STAAR TEST ADMINISTRATOR TRAINING 2013

1. STAAR TEST ADMINISTRATOR TRAINING 2013 EOC

2. Please Note:This training does NOT take the place of reading the appropriate manuals.

4. STAAR Time Limits Policies and Procedures

5. Start and Stop Times The four-hour time period will start when the test administrator has read directions and tells students to begin working on their tests. • Start time for the test session must be recorded on the seating chart. • Students must record all responses on their answer documents before the end of the four-hour time period. • Once the four-hour time period has ended, test administrators will instruct any students still testing to put their pencils down and close their test booklets. • Stop time must be recorded on the seating chart.

6. Start and Stop Times Test Administrator “SAY” Directions • Distribution of materials and the test administrator “SAY” directions are not included in the four-hour time limit. Announcement of Time Left to Test • Communicate (orally or in writing) the amount of time left to test in one-hour intervals and, if desired, in shorter intervals during the last hour.

7. Start and Stop Time Late-Arriving Students • Campus will need to determine if a late-arriving student will have time to test during that school day or if the student needs to test on a make-up day. • Each student must be allowed four hours in which to take the test. Students who begin testing after others have started will have a later stop time. • Late-arriving students must be kept aware of the time they have left to test.

8. Start and Stop Time Breaks • Breaks are allowed. Some are included in the time limit; others allow the test administrator to stop the testing time for the group or for an individual student. Breaks are classified in two ways: • Breaks included in the four-hour time limit (not allowed to stop the time clock) • water breaks, bathroom breaks, snack breaks, and short physical or mental breaks • Breaks NOT included in the four-hour time limit (required to stop and restart the time clock) • Lunch • emergency situations that significantly interrupt testing • consolidation and movement of students to another testing area • medical breaks to the nurse Campuses should be aware that the time clock will stop for students who go to the nurse for medical reasons. The test administrator must document the time the student stops and restarts the test and must make the student aware of his or her adjusted testing time.

9. Start and Stop Time Lunch • Students may stop testing to take a supervised lunch. • The testing time must be stopped for a lunch break and will restart when students resume taking the test. • Students must place their answer documents inside their test booklets so that all secure materials can be collected and placed in locked storage. • Students must be monitored by trained testing personnel and are not allowed to discuss any test content during lunch.

10. Accommodations

11. Optional Test Administration Procedures The following list represents the only optional test administration procedures and materials for all students. All Students NOT Every Student • preferential seating • special lighting conditions • signing or translating test administration directions • reading test out loud to self • scratch paper • reading aloud or signing the writing prompt • minimizing distractions (such as stress ball or instrumental music) • colored overlays • magnifying devices • blank place markers • Highlighters, colored pencils, and/or crayons Refer to Optional Test Administration Procedures and Material document for additional information

12. Extended Time Accommodations Extended Time Accommodations • Extended time accommodations fall into two categories: • extra time (same day) • eligible students with disabilities and ELLs. • Students should start at the beginning of the school day and be allowed to test up to the end of the regularly scheduled school day if needed. • extra day (RARE) • ARF Required and must be approved by TEA • Special procedures and guidelines for testing over multiple days will be provided with approved requests. • If approved students will be permitted to test over two full regularly scheduled consecutive school days. • Students taking a two-day test (Eng I, Eng II, Eng III) will be permitted to test over three full regularly scheduled consecutive school days.

13. Types of Accommodations (Accommodations Triangle) • Be aware of the accommodations your student will be receiving. (Determined by ARD, 504 or RTI) • Type 1—available for students who have a specific need and who routinely, independently, and effectively use the accommodation during classroom instruction and testing; not necessary to submit an Accommodation Request Form to TEA • Type 2—includes the requirements of Type 1, along with additional specific eligibility criteria; not necessary to submit an Accommodation Request Form to TEA • Type 3—requires the submission and approval of an Accommodation Request Form to TEA

14. STAAR L Overview

15. STAAR L Overview • The LPAC makes and documents decisions about linguistic accommodations on an individual student basis. • ELLs with a disability may also be eligible for accommodations related to their disabling condition. • STAAR L will be an Online Assessment

17. Test Security and Confidentiality Requirements

18. Test Security Involves accounting for all secure materials and confidential student information before, during, and after each test administration.

19. Test Security • Place secure material in secure, limited-access, locked storage • Collect and destroy any recordings, graph paper, scratch paper, or state-supplied reference materials that students have written on during the test

20. Confidentiality Requirements • Before handling secure test materials, all testing personnel who meet the requirements to participate in state testing must undergo training and must sign the appropriate security oath affirming that they understand what is considered confidential. • All tests must be administered in strict accordance with the instructions contained in the test administration materials.

