

Iowa's Alternate Assessments
2024-2025 GPAEA Newsletter
December 2024 Update
General IAA Updates
Long-Term Substitute: If the district is or will be utilizing a long term substitute in a classroom in which students are being instructed and assessed through Iowa’s Alternate Assessments, please send Jennifer Denne the following information:- District Name, Substitute Name, BOEE Folder Number of Substitute, Reason for Leave, and Dates of Leave. jennifer.denne@iowa.gov
Communication with DLM, ELAA or the Iowa Department of Education: The only information that can be sent in a chat/email with the DLM Help Desk or via email with Jennifer Denne is a student’s state ID. Do not send communication that includes a student’s name or birthdate.
Test Security Training Reminder: All test administrators/proctors and test coordinators must complete test security training at least once every three years starting with the fall administration of 2020. The test security training module will be available in AEA Learning Online and through the ISASP portal training modules. Participants must print out a certificate of completion and keep on file with their school administrator. Starting in 2022-2023 SY, all paraeducators who are in the room during testing, must complete the test security training module at least once every three years available in AEA Learning Online and sign the Test Security Confidentiality Agreement every year in Appendix D in the State of Iowa Test Security Manual.
Instruction & Assessment Responsibilities: Instructional Strat II ID licensed teacher is required to diagnose and design instruction and administer the DLM assessment and score EL AA. Other teachers may deliver instruction in the setting determined by the IEP team, under the guidance of the Instructional Strat II ID teacher. Instructional Strat I licensed teachers can deliver instruction to ensure access to the general curriculum. Please document in the IEP what this will look like for your students. For example, Support for School Personnel may be used to describe the collaboration between special education teachers providing instruction to your students.
GPAEA Co-Leads: Tiffany Menke and Amanda Seeley are co-leading Great Prairie’s Iowa Alternate Assessment supports this year. Any communication you receive from Amanda or Tiffany is of equal importance. Tiffany’s email address is: tiffany.menke@gpaea.org
DLM
Fall Phase 2 of the DLM Assessment Window closes at the end of the day on 12/20/24. It is important that all identified students meet assessment participation requirements. Please make sure you are working with your students to complete remaining assessments prior to 12/20/24. After 12/20/24 the DLM system shuts down and there is nothing we can do to make up any testlets to meet participation requirements.
The DLM Instruction and Assessment Planner will not be available between December 21 and February 3.
2024-2025 Remaining DLM Assessment Windows
Fall Phase 2 October 28, 2024 - December 20, 2024
Spring Phase 1 February 3, 2025 - March 21, 2025
Spring Phase 2 March 24, 2025 - May 16, 2025
Newly Identified Students: If an IEP team identifies a new student as a required participant in Iowa’s Alternate Assessment, or a new learner who is already identified moves in, please communicate this with your GPAEA Region Lead and Jennifer Denne (jennifer.denne@iowa.gov), so we can ensure the correct blueprint requirements are identified to align with the remaining duration of the current assessment window.
DLM Reports: Teachers are expected to send home the DLM End of the Year Individual Student Reports (ISR) this fall to communicate 2023-2024 student performance (the report is generated in July). This report is found in KITE Educator Portal under the Reports tab / End of Year / Students (Bundled) and you can get all students at one time. This information is helpful to develop the learner’s Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance and IEP goals. Additionally, the report should be placed in the learner’s cumulative file.
Unlocking your Educator Portal Account: Users have five attempts to login before their Kite® Educator Portal account is locked. After the fifth failed login attempt, users must contact their Test Coordinator to unlock their account. Once their account is unlocked, users may reset their password. We recommend you select “Forgot Password?” before the fifth attempt.
Subscribe to DLM Test Updates: Did you know you can subscribe to DLM Test Updates & receive timely test updates directly in your inbox? Click here to review & subscribe to DLM Test Updates.
