WKCE for Milwaukee Parental Choice Program and Parental Private School Choice Program Schools



For the 2012-13 school year, Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) and Parental Private School Choice Program (PPSCP) Schools will be required to administer to MPCP and PPSCP pupils the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination (WKCE) for students in grades 3 through 8 and grade 10.

The WKCE is a customized instrument designed for use in public schools to measure student performance, based on the Wisconsin Model Academic Standards, and to comply with federal ESEA assessment requirements. The Fall 2012 WKCE includes the following grades and content areas:

  • Grades 3-8 and 10 for Reading and Math
  • Grades 4, 8 and 10 for Language Arts, Writing, Science and Social Studies.

Administration Dates and Timeline

WKCE testing for the 2012-13 school year takes place between October 24 and November 23, 2012. The total time required for the administration of the tests varies by grade and ranges from 3 ½ to 6 ½ hours. Testing may be spread out over several days. Schools set their own testing schedules. If a student is absent during testing, it is important that a makeup opportunity be scheduled.

WKCE timeline for MPCP testing

DateActivity
September 21, 2012 Deadline to order Test Materials
Last Day to fax or email your order with signed Confidentiality Agreements
Mid-October, 2012 Test materials begin shipping
October 22, 2012Test Window Starts
November 21, 2012Last Day to add on materials to your previous order - Call the Wisconsin Customer Service Team at 1-800-282-2203
November 23, 2012Test Window Ends
November 21-28, 2012Ensure all WKCE Braille and LP tests are transcribed into the scannable WKCE test books to be sent in for scoring
December 3, 2012 Last Day to Request Material Retrieval – Must use CTB/McGraw-Hill’s online retrieval process
February 25, 2013 Individual Profile Reports delivered
End of March, 2013 Summary Reports arrive on CD-ROM


Costs of the WKCE

The Department of Public Instruction is committed to paying for the cost of the WKCE test books, shipping these books to and from the test vendor, and for score reports that accompany test results only for students who are part of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program and the Parental Private School Choice Program.

Each individual school is responsible for the cost of administering the assessment. This includes proctor costs and administrative overhead that accompanies preparing for the assessment. Schools that elect to have their non-MPCP and non-PPSCP students test will be able to purchase the test materials on a per student basis. This cost is $40.06 per student for the 2012-2013 school year.

Ordering Information

MPCP and PPSCP schools should have received order forms in late May of 2012. Completed order forms must be submitted to CTB/McGraw-Hill, the test vendor, by September 21, 2012. It is recommended that schools wait until after the start of the school year before submitting their order so that an accurate count of students is available. PLEASE NOTE: You must order a book for all voucher students in tested grades. You will be required to submit a book for all voucher students in tested grades, including students that are excused from testing by their parents or guardians and students who are absent during the test window.

If the order form was not received in late May or you need a new order form, contact the Wisconsin Program Customer Service Team at 800-282-2203.

Your WKCE test order will include:

  • Publication of WKCE test materials
    • Test books
    • Test coordinator kits
    • Test administration manuals
  • Shipping and handling of test materials to the schools’ site
  • Pick-up service for the test materials
  • Scoring of the tests
  • Delivery of the scoring reports (including shipping and handling) as listed below.

WKCE Delivery: Test materials will be delivered bundled in packages of 5 or 15. Schools will not be charged for packaging overages received. Schools (and the Department) will be charged for the actual number of books ordered or scored, whichever is greater. All test materials, used or unused (Each school is allowed to retain one unused test book from each grade to use when conducting item analysis or data retreats. These test books must be kept in a secure, locked storage area when not being used for this purpose), must be returned to CTB using the online retrieval process.

WKCE Material Retrieval: Once your school has completed testing, you can access CTB/McGraw-Hill’s Online Transportation website to request retrieval of the material to be shipped back to CTB for processing and scoring. The web address for requesting retrieval of materials will be provided to you with the test administration kit, which will be mailed with the testing materials. We recommend saving the boxes used to ship the test materials to your school, so that you can use them for the return of the materials as well.

WKCE Reporting will include an Individual Profile Report which will be delivered on paper format. All other reports will be provided in PDF format on a CD-ROM. The reports listed below will not provide any state summary information but will include the following reports:

  • Individual Profile Report – Student Mode
  • School Record Sheet – School Mode
  • School Record Sheet – Summary – School Mode
  • Item Analysis Summary by Standard for each content area
  • Item Response Analysis – CR and SR
  • Extended Writing by Student Group
  • Extended Writing by Rubric
  • Proficiency Summary Report (minus WI Public School data) (Private Only)
  • Scale Score Summary Report (minus WI Public School data) (Private Only)
  • Standards Performance Summary Report (minus WI Public School data)
  • Student Label (optional report) (on paper)

Type of Scores to be Provided: The WKCE provides information about what students know and can do in relation to the Wisconsin Model Academic Standards. Students receive numerical scores based on their performance as well as being classified into performance levels. The performance levels were established by a panel of Wisconsin educators and citizens and consist of the following:

  • Advanced – Students at this level demonstrate a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of rigorous subject matter and provide sophisticated solutions to complex problems.
  • Proficient – Students at this level demonstrate a solid understanding of challenging subject matter and solve a wide variety of problems.
  • Basic – Students at this level demonstrate partial mastery of prerequisite knowledge and skills that are fundamental for proficient work.
  • Minimal Performance – Students at this level demonstrate limited knowledge and skills in the subject matter and limited ability to apply knowledge and skills effectively.

