High School Testing Meeting

1. High SchoolTesting Meeting Division of Academics, Performance and Support Office of Assessment http://bit.ly/TCInfoSession October 2013

2. Agenda High School Test Coordinator’s Meeting Fall, 2013 I. Welcome and Introductions II. Finding Assistance III. Testing Calendar IV. Exam Ordering V. Key Information About the New York State Testing Program VI. Exam Eligibility VII. Delivery of Materials VIII. Test Administration Preparation Administration Delivery IX. Testing Special Populations Special Education English Language Learners New York State Alternate Assessment X. Scoring XI. Q & A

3. Finding Assistance • Schools with testing questions should contact their assessment liaison at their Children’s First Network. • Borough Assessment Implementation Directors (BAIDs) will support CFN assessment liaisons and schools. • Although your CFN assessment liaison is your first point of contact, BAIDs can help with: • Questions about test administration and security. • Test ordering. • NYS Education Department Online Ordering User IDs and passwords. • Obtaining extra exams. • Missing scores. • Test return materials – envelopes, polybags, headers, etc.

4. Accessing NYCDOE Test Information The Division of Academic Performance and Support (DAPS) posts detailed memos online for each exam to be administered during the school year. From a DOE administrative computer: http://bit.ly/TestInfo From a non-DOE administrative computer: http://bit.ly/TestInfo2

5. Required Reading • This Test Administration Handbook is distributed and discussed at general faculty conferences, grade conferences, and on staff development days. • Principals will complete an online survey on the Principal's Portal certifying that the handbook information was delivered to staff. The 2013-14 draft of the NYCDOE Test Administration Handbook for high school will be posted on the Assessment Intranet site at http://intranet.nycboe.net/Accountability/Assessment/YearlyTesting/.

6. Accessing NYSED Test Information http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment

7. January 2014 Regents Schedule

8. June 2014 Regents Schedule

9. High School Testing Schedule To avoid potential conflicts, schools must consult the testing calendar before scheduling trips or other activities. New Common Core Algebra I and English Regents

10. Periodic Assessments • Periodic assessments are administered to students throughout the year. • Information about periodic assessments is found at http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/resources/assessments/default.htm • Questions from schools can also be directed to periodicassessment@schools.nyc.gov

11. Test Ordering • Regents, RCTs, NYSESLAT • Ordered through the NYSED portal: http://portal.nysed.gov • Remember to order translations, large print and Braille versions of the exams if needed. • The order deadline is November 8, 2013 for Regents and RCTs. • Schools should carefully consider the number of Regents exams they plan to administer. Order numbers are used to generate day scorer requirements, and beginning in January NYSED is limiting the number of exams that schools may obtain from Regional Centers on the morning of exam administration. • Unused essay booklets and reference tables from the January Regents must be retained for the June Regents administration, as any overage from January will be subtracted from your school’s material delivery in June. These materials should ONLY be used for exam administration. • NYSESLAT deadline is January 31, 2014. • NYSITELL deadline to order is November 30, 2013 for delivery to schools the week of January 27, 2014.* • NYC LOTE • Ordered online via Survey Monkey in the spring. • LAB-R** and Spanish LAB • Schools that did not place orders or need additional materials can pick up from Borough Assessment Offices. • *Tentative deadline announced by SED. Ordering process for the NYSITELL is subject to change. • **Discontinued after January 31, 2014.

12. Ordering State Exams Regents and RCTs must be ordered by November 8, 2013. NYSESLAT must be ordered by January 31, 2014 Principals who do not know their user ID and/or password should contact their BAID. Do not call SED as they will not be able to help. http://portal.nysed.gov

13. Key Information for the 2014 Regents • To ensure that no school will score their own Regents exams all schools with any high school grades 9-12 will participate in distributed scoring. • No electronic scoring in January 2014. • Packing requirements will no longer vary by exam due to the elimination of electronic scoring • All answer documents in January, except Physics, will be two pages and MUST be printed by the schools. • Schools use ATS RGRA to print pre-populated Class Rosters (all exams), Rating Sheets and Class Record Sheets (English, US and Global History), for inclusion with test booklets for scoring. • New! A one page packing checklist for PROCTORS will be automatically download with exam documents and must be distributed.