ELA & Math Essential Elements Update: The Department has updated the ELA and Math Essential Elements documents to align with the new state standards. They are linked on the DE website. The documents now include the standard “unpacking” information within the same document. The Department is working to update the Science document as the State is reviewing science standards this school year as well.
Personal Needs and Preferences (PNP) Profiles: As a reminder, a student’s PNP may be revised/updated at any time throughout the school year. If it needs changed, or previously identified accessibility supports aren’t working well for a student, please update the student’s PNP.
Instructionally Embedded Assessment: Dynamic Learning Maps® (DLM®) instructionally embedded assessments are designed to help teachers integrate the assessment with your classroom instruction. Teachers follow the criteria given in the test blueprint documents for English language arts (ELA) and mathematics to choose Essential Elements and linkage levels for each student. Teachers should then follow a cycle of instruction, assessment, reporting (access results), and evaluate throughout both the fall and spring windows. Instructionally embedded assessments for science are available for the fall window only and are optional. Given this cycle of teach-test, students may retake a teslest at the same linkage level.
Field Tests: If you notice a testlet starting with “FT” this is a Field Test. Field Tests are not included in the student’s score report. Field Tests are assigned to students in both the fall and spring windows. They are important as they are the only way to increase the number of testlets DLM has available for students.
Save the Date: Great Prairie AEA will once again be providing a four day Comprehensive Math Instruction for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities course at the Burlington AEA office in June 2025: 6/9/25, 6/10/25, 6/16/25, 6/17/25. A flyer with registration links will be shared in the new year.
ELAA
There is not the flexibility in the ACHIEVE ELAA system to change information that has been entered in error. Please be aware of this when you are entering ELAA information in ACHIEVE.
ELAA Fall Screening Concerns: If you submitted screening scores and they are not showing up on ACHIEVE reports, please submit a ticket in ACHIEVE.
2024-2025 Remaining ELAA Assessment Windows
Winter Instructional / Data Artifact Collection Window
September 30, 2024 – February 7, 2025
Winter Reporting Window
January 27, 2025 – February 7, 2025
Spring Instructional / Data Artifact Collection Window
February 10, 2025 – May 30, 2025
Spring Reporting Window
May 12, 2025 – May 30, 2025
IAA Resources
24-25 IAA District Contacts- this resource includes all Great Prairie AEA Iowa Alternate Assessment Points of Contacts. Each district tab identifies the school staff who are leading, supporting, and instructing students assessed through IAA. Feel free to use this resource as a networking tool.
Iowa's Alternate Assessment Google Site- please contact Jennifer Denne if you or your staff need access to the site: jennifer.denne@iowa.gov
GPAEA IAA Newsletter- Continuing this year, Great Prairie AEA IAA leads will be providing communication and updates to you via email and your teachers through a newsletter. An email will be sent to you each time a new posting is created. Please bookmark the site for quick access.
Required Trainings & Updates August 2025
Required Alternate Assessments
The ELAA - Dynamic Learning Map Aligned K-6 Early Literacy Alternate Assessment is for Chapter 62 benchmarking and is required for learners in Grades K-6.
The Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) is the ESSA-approved summative alternate assessment with alternate achievement standards for Adequate Yearly Progress in Grades 3-11 (including Science in Grades 5, 8, and 10).
Important DLM Dates and Testing Windows
The Alternate English Language Proficiency Assessment (Alt ELPA) is a summative language assessment designed to take the place of the ELPA21. It is required for all students who are English learners and take the alternate assessments named above. It is given in the spring.
Essential Elements Updated
Based on the revision of the math and literacy academic standards, the Essential Elements have also been revised & updated blueprints are linked below:
24-25 Science Iowa Blueprint.pdf
Required Certification
As in previous years, there is a required training for both Early Literacy Alternate Assessment (ELAA) and Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) Alternate Assessment. These trainings are required to be completed prior to facilitating the assessments with students. As well as completing the required ELAA and DLM training sessions, administrators and teachers should also watch this short video - Iowa Specific Training.
