201 2 Campus General Test Administrator Training TAKS, TAKS-Acc, TAKS-M

1. 2012 Campus General Test Administrator TrainingTAKS, TAKS-Acc, TAKS-M {date}, 2012 Trainer – {trainer name} Galena Park Independent School District

2. This PowerPoint does not eliminate your requirement to read and understand the general and specific Test Administrator Manuals. READ THE MANUALS!! Get the message?

3. Campus Test Administrator Responsibilities TAKS STATE TESTING TAKS Accom

4. Test Administrator Responsibilities • Read the TAKS Test Administrator Manual • Attend training conducted by your campus test coordinator. • Receive secure testing materials from your campus test coordinator. • Observe all rules regarding test security and confidential integrity of the state testing system. • Administer the tests in strict compliance with the directions in the TAKS Test Administrator Manual. • Supervise and actively monitor testing. • Do not provide any unauthorized assistance to students during testing. • Do not view the test, discuss the test, or score a student test either before, during, or after testing.

5. Test Administrator Responsibilities • Mark the appropriate score code and test taken information code for each student test administered. • Return all testing materials to the campus test coordinator immediately after students finish testing. • Report testing irregularities and security violations immediately to your campus test coordinator. • Prepare statements for submission to TEA if you are involved in a testing irregularity or test security violation.

6. Test Security Successful Testing Begins and Ends with Good Test Security and Confidential Integrity

7. Test Security Objectives • Account for all secure materials before, during, and after each test administration. • Protect the contents of all tests booklets and student answer documents. Important Goals!

8. Properly Controlling Secure Testing Materials • Secure materials must be stored under lock and key with limited access when not in use. • Never leave secure materials unsecured in your room. • Test administrators will check out secure testing materials on the morning of testing from the campus testing coordinator and will return them immediately when students finish testing.

9. Protecting Test Content Top Secret • No person my view, reveal, or discuss the contents of a test or answer document unless specifically instructed to do so by the procedures in the test administrator manuals. • No person providing an oral administration, or TAKS-M reading administration may write notes, calculations, or any other marks in a test booklet or in any other location.

10. Protecting Test Content • Secure materials may not be duplicated by test administrators. • Seals on test booklets may only be broken during testing sessions and only by persons authorized to do so in the instructions. • No person may answer verbally or nonverbally any question that relates to the contents of a test before, during, or after a test administration. • No person may review or discuss student responses during or after testing unless specifically authorized to do so by the procedures in the TA manuals.

11. Testing Procedures Related to Test Security and Confidentiality • All tests must be administered in strict accordance with the manuals. • No person may change any student response or instruct a student to do so. • Districts must actively monitor testing sessions and require test administrators to actively monitor during testing. • Only students can erase stray marks or darken response ovals on their answer documents or in their scorable test booklets and only during the testing session.

12. Testing Procedures Related to Test Security and Confidentiality • There must be a trained test administrator present with students one-hundred percent of the time until students complete testing and submit their answer documents to the test administrator. • This includes breaks and lunch.

13. Test AdministratorSecurity Oaths • TEA requires that everyone be trained and sign a security oath before handling secure testing materials or participating in the administration of a state test. • There is one TA oath; • TA General Oath {only one per year and signed after annual general training but, before handling any secure testing materials or administering a state-mandated assessment}

14. A new test administrator oath • Sign sections after receiving training but, before handling secure materials or administering a state-mandated assessment. • TAs responsible for oral administration, transcribing answer student responses, and particular linguistic accommodations will need to fill out the last section.

15. Active Monitoring • Monitoring during test administrations is the responsibility of the test administrator, the campus test coordinator, and the campus principal. • Teachers are required to actively monitor students during testing. • Principals and Campus Test Coordinators will actively monitor testing sessions at their campus.

16. What Is Active Monitoring? Watching students during testing. The focus of the teacher’s attention is on the students and not elsewhere. • Walking around to better observe what students are doing. • Are students; working on correct section of test, marking answers on the answer document, not cheating, not using cell phones, not talking or communicating with other students, etc.?

17. What is NOT Active Monitoring? • Anything that takes the test administrator’s attention away from the students during testing. Examples include; • Working on the computer or doing email. • Reading a book, magazine, or newspaper. • Grading papers or doing lesson planning. • Leaving the room without a trained substitute test administrator in the room. • Leaving students unattended during lunch or breaks. • Be sure to not read the test content over a student’s shoulder and do not examine specific student responses during testing, since doing these will be a test security violation committed while active monitoring.

