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<p class="MsoNormal">Good morning, folks! I am sharing the email below re: the Multi State Alternate Assessment (MSAA), from Mechelle Ganglfinger on the Maine DOE assessment team. Please reach out with any questions. Thank you all for your work with Maine’s
most vulnerable youth! <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Respectfully-<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Leora<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Greetings Maine Special Education Directors,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">I hope you all have had a restful summer and are ready for the start of the 2024-2025 school year. I am excited to be a new member of the DOE Assessment Team and look forward
to working with the many wonderful Maine <span style="color:black">e</span>ducators during the upcoming year.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Important Reminder:</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> District, school and student reports for the
<b>Spring 2024 Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA)</b> in math/ELA/science are currently available for download within the
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><a href="http://msaaassessment.org/"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#467886">MSAA System</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">. The reports will remain available
within the platform through September 6, 2024. Please make sure all reports for your SAU are downloaded prior to the close of the report window. Once the window closes on September 6, you will no longer have access to the reports. Please remember, MSAA
Test Coordinators will need their SY 23-24 MSAA login information to access and download these reports. If you need support, please reach out to me. I am happy to assist as needed. Here is the link to the platform:
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><a href="http://msaaassessment.org/"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#467886">MSAA System</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">With the start of the new school year approaching, it is important to keep this year’s MSAA administration dates in mind. I have attached a timeline for the 2024-2025
school year for your reference.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The Guidance for IEP Teams on Participation Decisions for Maine’s Alternate Assessments based on Alternate Academic Achievement Standards (AA-AAAS)
<a href="https://www.maine.gov/doe/sites/maine.gov.doe/files/2024-08/Special%20Services%20-%20Maine%20Participation%20Guidance%20-%208.1.2024.pdf">
<span style="color:#467886">Participation Guidance for IEP Teams</span></a> has been recently updated. This document is intended to outline steps to guide Individualized Education Program (IEP) Teams to determine whether an alternate assessment is the most
appropriate assessment for an individual student. These steps include:(a) reviewing student records and important information across multiple school years and settings (e.g., school, home, community), and (b) determining whether the student fits all criteria
for participating in alternate assessments, as outlined in the document. Students deemed eligible will participate in an alternate assessment in all content areas. Please note that this resource document which is linked in the Special Education Procedural
Manual has not been updated. Please refer to this updated document: <a href="https://www.maine.gov/doe/sites/maine.gov.doe/files/2024-08/Special%20Services%20-%20Maine%20Participation%20Guidance%20-%208.1.2024.pdf"><span style="color:#467886">Participation
Guidance for IEP Teams</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Additional information related to Maine’s alternate assessments can be found<span style="color:red">
</span>on the Maine DOE webpage: <a href="https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/specialed/assessment"><span style="color:#467886">1% and Maine's Alternate Assessments Based on Alternate Academic Achievement Standards (AA-AAAS)</span></a>.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Additionally, the Maine DOE Assessment Team would like to invite you to this year’s upcoming virtual MSAA and ML trainings. Trainings will be posted on the Maine DOE Professional
Learning Calendar, linked here: <a href="https://www.maine.gov/doe/calendar"><span style="color:#467886">Event Calendar | Department of Education (maine.gov)</span></a>. I have also attached a document listing the trainings with individual registration links.
Please forward the document to staff within your SAU who may wish to attend any of the webinars.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">As always, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions. The Team is here to help.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">________________________________________ <b><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Mechelle Ganglfinger</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><br>
Alternate & ELP Assessment Coordinator<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Assessment Team - Office of Federal Programs <br>
Maine Department of Education <br>
23 State House Station <br>
Augusta, Maine 04333-0023 <br>
<b>Email:</b> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><a href="mailto:Mechelle.Ganglfinger@maine.gov"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">Mechelle.Ganglfinger@maine.gov</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Phone</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">: 207-242-4244 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><a href="http://www.maine.gov/doe" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">Maine DOE</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> |
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MaineDepartmentofEducation1/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">Facebook</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
| </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><a href="https://twitter.com/mdoenews" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">Twitter</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> |
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/mainedepted/?hl=en" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">Instagram</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
| </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><a href="https://mainedoenews.net/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">Maine DOE Newsroom</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> <br>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none"> ________________________________________ <br>
<br>
<b>Leora Byras</b><br>
Education Specialist III<br>
Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education <br>
Maine Department of Education <br>
23 State House Station <br>
Augusta, Maine 04333-0023 <br>
<b>Email: </b><a href="mailto:leora.byras@maine.gov"><span style="color:#0563C1">leora.byras@maine.gov</span></a> <br>
<b>Phone</b>: 207-624-6618 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none"><a href="http://www.maine.gov/doe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0070C0">Maine DOE</span></a>
| <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MaineDepartmentofEducation1/" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#0070C0">Facebook</span></a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/mdoenews" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#0070C0">Twitter</span></a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mainedepted/?hl=en" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#0070C0">Instagram</span></a> | <a href="https://mainedoenews.net/" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#0070C0">Maine DOE Newsroom</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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