Teachers of learners grades K-6 need to complete the certification for the ELAA. ELAA training is accessed through training.aealearningonline.org. Search the catalog for “K-6 Early Literacy Alternate Assessment 2024-25.”
Teachers of learners grades 3-11 must complete the certification for the DLM. DLM training is accessed directly from the DLM Educator Portal (KITE).
Accessing IAA Google Site
Iowa’s Alternate Assessment Google Site provides you with information and updates in regards to Iowa’s Alternate Assessments. If you are not able to access this Google site please email jennifer.denne@iowa.gov. She will place your email address in a Google group that will give you access to the Alternate Assessment Google site and all necessary resources.Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) Important Considerations
DLM is a federal accountability assessment and is factored into the school performance profile. As such, districts and buildings that do not meet the requirements for assessment administration may be subject to follow-up by the DE and/or AEA. The DE also monitors testlet administration time for anomalies and will contact teachers whose testlet administration on a given student appears too short in duration.
DLM is considered an instructionally embedded assessment for reading and math. To that end, testlets should be given to students ACROSS the assessment window. Testlets should not be given all at the beginning of the window, nor at the end of the window. Follow this process: choose (EEs), teach, assess, evaluate student progress, and repeat.
Iowa has its own DLM Assessment Blueprints (reading and math), which are different and more specific than the DLM Blueprints outlined in the Instruction and Assessment Planner. The Fall and Spring testing windows are split into 2 phases. The blueprint specifies the number of testlets required for each phase. The intent is that instruction occurs (is embedded) throughout the testing window, hence testlets are expected to be spread across both phases.
While not a change, teachers are reminded that Science is administered for learners in Grades 5, 8, and 10 as an end-of-year assessment. Science testlets may be given in the fall, but these will not count for student performance. In the spring, science testlets will be assigned by DLM.
DLM Training
As mentioned briefly above, the DLM Alternate Assessment Consortium provides required training for test administrators. The DLM Training is accessed in the DLM Educator Portal (KITE) via the Training Tab. Test administrators who are new to DLM alternate assessment & those who administered assessments previously (returning test administrators) are required to complete the self-directed training. No access to the Student Portal login information will appear in Educator Portal if the training is incomplete. To be registered for the training automatically, a test administrator must have only one active, up-to-date account in the Educator Portal, have the Teacher role, and have their educator identifier on their account. Successful completion of the course requires passing all post-tests with a score of 80% or higher and the training should take approximately 2 hours to complete. The Guide to DLM Required Test Administrator Training 2024-2025 will be a valuable resource for teachers who are working through the required training.
If you are new to Iowa’s Alternate Assessment and DLM, and you do not have access to Educator Portal, please work with your District’s Alternate Assessment Data Manager. The District Data Manager will create your account in the Kite Educator Portal, so that you can access the required training and the assessment system.
For new test administrators, you will complete four modules with one post-test for each module. For returning test administrators, you will complete one refresher module and a four-part post-test corresponding to the modules for new test administrators.
Timelines
All users, students, and rosters must be completed in the DLM Educator Portal no later than September 16.
Students’ First Contact Surveys and Personal Needs and Preferences (PNP) Profile must be completed in the DLM Educator Portal no later than September 25.
2024-2025 DLM Assessment Windows
Fall Phase 1 September 9, 2024 - October 25, 2024
Fall Phase 2 October 28, 2024 - December 20, 2024
Spring Phase 1 February 3, 2025 - March 21, 2025
Spring Phase 2 March 24, 2025 - May 16, 2025
DLM Exit Does Not Save
Use of Exit Does Not Save is not acceptable in Iowa. DLM does track the usage of this and will follow up when it is used. Test Administrators should not be previewing tests or starting tests with students & then use Exit Does Not Save. Test Administrators are encouraged to use the Testlet Information Pages.
Points to Note
EI (Eligible Individual) is the only disability category that should be used when identifying a student’s Primary Disability Code in the First Contact Survey.