14. Key Information for the 2014 Regents (Continued) • SED will not provide the materials below but the DOE will send schools these materials. Schools in need of the materials should print additional copies. • Regular edition science reference tables. • Please note that the Department will continue to provide schools with the Braille and large type editions in the shipment of non-secure test materials. • Essay booklets for the Regents Comprehensive Exam in English, U.S. History and Global History. • The following materials must be printed by schools and supplied to all school personnel involved in the administration and scoring of Regents Exams and RCTs: • RCT Writing Answer Booklets. • Directions for Administering Regents Exams and the Directions for Administering and Scoring RCTs. • All answer booklets can be found on the SED website under Frequently Used Information. • Information Booklets for Scoring Regents Exams. • Scoring Keys and Rating Guides. Found on the SED website under Scoring Info. • Schools must use Regents and RCT codes that are specific to the administration period.

15. Common Core Regents Exams: Math • For math, the Common Core exam requirement is based on the year in which the student begins studying high school level math: • This policy also applies to students who participate in accelerated 8th grade math courses.

16. Common Core Regents Exams: Math • For the June 2014, August 2014 and January 2015 administrations ONLY, students receiving Common Core instruction may at the discretion of their principal, take the Regents Exam in Integrated Algebra in addition to the Regents Exam in Algebra 1 (Common Core). • The higher of the two scores will be used on the student’s transcript. • A passing score on either exam will meet the mathematics exam requirement for graduation.

17. Common Core Regents Exams: English • For English, the Common Core exam requirement is based entirely on student cohort. • While students generally do not take the ELA exam until 11th grade (2015-16), high schools are encouraged to provide students with the opportunity to take the Common Core exam if they have been prepared for it through rigorous courses, such as AP courses.

18. Common Core Regents Exams: English • For the June 2014 and August 2014 administrations ONLY, students receiving Common Core instruction may at the discretion of their principal, take the Regents Exam in Comprehensive English in addition to the Regents Exam in ELA (Common Core). • The higher of the two scores will be used on the student’s transcript. • A passing score on either exam will meet the English exam requirement for graduation if the student entered the 9th grade in 2013-14 or before.

19. Common Core Regents Exams: Timeline • The State will begin the phase-in of these exams with Algebra I and English in 2013-14. The Geometry and Algebra II exams will be introduced in 2014-15 and 2015-16, respectively. Concurrently, the existing versions of these exams will be phased out in stages. • Schools must consider this timeline as they support students who need additional time to pass a required exam before it is phased out.

20. RegentsEligibility • Most answers about Regents and RCTs can be found in the Regents 2013 Edition, School Administrator's Manual, Secondary Level Examinations on the State Education Website. • All students who have completed the course of study leading to a Regents Examination have the right to be admitted to that examination. Students may not be barred from an examination for disciplinary reasons or because their achievement in a subject is considered unsatisfactory. • Grade 8 students who complete the high school level course associated with the Regents may sit for the test. • Grade 8 students must pass the course and Regents to receive high school credit. • Students in Grade 7 and below cannot receive Regents course credit http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/sam/secondary/home.html

21. Regents Eligibility • All students taking a science Regents must satisfactorily complete 1200 minutes of lab work. Labs can be carried over from previous years. • Virtual labs do not count towards the 1200 minutes. • Physical Setting/Earth Science Regents • The performance test must be administered during the last two weeks of the Earth Science course and no later than a day before the written examination. • Students retaking the exam must also retake the performance test in the weeks immediately preceding the written exam. • Testing schools must bubble the Earth Science performance score on the page 2 answer document before students’ test materials are sent to a Regents distributed scoring site. • Comprehensive Foreign Language Regents-like exam (LOTE) – The speaking section of the second language exams, must be completed prior to the administration of the written exam. • LOTE exams are not given in January or August. • If a school is not administering the exam at their own school students must travel to a hub site twice to complete the exam.

22. Regents Competency Tests • Regents Competency Tests (RCTs) may be administered only to students with disabilities who first entered Grade 9 prior to September 2011 and who have completed the unit of study requirements specified under “Admission Requirements” in Section One of the School Administrator’s Manual. Further information on this topic can be found in the memorandum “Local Diploma Safety Net Options for Students with Disabilities who Enter Grade 9 in September 2011 and Thereafter” at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/publications/localdiplomaoptions-may2011.htm. • Testing requirements for a local diploma may be met by achieving a Regents Examination score between 55 and 64 (English and math), and in certain circumstances, 45-54 (Science, Global History and U.S. History). • There are strict requirements for implementing this policycheck the School Administrator’s Manual. • It is also available to students with disabilities declassified while in grades 8 through 12 whose last IEP specifies RCT Safety Net eligibility. • Students may take the RCT prior to taking a Regents examination but students must attempt and fail the Regents at least once for the RCT to count towards graduation. • The RCTs are administered to eligible students with disabilities as follows: • Mathematics and Science in Grades 9 through 12; • Global Studies in Grades 10 through 12; and • Reading, Writing, and United States History and Government in Grades 11 and 12.