Excusal from Testing

It is expected that all students will complete the WKCE during the testing window. However, there may be situations where parents or guardians desire to excuse their child from testing. If a parent or guardian elects to excuse their child from testing, the school is required to maintain written documentation of the parent’s request and to honor that request by not requiring the student to complete the assessment. School personnel do not have the authority to excuse students from testing without parental approval.

It should be noted that school level reports will indicate the total number of students, the number of students that have completed testing and the number of students that have not been tested. By reporting participation in this manner, an accurate picture of school performance on the WKCE will be generated.

Model Academic Standards, Assessment Frameworks and Sample Questions

The Wisconsin Model Academic Standards provide a general overview of the curriculum that can be found on the WKCE. These standards have been established for grades 4, 8 and 12. A supplement to these standards is the Assessment Frameworks which provide a more detailed breakdown of the content to be covered for each grade of the assessment. Sample questions provide a guide for educators in determining the types of items that are on the exam.


Training

The Department provides a webcast and an assessment director guide to assist school staff in administering the assessment in a secure manner.

Test security webcasts can be accessed at: http://oea.dpi.wi.gov/oea_webcasts

The Guide for District Assessment Coordinators and School Assessment Coordinators provides specific instructions on how to administer the WKCE. This guide can be accessed at: http://oea.dpi.wi.gov/oea_publications. Be sure to use the version that corresponds to the current test administration year. The 2011-12 version will be available the first week of August 2011.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners

The Department of Public Instruction has developed an Assessment Accommodations Matrix to assist in identifying the appropriate accommodations to be provided for students with disabilities and for English language leaners. This matrix outlines the types of accommodations that are acceptable and those that are prohibited or require prior written approval from the Department. More detailed information about available accommodations can be found at: http://oea.dpi.wi.gov/oea_accommtrx.

Subject Areas Covered on the WKCE


The WKCE consists of the following subject areas, number of items, and total testing time:
* Total testing time is the actual amount of time that students are given to complete the examinations. This does not include time spent preparing students for the exam (handing out test booklets, reading instructions, collecting materials, etc.).
Subject AreasNumber of Items*Total Testing Time
Grade 3Reading54 selected response – 1 pt. each2 hours
2 constructed response – 3 pts. each
Math46 selected response – 1 pt. each 1 hour 25 minutes
4 constructed response – 2 or 3 pts. each
Grade 4 Reading 54 selected response – 1 pt. each 2 hours
2 constructed response – 3 pts. each
Math 46 selected response – 1 pt. each 1 hour 25 minutes
4 constructed response – 2 or 3 pts. each
Science 40 selected response – 1 pt. each 40 minutes
Social Studies 38 selected response – 1 pt. each 40 minutes
Language Arts/Writing 30 selected response – 1 pt. each 1 hour
1 constructed response – 9 pts.
Grade 5 Reading 54 selected response – 1 pt. each 2 hours
2 constructed response – 3 pts. each
Math 51 selected response – 1 pt. each 1 hour 30 minutes
4 constructed response – 2 or 3 pts. each
Grade 6 Reading 54 selected response – 1 pt. each 2 hours
2 constructed response – 3 pts. each
Math 51 selected response – 1 pt. each 1 hour 45 minutes
4 constructed response – 2 or 3 pts. each
Grade 7 Reading 54 selected response – 1 pt. each 2 hours
2 constructed response – 3 pts. each
Math 51 selected response – 1 pt. each 1 hour 45 minutes
4 constructed response – 2 or 3 pts. each
Grade 8 Reading 54 selected response – 1 pt. each 2 hours
2 constructed response – 3 pts. each
Math 51 selected response – 1 pt. each 1 hour 45 minutes
4 constructed response – 2 or 3 pts. each
Science 40 selected response – 1 pt. each 40 minutes
Social Studies 40 selected response – 1 pt. each 40 minutes
Language Arts/Writing 30 selected response – 1 pt. each 1 hour
1 constructed response – 9 pts.
Grade 10 Reading 50 selected response – 1 pt. each 2 hours
2 constructed response – 3 pts. each
Math 50 selected response – 1 pt. each 1 hour 45 minutes
4 constructed response – 2 or 3 pts. each
Science 50 selected response – 1 pt. each 50 minutes
Social Studies 50 selected response – 1 pt. each 50 minutes
Language Arts/Writing 30 selected response – 1 pt. each 1 hour
1 constructed response – 9 pts.


Department contact information

Any questions regarding the administration of the WKCE in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program and the Parental Private School Choice Program schools should be addressed to::

Duane Dorn
Office of Educational Accountability
WI Department of Public Instruction
duane.dorn@dpi.wi.gov
608-267-1069

For questions about this information, contact oeamail@dpi.wi.gov