Test Administrator Training for Kindergarten Assessment

1. Test Administrator Training(Required for DTCs,STCs, and TAs) Note: Information noted in light gray or strike through is not relevant to the Kindergarten Assessment.

2. Test Administrators Big Picture Objectives • Understand the roles and responsibilities of test administrators • Understand how to use valid test administration practices • Learn where to find test administration resources and tools • Be aware of what’s new this year in the statewide assessment system

3. Test Administrators Training Overview • Training will cover the following topics: • TA Training Overview • Accommodations • Test Security • Administering the Kindergarten Assessment

4. Test Administrators TA Roles and Responsibilities • Before testing: • Provide students with an opportunity to become familiar with the test format and procedures • Review student IEPs or education plans to identify appropriate test formats and accommodations • Make arrangements for students who are not testing • Review Test Administration Manual • During testing: • Ensure that students receive the appropriate test (includes settings such as language) • Enforce test environment requirements

5. Test Administrators Test Environment Requirements • Supervision at all times by a trained TA • Quiet environment void of distractions • Only allowable resources made available to students upon request • Limited interaction with students • Read student directions • Administer accommodations appropriately • No coaching

6. Test Administrators What’s new ? • Kindergarten Assessment added to Oregon’s Statewide Assessment System • New Appendix Lfor Kindergarten Assessment • ODE will post the final 2013-14 Test Administration Manual by August 1, 2013.

7. Test Administrators What’s new ? ODE has identified the following practices as standard testing conditions available for all students: • Dividing testing into several testing events, including providing students with extended time or frequent breaks as needed. • Reading or rereading student directions to students.

8. Test Administrators Do’s and Don’ts Do’s • TAs must: • Read the Test Administration Manual • Receive annual test administration and security training, and • Sign an Assurance of Test Security form before administering state tests.

9. Test Administrators Do’s and Don’ts, cont’d Do’s • TAs may only provide students with allowable resources listed by content area in the Test Administration Manual. • TAs must read verbatim the student directions provided in the Assessor Materials of the Kindergarten Assessment.

10. Test Administrators Do’s and Don’ts, cont’d Don’ts • TAs may not allow untrained aides, volunteers, or substitutes to assist with test administration. • TAs may not coach students (including requiring students to show their work). • Students may not access non-allowable resources such as textbooks, class notes, or cell phones during testing. • Students may not talk to or help other students during testing.

11. Test Administrators Promising Practices • TA reviews the Test Administration Manual before testing, focusing on test security and content-specific allowable resources and accommodations. • TA seeks clarification from STC on any rules that are unclear before administering tests • TA spaces students appropriately or provides visual barriers to prevent students from seeing others’ tests. • TA reads student directions verbatim and ensure proper testing conditions. • TA makes available but does not require students to use allowable resources.

12. Test Administrators In a Nutshell • TAs must receive training each year • TAs enforce valid test environment for students • When in doubt about a particular testing practice, before testing begins: • Check the Manual • Check your training notes • Ask your School Test Coordinator • If all else fails, assume the answer is “no”

13. Test Administrators Test Administration Resources • Test Administration Manual • Accommodations Manual http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=487 • Best Practices Guide • Promising Testing Practices http://www.ode.state.or.us/go/tam http://www.ode.state.or.us/go/tam http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?=2444

14. Test Administrators Acorns for Storage • What 3 things must a test administrator do before administering a state test? • What are some examples of assistance to students that are not allowed? • What are some methods we can use to reduce test improprieties?

15. Accommodations(Required for DTCs, STCs, and TAs) Note: Information noted in light gray or strike through is not relevant to the Kindergarten Assessment.

16. Accommodations Big Picture Objectives • Identify and understand the purpose of accommodations • Administer accommodations appropriately

17. Accommodations Know the Options • Know the differences between the following: • Allowable Resources • Restricted Resources • Accommodations • Modifications • Always refer to the current year’s Test Administration Manual and Accommodations Manual for updates

18. Accommodations Definitions Accommodation • “Practices and procedures in presentation, response, setting, and timing or scheduling that, when used in an assessment, provide equitable access to all students.” • Accommodations do not compromise the learning expectations, construct, grade-level standard, and/or measured outcome of the assessment. • Only approved accommodations by the Accommodations Panel are allowed during testing.