21. Confidentiality Requirements • No person may view, reveal, or discuss the contents of a test booklet before, during, or after a test administration unless specifically authorized to do so by the procedures outlined in the test administration materials. If circumstances necessitate that a test booklet be examined, permission MUST first be obtained from TEA. • No person may duplicate, print, record, write notes about, or capture by any electronic means any portion of a secure assessment instrument without prior approval from TEA. Districts may not duplicate and retain student compositions and/or short-answer responses. • No individuals other than students during an assessment may perform calculations, solve, or respond to test items.

22. test Security and Confidentiality Requirements • Test administrators conducting an oral administration must be aware that they are viewing secure content, and that responding to test items, recording the information they see, or discussing the content of the test at any time is strictly prohibited. As a reminder of this obligation, individuals who give an oral administration of a test are required to sign a separate section of the test administrator’s oath. • Individuals who are authorized to conduct test administration procedures that involve viewing secure statewide assessments have an added responsibility of maintaining confidentiality. These procedures include but are not limited to oral administration, transcribing student responses from the test booklet, and particular linguistic accommodations. As a reminder of this responsibility, these individuals are required to specifically confirm compliance with state confidentiality requirements by initialing and signing additional statements on the security oath. • No person may review or discuss student responses during or after a test administration unless specifically authorized to do so by the procedures outlined in the test administration materials.

23. Testing Irregularities Incidents resulting in a deviation from documented testing procedures are defined as testing irregularities and are viewed by TEA as falling into one of two categories. 1) Serious Irregularities • Procedural Irregularities Review Test Administrator Manual for additional Information.

24. Violation of Security and Confidentiality of Assessments Conduct that constitutes a severe violation of test administration procedures (serious irregularities) may include the actions listed below. • Viewing a test before, during, or after an assessment unless specifically directed to do so • Duplicating secure material • Disclosing the contents of any portion of a secure test

25. Violation of Security and Confidentiality of Assessments Conduct that constitutes a severe violation … (cont.) • Assisting an examinee with a response • Providing an examinee with an answer to a test question (this includes suggesting that the examinee review or change his or her response) • Changing or altering an examinee’s response • Encouraging an individual to participate in any of the events listed above • Failing to report to an appropriate authority that an individual engaged in any of the events listed above

26. SecuritySupplement Penalties for Violation of Security and Confidentiality of Assessments Penalties for participation in a serious violation of test security or confidentiality may include the following reprimands. • Placement of restrictions on the issuance, renewal, or holding of a Texas teacher certificate • Issuance of an inscribed or non-inscribed reprimand • Suspension of Texas teacher certificate • Revocation or cancellation of a Texas teacher certificate

27. Testing Irregularities Each person participating in the state assessment program is directly responsible for reporting immediately any violation or suspected violation of test security or confidentiality. Campus staff should notify their campus or district testing coordinator if they witness an irregularity or suspect one has occurred. District testing coordinators will notify TEAof any Incidents reported.

28. Training

29. Training • All test administrators are required to receive annual training in test security, general testing procedures, and procedures unique to specific testing circumstances. • Your campus coordinator will schedule and conduct your training session before testing begins. Topics may include the following: • test administrator roles and responsibilities • test security • scheduling test administrations • preparing for test administrations • testing with accommodations • precodedlabels and answer documents • ensuring the submission of appropriate answer documents • new or revised elements on answer documents • completing Class, Campus and Group, and Voided Answer Document Identification (ID) sheets • returning materials

30. Receive Your User ID and Password for the Texas Assessment Management System for STAAR L Online Testing, if Applicable • Your campus or district coordinator will create your role-specific user account. • Your login information will give you access to both paper and online testing functions and will ensure that you see only the data and functions that you need.

31. Review Resources for STAAR L Online Testing • Access and review the User’s Guide for the Texas Assessment Management System to become familiar with information about how to set up and manage test sessions. • Access and review the following training resources: • The Practice Center mirrors the operational Assessment Management System and simulates all activities related to managing test sessions. • The Texas-Specific Testing Tools Tutorial includes all the tools that may appear in online tests. These are located on the Assessment Management System Practice Center. • The STAAR L tutorial allows students to practice using the linguistic accommodation tools and become familiar with other tools available in TestNav. The tutorial is available on the STAAR L Resources webpage.

