

Elementary Science Teachers: March 21 and April 18

To register, visit the Cereal City Professional Development website: Level Up Workshop Registration

For more information contact:

Sandy Erwin

serwin@bcamsc.org

or Kim Nichols

nicholsk@calhounisd.org

Find more resources and help guides for using DnA at the CISD DnA Training Website:

Archive of Newsletters

Catalog of Assessments

Catalog of Reports

Catalog of PD in 10 Tutorials and Help Guides

Student Services Consultant

Calhoun Intermediate School District

Regional Technology & Data Services

Gifford/Schultz Building

17111 G Drive North

Marshall, MI 49068

Email: nicholsk@calhounisd.org