19. Accommodations Definitions, cont’d Allowable Resource • Subject-specific resources identified as allowable in the Test Administration Manual Restricted Resource • Computer-based application, tool, functionality, or non-electronic resource approved by the Accommodations Panel that does not interfere with the measured construct, but has restricted availability and requires district documentation of individual student need prior to use Modification • Any change away from a standard administration • Modifications result in aninvalidtest

20. Accommodations Purpose and Eligibility • Provide a student equal access and equal opportunity to meet or exceed grade level achievement standards. • Accommodations are available to all students, although the decision to apply accommodations must be based on an assessment of individual student need. • Accommodations must be documented within a student’s cumulative file, IEP and/or 504 Plan.

21. Accommodations How to Document • Students on IEPs or 504 Plans must have needed accommodations documented within their plans. • Students who are English Language Learners or General Education and not on an IEP or 504 Plan should have needed accommodations documented within their cumulative file.

22. Accommodations When to Identify • Necessary accommodations must be identified and implemented during classroom instruction prior to the student’s participation in the state assessment, unless precluded by the local test window. • Accommodations used in state assessment must have been previously approved by the Accommodations Panel and listed in the Accommodations Manual. • The Accommodations Manual provides guidance on how and when to appropriately identify accommodations for a student.

23. Accommodations What is NEW for Kindergarten: Changes in Test Directions: • Sign directions • Interpret directions orally • Simplify language in directions

24. Accommodations What is NEW for Kindergarten: Changes in how questions are presented: • Large print version of test • For Mathematics, TA may point to each answer choice to support students who need this option to indicate their answer choice by blinking, head movement, eye gaze or other form of identified non-verbal communication

25. Accommodations What is NEW for Kindergarten: Changes in how student responds: • Student may respond to multiple choice questions using any assistive technology device that serves as their primary communication mode

26. Accommodations What is New for Kindergarten: Changes in Test Setting: • Test an individual student in a separate location • Support physical position of student (e.g., preferential seating, special lighting, increase/decrease opportunity for movement, provide position assistance, adaptive equipment/furniture)

27. Accommodations What is New for Kindergarten: Changes in Test Schedule: • Administer at a time of day most beneficial to the student

28. Accommodations Five Step Process • Expect participation and academic achievement in statewide assessments for all students • Learn accommodations • Select accommodations • Administer accommodations • Evaluate and improve accommodation use

29. Accommodations Five Step Process • STEP 1 – Expect participation and academic achievement in statewide assessments for all students. • STEP 2 – Learn accommodations • STEP 3 – Select accommodations

30. Accommodations Five Step Process • STEP 4 – Administer accommodations • STEP 5 – Evaluate and improve accommodation use

31. Accommodations Test Directions & Presentation Accommodations Who benefits? • Students who have difficulty or an inability to read and comprehend directions presented in standard print. • Students with language processing challenges. • Students who are deaf or hard of hearing. • Students who require a multisensory approach to learning.

32. Accommodations Response Accommodations Who benefits? • Students with physical, sensory, or learning disabilities • Students who have difficulty with memory, sequencing, directionality, alignment, and/or organization.

33. Accommodations Setting Accommodations Who benefits? • Students who are easily distracted in large group settings and who concentrate best in small groups or an individual setting. • Students who receive accommodations (e.g. read aloud, sensory supports) that might distract other students. • Students with physical limitations might need a more accessible location, specific room conditions or special equipment.

34. Accommodations Scheduling Accommodations Who benefits? • Students who cannot concentrate continuously for an extended period of time. • Students who become frustrated or stressed easily and may need frequent or extended relaxation breaks. • Students with health-related disabilities which cause varying levels of functioning from day to day. • Students who fatigue easily should take testing before physical activities.

35. Accommodations Read-Aloud Accommodation • Available for Math, Science, and Social Sciences (not for Reading) • OAKS Online supports a computer-based read-aloud feature • English computer-based read-aloud available for Math, Science, and Social Sciences • Spanish computer-based read-aloud available for Math • Human-administered read-aloud is still permitted • Math read-aloud follows special guidelines (posted at Accommodations Webpage) • Must not distract other students testing

36. Accommodations Read-Aloud Accommodation “In the Moment” Request • If a student requests this accommodation while testing and it was not previously identified as a needed accommodation for the particular student, read verbatim the student directions provided in Appendix B. • The TA may not provide an accommodation to a student that was not selected based on an assessment of individual student need.