32. Web-based Test Administrator Training Complete Web-Based Test Administrator Training Modules (Campus Decision to make it mandatory) • The modules can be taken in either a group or individual setting and take about an hour to complete. Topics covered in the training course include the following: • active monitoring • distribution of test materials • proper handling of secure materials http://texas.testsecuritytraining.com/

33. Prepare for Testing

34. Prepare the Testing Environment • Testing rooms should be well lighted, well ventilated, quiet, and comfortable. • Each student must have enough space in which to work, and no characteristic of the room’s environment should hinder any student’s test performance. • Each student should be sufficiently separated from other students to work without distraction. • A “Testing—Do Not Disturb” sign should be posted outside the testing room. • Bulletin boards and instructional displays that might be a source of direct answers must be covered or removed during testing. Any rooms in which students may be relocated must also be prepared. • A clock or stop watch must be available to monitor the four-hour time period.

35. Prepare the Testing Environment • To support test security for online administrations, test administrators should make a determined effort to prevent students from seeing one another’s monitors. This may include providing an obstruction such as a manila folder taped to both sides of each monitor or a cardboard carrel placed around each computer. • Ensure that there is one pair of headphones per student for administrations of STAAR L in which multiple students are testing in the same room.

36. Review Testing Rosters to Ensure Students Are Appropriately Placed • Because some assessments are administered in a window, districts must maintain a schedule specifying which assessments are being administered on which date. • Students taking STAAR, STAAR L, and STAAR Modified administrations may be grouped across programs, grades, and subject areas or courses in some cases. • Organize test sessions in which students are given different tests (STAAR, STAAR L, STAAR Modified) in a way that keeps students from being confused or disturbed by differences in directions read aloud or accommodations provided. • A student who uses certain testing accommodations may need to complete the test in a separate setting to eliminate distractions to other students and to ensure the confidentiality of the test. Testing in a separate setting for this purpose is not considered the Individual or Small-Group Administration accommodation. • The STAAR assessments have a four-hour time limit. Schedule four hours for each test session unless the test administration is for students receiving an extended time accommodation to complete the test.

37. Prepare ELLs for Testing with Linguistic Accommodations • All ELLs • Prior to reading the administration directions aloud, be sure that students have any materials needed for their linguistic accommodations (e.g., a bilingual dictionary). • Put ELLs who have been in the U.S. for a short period of time at ease by telling them to do their best but not to worry if they have difficulty. The test will be used to help them as they learn more English. • ELLs taking STAAR and STAAR Modified • Talk to students who will be receiving linguistic accommodations ahead of time to let them know how their test session will be conducted and the types of • assistance they are eligible to receive. Though students should be familiar with using the accommodations in instruction, you may need to review particulars about using them in a standardized testing situation. • Keep in mind that the administration directions you will read aloud before the test assume that you have already talked to students about their particular linguistic accommodations. • ELLs taking STAAR L • It is recommended that students taking STAAR L complete an online tutorial prior to testing. The STAAR L tutorial allows students to practice using the linguistic accommodation tools and become familiar with other tools available in TestNav. The tutorial is available on the STAAR L Resources webpage.

38. Prepare ELLs for Testing with Linguistic Accommodations • In isolated situations in which completing an assessment is not in the best interest of a student (e.g., a newly arrived ELL who knows too little English), the campus coordinator, in conjunction with other appropriate personnel, may make the determination to submit the test for scoring without requiring the student to complete the test. Such circumstances should be documented and communicated to the student’s parents after the test administration.

39. Ready Seating Charts for Each Test Administration • Seating charts must include the names of students testing and the students’ locations in the room. • The names of all test administrators/monitors involved in the session must be included on the seating chart. (To include monitors that cover TA during breaks) • Additional seating charts must be made available for students who could be moved to another room during testing. • Ensure that there is a place to record start and stop times on the seating chart.

40. Prepare Test Materials for Distribution • Test administrators must ensure that the required materials described below are available on the day of testing. • two No. 2 pencils with erasers per student • one test booklet per student • one answer document per student • one copy of the test booklet for the test administrator (if applicable) • Any additional TEA-authorized materials needed for administering the test • Be aware of Dictionary and Calculator Policy • Refer to Dictionary Policy document • Refer to Calculator Policy document

41. Prepare Test Materials for Distribution • Reference materials (e.g., formulas, conversions, etc.) and graph paper for STAAR mathematics assessments are included in the test booklets. These materials are printed on perforated pages so that students can remove them and use them during the test administration.

