Gary Cook, University of Wisconsin

coming at it from "alignment standards" specifically in English Language Learners

Cycle test: test in April, results when school is out
disconnect between when test is administered and when it might be used: a year behind
He said, "let's do this in the fall" in Wisconsin...testing grade 3 content for 4th graders in December of 4th grade
multiple assessment cycle
he has a chart that has three assessments with three results a month later in each case

proposed assessment system delivered online (likens it to ATMs being universal)
"shared common core content"
loud laughs as he says that content setting is a "very exciting endeavor" (cites labor history as something that has to be taught in Wisconsin now which he didn't know was necessary)
common assessment across states, need to sort out what matters to each state (ah, so Texas history comes up, indirectly)
wants to see 100% of teachers involved

for a non-language skill, you have to have a language neutral assessment before you can have supported language assessment and finally move to a traditional assessment
(so we need to find out if someone knows math, even if they don't know English yet, by assessing in a way that doesn't require their English. English Language Learners have to fight their way through the question before they can even get to if they can answer the question.)
He's now scrolling through questions demonstrating how one might do this. Good stuff on the ELL end, using technology (oh, yeah...assuming we have the technology)

Things to think about:
beyond multiple choice
he's sure currentl assessment models will work
what do students (ELL or disabled) know? Using technology to get at that
how can we get people to use assessment data effectively?