23. Regents Delivery Timeline *Under no circumstances may the sealed packages of secure examination materials (test booklets, teacher dictation copies, scoring keys, and rating guides) be opened while the inventory is being conducted. The packages may not be opened until the day of the examination, and no earlier than is necessary to permit the distribution of materials prior to the scheduled starting time.

24. Additional Regents Tests • Pick up emergency supplies of tests at Regional Centers. • Officials in charge are authorized to release test booklets only on the day of the examination. • Schools will be limited in the number of exams they can pick up from the Regional Center. • Materials for morning exams are released after 7:00 AM. • Materials for afternoon exams are released after 11:00 AM. • No tests will be released without a letter from the principal on school letterhead. The letter must contain the name of the test(s) requested, quantity and person picking up. ID will be requested upon pick up.

25. Program Students in Advance • Ensure student eligibility to sit for Regents or RCTs. • Use STARS • Schedule students for the Regents. • Check and edit the RCT exam list. • Create and distribute Exam Invitations. • Print student labels for exams. • Check the STARS newsletter for test scheduling updates. • Print scannable answer documents from ATS in advance of the exams. • Print student rosters for proctors. • Have plan for walk-in students.

26. Regents and RCT Exam Codes • All exam codes in STARS are maintained centrally to improve scheduling and data accuracy. • Regents and RCT exam codes were added to all active code decks. • Use the codes with the value indicating the month of administration i.e. Integrated Algebra codes: • MXRER – January • MXREE – June • MXREG – August • Updated exam codes can be found on the STARS Wiki page at http://bit.ly/STARSWiki • Exam codes for the Common Core Regents exams will be communicated in the Spring

27. Advance Regents Preparations • Identify rooms to be used for test administration. • When creating teachers’ proctoring schedules remember some or all of a subject area’s teachers will be out of the building grading at central scoring sites. • The Office of Assessment will provide testing schools with their day scorer requirements in November after exam orders are placed through NYSED. • Best practice is that teachers should not proctor their own students or subject if possible. • Except at central scoring sites, no teachers will be grading Regents in their building. • RCT scoring will remain unchanged from previous years. • Schedule relief proctors. • Schedule paraprofessionals and school aides for other vital assignments such as hall monitor. • No student can leave the testing room unescorted for any reason until the exam has been concluded.

28. Conflict Rooms • There may be some students who have two or more exams scheduled at the same time. A conflict room may be set up for those students and state guidelines must be followed in administering multiple exams: • A student scheduled to take more than one examination during the same session may do so provided that the principal is satisfied that exercising this option would not be detrimental to the student's academic interests. • A student may notbe allowed more time than the standard three hours for each Regents Examination solely because of a conflict (ELLs and IEP students with additional time may have it.) • The principal may adjust the examination schedule, but students must take each Regents on the day that it is scheduled for administration. • Students resolving schedule conflicts in this way should be sequestered in a separate location and must be kept under close school supervision. • Arrangements must be made for supervised lunch and rest periods, and the Uniform Statewide Admission Deadlines must be strictly observed.

29. Print Scannable Regents Answer Documents • Schools print answer documents from ATS to attendance scanner for selected exams. • In January, all schools must print student answer documents on specialized paper provided by the NYCDOE’s Scan Center before the start of printing. • Answer documents for Regents will be two pages. • The Physics Regents answer document will be one page in January. • Print answer documents up to a week before Regents week. For support with using ATS, contact your network’s Data/IT person

30. School Implementation Timeline *The dates listed above are projected and subject to change.

31. Materials Provided by Schools and Students for Regents Testing See SED administration manuals for materials specific to each Regents exam

32. Administration • Shrinkwraps may not be broken until 1 hour before test time. • Answer documents are bar coded and can only be used by the student printed on the sheet. • Complete the class sets of testing materials and answer documents on the morning of the test. • A system must be in place for the orderly pickup and return of exams. • Teachers sign test security forms when picking up and returning tests. • Ensure the number of tests and answer documents given to a teacher matches the number that come back. • Students are never allowed to pick up, distribute, collect or return tests!