18. Cell Phones • The use of cell phones or other two-way communication devices is prohibited during testing for students and test administrators. • The reason is that cell phones can…. • disrupt the testing environment, • be used to cheat by obtaining unauthorized assistance on test content by students, and can • be used to image secure tests and compromise the confidentiality of the test with their camera feature by students and teachers.

19. Seating Chart Rule • Seating Charts are required for all test administrations. Seating Charts must include: • Location of testing session (campus, room) and a brief description of the testing area (classroom, library, broom closet, etc.) • The assessment being given including grade and subject. • The first and last names of the test administrator(s). • The first and last names of each student and where they were seated for testing. • Student unique identifier (local or PEIMS number)- ask your campus testing coordinator which number to use. • Student test booklet number. • For TAKS, there is NOT a 4-hour time limit!!! • If students are re-grouped during testing an additional seating chart will be needed for the new group. The new seating chart should indicate the time students were regrouped.

20. Honor Statements • Students in grades 10-12 will be asked to sign an honor statement immediately prior to taking TAKS and TAKS-M assessments. The language will appear on the answer document. Sign it in pencil. By signing my name, I agree that I will not give or receive unauthorized assistance during the test. I understand that giving or receiving unauthorized assistance during the test is cheating and may result in the invalidation of my test results. • The test security supplement contains a sample letter to parents regarding the honor statement. • Test administrators are not required to check to make sure students sign their honor pledges.

21. On-Site Monitoring by TEA • TEA will again be conducting on-site visits to districts and campuses throughout the 2012 testing year. • TEA uses independent test monitors. • The monitors will show up unannounced. • If we are administering state testing in strict accordance with the manuals then we have nothing to worry about from state monitors. • The state monitors will only be one more person monitoring your testing room. Your testing room will be monitored by your principal, your campus testing coordinator, and possibly a central office testing monitor even if the state monitors do not visit Galena Park ISD.

22. Departures from Test Administration Procedures • Incidents resulting in a deviation from documented testing procedures are defined as testing irregularities. • Each person participating in the testing program is responsible for reporting immediately to the district testing coordinator any violation or suspected violation of test security or confidentially, including all testing irregularities.

23. Serious Testing Irregularities • Testing irregularities that constitute a disclosure of secure testing materials or altering student results either directly or indirectly are considered serious. • Examples include; • Viewing the test before, during, or after testing unless authorized by the testing procedures. • Scoring student tests. • Discussing secure test content or student responses. • Copying or photographing secure testing materials without permission by TEA • Directly or Indirectly assisting students during testing. • Tampering with student responses on answer documents.

24. Penalties for Prohibited Conduct • Placement of restrictions on the issuance, renewal, or holding of a Texas educator certificate, either indefinitely or for a set term; • Issuance of an inscribed or non-inscribed reprimand; • Suspension of a Texas educator certificate for a set term; or • Revocation or cancellation of a Texas educator certificate without opportunity for reapplication for a set term or permanently. • Possible criminal prosecution under TEC ξ39.0303, Section 552.352 of the Texas Government Code, and Section 37.10 of the Texas Penal Code.

25. Using Paraprofessionals • TEA does allow school districts to use noncertified paraprofessionals who are employed by the district and routinely work with students in the classroom. • The district must identify a certified staff member who will be responsible for supervising the paraprofessional. • If a violation of test security or confidentiality occurs under this circumstance, then the supervising certified professional is subject to the penalties. • Must complete and retain a district noncertified paraprofessional testing oath.

26. Web-based Test Administrator Training Modules • TEA has developed three training modules that address test security issues. They are available at www.TexasAssessment.com/TAonlinetraining • Topics addressed: • Active Monitoring • Distribution of Test Materials • Proper Handling of Secure Materials • The modules show common errors, demonstrate correct procedures, and establish expectations for each topic. • All individuals who will have access to the secure testing environment or to students who are still testing will need to view these modules as well as receive general and administration-specific test administrator training.

27. Test Schedule and Directions • All tests must be administered on the scheduled day. • All tests must be administered in strict accordance with the instructions contained in the test administration manuals.

28. Galena Park ISD Testing Calendar

29. Make Up Testing • There are no make up tests for TAKS Exit Level

30. Answer Documents

31. One Answer Document • There is one answer document used for all TAKS Exit Level testing

32. Coding the Answer Documents • Mark ONE score code for each test that is included on the answer document. • Your campus test coordinator will take care of coding the accommodations and verifying the demographic coding on the front of the answer document is correct.