42. Monitor Testing

43. Ensure Proper Testing Procedures • A trained test administrator must be present in the testing room at all times during the administration. • There must be at least one test administrator for every 30 students. • Make sure that all desks are cleared of books and other materials that are not required for the test. • The use of cell phones and/or other personal electronic devices are not permitted during testing. • Test administrators must actively monitor the testing room while students are working. Test administrators should confirm that students are working only on the subject-area test being administered that day and that they do not have access to nonallowed materials, such as cell phones and/or other personal electronic devices that allow Internet access.

44. Ensure Proper Testing Procedures • Students should be reminded periodically to record their responses on their answer documents. A student’s responses must be recorded on the answer document within the four-hour time period. Test administrators may say, • “Remember that you must record your responses on the answer document. Be sure to erase any stray marks that you might have accidentally made on your answer document.” However, test administrators may not view or discuss individual test items or responses. • It is permissible to encourage students to stay on task. • Only students are allowed to erase their stray marks or darken answer-choice circles, and only during the scheduled test session. • Reinforcing, reviewing for, and/or distributing testing strategies during an assessment is strictly prohibited. Providing this type of assistance to students may result in the invalidation of their tests and may compromise the assurance that all students are equitably tested in accordance with the guidelines for standardized assessments.

45. Ensure Proper Testing Procedures • Students must remain seated during testing. Students are not allowed to talk to one another while test booklets are open. • Students are not allowed to return to a subject-area test administered on a previous test day. • Communicate (orally or in writing) the amount of time left to test in one-hour intervals and, if desired, in shorter intervals during the last hour. • Students will not be permitted to record answers on the answer document after the time limit has ended.

46. Ensure Proper Testing Procedures • For instructions for administering braille and large-print tests, refer to the General Instructions for Administering Braille and Large-Print Statewide Assessments document. • Each student must be allowed four hours in which to take the test. The decision to allow a student who arrives after testing has begun to participate in testing will be made by the campus testing coordinator. The decision will be based on whether the student has sufficient time left in the day to complete the test and if the student has not had contact with students who have already finished testing. • Accommodations for extra time (same day) or an extra day are available for students who meet eligibility requirements for their use. For complete information about accommodations, refer to the Accommodation Resources webpage. • For students needing the large-print accommodation, refer to the Accommodation Resources webpage. • For instructions for administering tests to students who are deaf or hard of hearing, refer to the General Instructions for Administering Statewide Assessments to Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing document. • If students with disabilities use accommodations during testing, ensure that the accommodations are available and prepared well before testing begins.

47. Writing Tests Ensure the procedures below are followed during the writing test. • The test administrator may read aloud or sign the personal narrative, expository, literary, or persuasive writing prompt to any student who requests this assistance. The English III analytical prompt may never be read aloud to any student. • Reading or discussing student compositions is not allowed at any time. • If students are typing responses, features such as spell-check and word predictability must be disabled unless the student is eligible for the spelling assistance accommodation. • At no time before, during, or after the administration of the test are test administrators permitted to assist students with their written compositions. • The test administrator must not do the following: • elaborate on the prompts • give students an opening and/or closing sentence • give students an outline for organizing their compositions • give students ideas about how to develop their compositions • translate the prompts into another language (except sign language)

48. Answering Students’ Questions • Test administrators may answer questions about test directions or procedures. • Test administrators are never allowed to answer any questions related to the content of the test itself. If a student asks a question that you are not permitted to answer, you may respond, for example, “I can’t answer that for you; just do the best you can.” • Test administrators and campus personnel are not allowed to do the following unless specifically directed to do so by test administration procedures: • translate test questions or passages (including the written composition prompt) into another language (except sign language) • rephrase or add information to questions or the prompt • discuss test questions with anyone before, during, or after testing • score test questions or discuss with students how they performed

49. Collect Test Materials • Some students may finish testing earlier than others. After their test materials have been collected, students may be allowed to quietly read or to leave the testing room. • Before a student leaves the room, the test administrator must review the completed answer document to be sure the student has recorded answers as instructed. If the student has not done so and time remains in the four-hour time period, the test administrator must say, “You have not recorded all of your responses on the answer document. Please go back and mark your answers on it now.” The testing materials should then be returned so that the student may record his or her answers. • Test administrators should quickly scan answer documents only to verify that responses are marked. • Test administrators may not look at or comment on answers to individual test questions or point out individually skipped test questions. • Test responses, which include the written composition, multiple-choice questions, and griddable questions, cannot be scored unless they appear on an answer document. Transcription may be needed due to a damaged answer document or due to a student having a temporary or permanent disabling condition. If you have to perform a transcription, contact your campus coordinator.

50. Complete Administration Process