33. At the discretion of the principals, schools may begin secondary-level examinations earlier than the specified time. Regardless of the starting time, no student shall be permitted under any circumstances to hand in his or her test materials and leave the examination room before the following Uniform Statewide Admission Deadlines: • All students who arrive at the examination room before the Uniform Statewide Admission Deadline must be admitted to the examination, even if the students arrive after the scheduled starting time. Students who arrive at the examination after the Uniform Statewide Admission Deadline, but who have been under the supervision of school personnel since the admission deadline, may be admitted to the examination only if the principal is certain that the students did not have an opportunity to exchange information with students who have already left the examination. Regents Uniform Statewide Deadline

34. Proctor Procedures • Beginning in January, schools will be able to print a Regents Proctor Packaging Checklist for use by proctors. • Additional information about the printing of this checklist will be provided during the December Test Coordinator Training Sessions. • Proctors: • Check IDs and Regents invitations against rosters to ensure that the proper student is taking the exam. • Ensure students receive the correct exam. Check year and date of the examination. • Ensure that each student receives the proper answer document. • Students receive page 1 of the answer documents only. • Remind students to: • sign in to prove attendance. • sign the declaration (pen or pencil is acceptable.) • sign out after handing in their examination. • Follow all directions on the new Proctor Packaging Checklist.

35. Test Security • Secure exam materials are locked in an SED approved vault at all times. • Any individual who observes or suspects adult misconduct related to the administration and/or scoring of assessmentsmust immediately notify*: • NYCDOE Borough Assessment Implementation Director (BAID) and • NYC Office of the Special Commissioner of Investigation (SCI): call (212) 510-1500 or email intake@nycsci.org; and • For New York State assessments only,NYSED’s Test Security Unit, by submitting an Incident Report Form, available at http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tsei/fraud.html. *Note: Cases of observed/suspected adult misconduct related to testing can also be reported to the principal, who can provide support in following the reporting procedure outlined above.

36. If suspected/observed student cheating occurs during the test administration, the proctor must: • Warn the student(s) that any further attempts may result in the invalidation of their exams; • If necessary, move the student(s) to another location; • Notify the principal of the incident during the exam or immediately after the exam. • Student(s) should be allowed to complete the exam. • Additionally, anyone who obtains information about potential student cheating prior to test administration, or anyone who becomes aware after test administration that student cheating may have occurred, must report the information immediately to the principal. Upon receiving any information of suspected/observed student cheating the principal must immediately: • Notify the NYCDOE Borough Assessment Implementation Director (BAID) • Conduct an investigation to determine whether the incident is substantiated or unsubstantiated: If unsubstantiated, the principal must report that determination to the Borough Assessment Implementation Director (BAID), and no further action is necessary. If substantiated, the principal must immediately: • Notify the NYCDOE Borough Assessment Implementation Director (BAID) to inform them of the decision to invalidate the exam(s) • For New York State Assessments only: Notify NYSED’s Office of State Assessment by e-mailing emscassessinfo@mail.nysed.gov. • Notify the student(s) and his/her parent/guardian of the invalidation of the exam • Enter in OORS

37. Use of Communications Devices • All students are prohibited from bringing cell phones and certain other electronic devices into a classroom or other location where a State exam is being administered. • Test proctors, test monitors, and school officials shall retain the right to collect and hold any prohibited electronic devices prior to the start of the test administration. • Admission to the test shall be denied to any student who is in possession of a cell phone or other prohibited electronic device and refuses to relinquish it. • If a student is found in possession of an electronic device during an exam, confiscate the device but allow the student to finish the exam. Report the incident to the administration immediately.

38. Prohibited Devices Students cannot have any communications device, including a cell phone, with them during an exam or during any breaks (such as a restroom visit). Such devices include, but are not limited to: • Cell phones • Blackberry devices and other PDAs • iPods and MP3 players • iPads, tablets, and other eReaders • Laptops, notebooks, or any other personal computing devices • Cameras or other photographic equipment • Headphones, headsets, or in-ear headphones such as earbuds, and any other device capable of recording audio, photographic or video content, or capable of viewing or playing back such content Students found in possession of any electronics during test administration will have their exams invalidated

39. Active Proctoring – Avoid Problems • Proctors • Never help students with exam questions. • Follow all procedures when distributing and collecting tests including telling students to check the date on the cover of the exam. • Circulate around the room. • Do not read or talk except when giving directions. • Remind students to check for one response per item, erase clearly and leave no stray marks or smudges on scannable answer documents. • Administrators circulate around the building to ensure that active proctoring is taking place.