Check that the current KITE Client Student Portal has been installed on any device being used for the 2024-25 DLM administration.
DLM Reporting
Teachers are expected to send home the DLM End of the Year Individual Student Reports (ISR) this fall to communicate 2023-2024 student performance (the report is generated in July). This report is found in KITE Educator Portal under the Reports tab / End of Year / Students (Bundled) and you can get all students at one time.
Additional Resources to Support your Role with DLM
Iowa DLM Resources- Provides direct links to all of the above resources referenced and many more!
DLM Help Desk- When district staff are contacting the DLM Help Desk, you may not email or chat the student’s name, grade, or date of birth. The only student information that can be emailed is the student's state ID.
DLM Alternate Assessment Checklist 24-25 AEA- Heartland AEA created a checklist for teachers to help manage the administration of DLM.
Early Literacy Alternate Assessment (ELAA) Important Considerations
Teachers of learners grades K-6 need to complete the certification for the ELAA. ELAA training is accessed through training.aealearningonline.org. Search the catalog for “K-6 Early Literacy Alternate Assessment 2024-25.” It should take approximately 90 minutes to complete the training. We encourage K-6 teachers to complete this training ASAP as the Fall Instruction/Data Artifact Collection Window opens August 26, 2024 - September 27, 2024 & the Fall Reporting Window is September 16, 2024 - September 27, 2024.
As a reminder, ELAA is now in ACHIEVE, so all users must have an Ed Portal Account to access ACHIEVE and ELAA. Here is the ELAA User Guide, which is also located in ACHIEVE.
Timeline
Students’ First Contact Surveys and Personal Needs and Preferences (PNP) Profile must be completed in the ELAA System no later than September 25.
2024-2025 ELAA Screening Windows
Fall Instructional / Data Artifact Collection Window
August 26, 2024 – September 27, 2024
Fall Reporting Window
September 16, 2024 – September 27, 2024
Winter Instructional / Data Artifact Collection Window
September 30, 2024 – February 7, 2025
Winter Reporting Window
January 27, 2025 – February 7, 2025
Spring Instructional / Data Artifact Collection Window
February 10, 2025 – May 30, 2025
Spring Reporting Window
May 12, 2025 – May 30, 2025
Updated ELAA Cover Sheets
The Google Site includes updated ELAA Cover Sheets that now includes a place to document the score for each piece of evidence. You may also choose to continue to use the same cover sheets from last year.
ELAA Reports
Summary reports for ELAA from ACHIEVE should be sent for each reporting window to the parents and to the resident district for open enrolled students. Additionally, score reports need to be filed in the student’s cumulative file. Individual student evidence & cover sheets from 2023-2024 school should remain in a secure location until later this fall.
IAA Resources
Iowa's Alternate Assessment Google Site- please contact Jennifer Denne if you need access to the site: jennifer.denne@iowa.gov
GPAEA IAA Newsletter- GPAEA IAA Leaders will be providing ongoing communication and updates to you through a newsletter. An email will be sent to you each time a new posting is created. Please bookmark this site for quick access.
AEA Contact Information
2024-2025 Great Prairie Iowa Alternate Assessment Contacts
Each region in GPAEA has an individual assigned as the point of contact. If you have questions about the assessment itself or about administering it, please reach out to your region’s contact person.
- Regional Director & Significant Disabilities Coordinator Amanda Seeley amanda.seeley@gpaea.org
- Region 1 Lead Jill Schwarte jill.schwarte@gpaea.org
- Region 2 Lead Penny Clarahan penny.clarahan@gpaea.org
- Region 3 Lead Robin Larrington robin.larrington@gpaea.org
- Region 4 Lead Tiffany Menke tiffany.menke@gpaea.org
- Region 5 Lead Heather Oleson heather.oleson@gpaea.org
- Region 6 Leads Theresa Kline theresa.kline@gpaea.org