33. Duplication of Written Compositions • Do Not duplicate any written compositions- this is no longer allowable!!!

34. Test Administration Procedures

35. Testing Guidelines • Tests must be administered on the dates specified in the State Testing Calendar of Events. • At least one test administrator for every 30 students. • “Testing – Do Not Disturb” signs posted on testing rooms. • Testing rooms should be quiet, well lighted, well ventilated, and comfortable. • Bulletin Boards and instructional displays covered or removed if it contains anything that might aid students during testing.

36. Testing Procedures • Do not allow students to bubble in the demographic fields on the front of the answer document. • No cell phones or other two-way telecommunication devices (students or teachers). • Must give students state-supplied math chart and science chart. • Students may use highlighters in non-scorable test booklets.

37. Testing Procedures • No scratch paper for any TAKS testing (except as an accommodation or for an online test). • Test administrators are not allowed to answer any question relating to the content of the test itself. • Test administrators must actively monitor students during testing. • Test administrators cannot leave the room unless a trained substitute test administrator is present. • May change testing rooms as long as test security is not breached.

38. Testing Procedures • Reinforcing, reviewing, and/or distributing testing strategies during an assessment is strictly prohibited. • You cannot require students to use any particular test taking strategy. Students can use test taking strategies but you cannot require them to do so during the testing. This includes first marking answers in test booklet and then transferring them later to the answer document. • Students must be allowed to work (not sleep) at their own pace. Students may not be directed to speed up or slow down.

39. Testing Procedures • Students must remain seated during testing and are not allowed to talk while test booklets are open. • Students are not allowed to work on a previous section of the test or a section that has not yet been administered. • Brief breaks in the testing room are allowed at the discretion of the test administrator. • Lunch breaks are permitted, however students must remain as a group and be monitored by a trained test administrator so they do not discuss the test.

40. Time Requirementsfor Testing • All TAKS tests are untimed. Each student must be allowed to have as much time as necessary to respond to every test item.

41. Dictionaries and Thesauruses • It is required to provide English-language dictionaries and thesauruses to students for the following TAKS or TAKS Acc.tests. • TAKS ELA – reading and composition portions of test, not revising and editing. • Foreign language dictionaries not permitted. • At least 1 dictionary for every 5 students. • May provide ESL dictionaries for LEP students.

42. Calculator Use • Must provide each student a graphing calculator for their entire grade 10-11 math test. (TAKS, TAKS Acc.) • Must provide a four-function, scientific, or graphing calculator for science tests. At least 1 calculator for every 5 students. • It is allowable for students to use their own calculators. • Districts are required to ensure that all calculator memory is cleared and all additional applications are disabled for testing.

43. After Testing Procedures • The test administrator must inspect the answer document to be sure the student bubbled in answers as instructed. This is also the last time to have students erase stray marks and darken answer choices if needed. • After student testing materials are collected, students may be allowed to quietly read books or leave the testing room. (Must not disturb others still testing.) • Immediately after each test session, the test administrator must return all test materials to the campus coordinator.

44. Testing Accommodations

45. Testing Accommodations • Accommodations are practices and procedures that provide equitable access during instruction and assessments for students with special needs. • Accommodations are intended to reduce or even eliminate the effects of a student’s disability or limitation; however, they do not reduce learning expectations. • The accommodation must be documented in the IEP or IAP for the student and must be used in regular instruction and assessment for the student.

46. Testing Accommodations • Your Campus Testing Coordinator will give you specific directions and additional instructions if you will be administering TAKS tests with special accommodations. • Test administrators must be familiar with oral administrations and dyslexia bundled accommodations since these two accommodations are the most commonly used. • TEA has produced an Accommodations Manual that provides more detailed information about all testing accommodations.

47. Oral Administration • Available for eligible special education students on TAKS and TAKS Accommodated. • Available for only Math, Science, and Social Studies. Not reading, writing or ELA tests. • Encompasses different levels of reading support. Must be documented in IEP. Students may change level of support during testing only if this option is documented for that student. • The Test Administrator needs a copy of the test booklet. • Must maintain test security and confidential integrity. (Needs additional training and additional signature on security oath when the teacher is reading the test as part of the test administration.)

48. Returning Testing Materials • Verify that no answer documents have inadvertently been left in test booklets. • Make sure that any transcribing that is required for special testing situations has been done. Remember that “Transcribed by” and “Reason” must be recorded on the top of all transcribed answer documents.

49. You have now completed the annual General TAKS Test Administrator Training for 2012.