40. Pre-Slugged Answer Documents • Students use pre-slugged answer documents to answer multiple choice questions. Answer documents for Regents are two pages. • Page one is for student entered multiple choice questions. • Page two is for school entered accommodations and for teacher use only at the scoring site to record grades for the constructed response questions. • Students use the following to record responses • PENCIL for all multiple choice questions. • PEN for all essay and DBQ questions. • PEN or PENCIL for the student declaration. • Responses are only to be marked on the answer document. • Proctors ensure student answer documents are signed and bubbled appropriately before students are dismissed.

41. Restricted Exams • Restricted Exams require special handling: • Teachers may not view the exams except when reading to students as an IEP accommodation. • Physical Setting/Physics Regents (January only) • No decision by SED about how answers will be recorded for January. • All RCTs except Reading and Writing are restricted. • Answers are recorded on DOE supplied answer documents and scored at the school. • Most Braille versions of exams are restricted. • Refer to directions posted on the SED website prior to the exam for specific administration and scoring instructions. • ALL restricted exam materials must be sent back to SED in the Regents chests at the conclusion of the Regents period.

42. Testing special populations

43. Accommodations for ELL and Former ELL Students* • Time Extension • Separate Location • Third Reading of Listening Selection • Bilingual Dictionaries and Glossaries • Simultaneous Use of English and Alternative Language Editions (N/A for the Comprehensive English Regents.) • Oral Translation for Lower-Incidence Languages (Not permitted for the Comprehensive English Regents.) • Writing Responses in the Native Language (Not permitted for the Comprehensive English Regents.) *Please note that ELL accommodations are NOT permitted for the NYSESLAT.

44. Accommodations for ELL and Former ELL Students Testing schools must bubble students’ answer documents at the time of test administration to indicate if the student completed a translated edition of the exam, and record any additional accommodations the student received. • Students who complete translated versions of the Regents exams may be eligible for automatic score adjustments in ATS if NYSED determines that there was an error in the Regents translation. • Students will only receive these automatic ATS adjustments if their answer grid was bubbled with the appropriate ELL accommodation(s).

45. Accommodations For Former ELLs • Former ELLs are entitled to ELL test accommodations for two years after attaining proficiency. • For the 2013-14 school year this accommodation is for students who scored proficient on the spring 2012 or 2013 NYSESLAT. • Students who tested out in 2011 or earlier do not get ELL accommodations. • Students who tested out on the LAB-R / NYSITELL are not former ELLs and may not receive any ELL accommodations.

46. Translations For exams that are not available in translated versions oral translations are permitted. • Bilingual glossaries are available on the following website and are free to download: • http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/biling/bilinged/bilingual_glossaries.htm • School receive funding for translation and interpretation services. • For more information about hiring oral translators see the information from the oral translation unit at • http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/C54D26D3-BF84-4B25-A0A7-71FDAF17CEC7/130326/VendorInformationForSchoolsSept13.pdf

47. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities • Principals must ensure that students with disabilities receive the testing accommodations specified in their IEP or 504 Plan that are permissible on State examinations. Students who have been declassified must be provided the permissible testing accommodations documented in the declassification IEP. Principals must also ensure that only the accommodations specified in each student's IEP, 504 Plan, or declassification IEP are allowed for the student. • Check SESIS or Page 9 of a student’s IEP for testing accommodations. • Please note that some accommodations permitted for the Regents differ from the 3-8 tests. • Questions designed to measure reading ability in English or in a second language may be read or signed to students. Sections of the Regents Comprehensive Examination in English may not be deleted.

48. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Accommodations may include the some or all of the following: • Flexibility in scheduling/timing. • Flexibility in setting. • Method of presentation. • Use of assistive technology i.e. word processor, computer, scribes or large type or Braille editions. • Other accommodations found in the IEP. Accommodations should by indicated on students’ answer documents at the time of exam administration to accurately reflect any accommodations the student received.

49. Emergency 504 Accommodations • Principals may modify testing procedures for general education students who incur an injury (e.g., a broken arm) or experience the onset of a short- or long-term disability (e.g., epilepsy) sustained or diagnosed within 30 days prior to the administration of a test via an emergency 504 plan. • Permissible accommodations are: • extending the time limit for a test, • administering the test in a special location, • recording the student’s answers in any manner, and • reading the test to the student (only for students whose vision is impaired).

50. NYSAA • The New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA) is a datafolio-style assessment in which students with severe cognitive disabilities demonstrate their performance. • Students taking NYSAA are assessed according to AGE and not necessarily their ATS grade. • They will show an E under test mods in their ATS bio indicators. • Starting this school year, the NYSAA is based on a new test design, and the ELA and math assessments are aligned to the Common Core Learning standards. • For more information, see here: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/nysaa/