CHEYENNE – Wyoming has discontinued its Affiliate member status with the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) in order to enter the procurement process without perception of conflict.
“Wyoming’s affiliation with SBAC raises red flags for me as we consider a new statewide assessment,” said State Superintendent Jillian Balow. “Any real or perceived conflict, such as with SBAC, detracts from securing the most appropriate assessment for Wyoming students.”
Contracts with Wyoming’s current vendors for statewide assessments in grades 3-10 expire January 1, 2018. A Request for Proposals will be issued in the fall of 2016 for a vendor for statewide assessments in grades 3-10, in accordance with Enrolled Act No. 55.
Superintendent Balow added: “The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides Wyoming with a unique opportunity. We expect a statewide assessment that is configurable, comparable, and affordable. Classroom and district assessments give us the best information about how students are succeeding from day to day, while a statewide or summative assessment is a broader look at how students are doing from year to year and how our state is doing compared to others.”
Wyoming joined SBAC as an Advisory State in 2010, was granted Governing State status in August 2013, and reverted to Affiliate member status in October 2014. Several Wyoming school districts also participated in SBAC field testing during the spring 2014 assessment window.
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Media Contact:
Kari Eakins, Communications Director
kari.eakins@wyo.gov
307-777-2053