37. Accommodations Coding Accommodations • Required code for students with IEPs: • “Number of Accommodations” • Select “none” or “one or more” • Optional code: • “Accommodation Code” • District can identify up to six specific accommodations by unique 4-digit code • Update in TIDE, TA Interface, or Student Centered Staging

38. Accommodations Do’s and Don’ts Do’s • Refer to the Accommodations Manual for accommodations implementation guidance. • Refer to student’s IEP, 504 Plan or cumulative file to determine which accommodations must be provided. • Note that although writing prompts may be translated locally, they must be completed in advance by a trained translator endorsed by the district and must be stored securely. Translator also needs to be trained in Test Security and sign an Assurance of Test Security form.

39. Accommodations Do’s and Don’ts, cont’d Do’s (cont’d) • TAs may read numerals and math symbols aloud on the early math test if they follow the guidance and examples posted on the ODE website. • In general, numbers and symbols can be read according to their common English usage. For example, > would be read as “is greater than.” • Numbers 99 and less should be read using standard place value language. For example, 23 would be read as “twenty-three.” • However, numbers greater than 99 should be read as individual numbers. For example, 579 would be read as “five seven nine.”

40. Accommodations Do’s and Don’ts, cont’d Don’ts • Indicate “as needed” or “as appropriate” when documenting accommodations • Choose every accommodation available for an assessment “just to be safe” • Assume the same accommodations remain appropriate year after year • Provide an accommodation for the first time on the day of testing • Provide the same accommodations for every student in the class, grade, or program

41. Accommodations Do’s and Don’ts, cont’d Don’ts • TAs may not provide instruction or give suggestions regarding process. • TAs may not choose to administer an accommodation for all students in a class or a grade. • TAs may not read Reading items or response choices aloud. • TAs may not read ELPA items or response choices aloud. • Items may not be translated. • If you can’t find it in the TAM or Accommodations Manual, don’t do it.

42. Accommodations Promising Practices • Develop a process to determine appropriate accommodations for students not on IEPs or 504 Plans • Develop a system to inform students of available accommodations and allow them to request consideration for use of an accommodation during testing • Encourage students to “do their best” • Ask a student if he/she “needs a break” if they appear to lose focus

43. Accommodations In a Nutshell • Accommodations are selected and administered for individual students • Accommodations used during state testing must be selected from the Accommodations Manual • Providing accommodations for the first time during state testing is not allowed • Administration of accommodations for one student must not interfere with the testing conditions of another student

44. DTC Training Online Resources • Test Administration Manual and Best Practices Guide: http:www.ode.state.or.us/go/tam • Accommodations Manual and Webpage: http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?=487 • Math Read Aloud Guidelines: http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/testing/manuals/tables/math-read-aloud-accommodation-guidelines.pdf • Promising Practices: http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?=2444

45. Accommodations Acorns for Storage • What are some common errors in the administration of accommodations and how can they be avoided? • Why are accommodations provided to students? • May decisions regarding accommodations be made for: • Individual students? • Groups of students?

46. Test Security(Required for DTCs,STCs, and TAs) Note: Information noted in light gray is not relevant to the Kindergarten Assessment.

47. Test Security Objectives • Understand principles of secure test administration • Understand how to maintain security of printed test materials • Learn how to avoid and respond to test improprieties

48. Test Security Definition and Purpose • Purpose: To protect the integrity and confidentiality of secure test items, prompts, and passages. The security of these materials is necessary so that they can be used in later years to measure trends in performance. In addition, test security helps to ensure test results can be used in accountability reporting. • Definition: A test impropriety is any instance where a test is not administered in a manner consistent with the Test Administration Manual or the OAR 581-022-0610 for Administration of State Tests.

49. Test Security Test Impropriety Statistics Some numbers from the 2011-12 school year: • 106 districts reported at least one test impropriety • 470 total improprieties were reported • 785 student tests were impacted Test Impropriety Trends: • Non-allowable resources (including cell phones) • Student cheating • Student coaching • Mishandling of secure test materials • Student given the wrong test • Student tested under wrong SSID • Unsecure test environment • Missing the shipping / data entry deadline • TA review/analysis of test items

50. Test Security Secure Testing Environment • A quiet environment, void of distractions and supervised by a trained test administrator • Visual barriers or adequate spacing between students • Student access to only allowable resources • All paper test materials collected and accounted for after each testing event – including printed reading passages (or test items) • Student data is treated as confidential – no e-mailing names and SSIDs together