Best Practices For State Mandated Student Assessment

1. Best Practices For State Mandated Student Assessment

2. Best Practices • Prior to Receiving Test Materials in the School • After Receiving Materials • During Testing • After Completion of Testing

3. Prior to Receiving Test Materials • School Test Coordinator (STC) Administrator • Supervisory authority • Evaluation and Reporting authority • Assistant School Test Coordinator (Asst. STC) Certified Personnel

4. Prior to Receiving Test Materials • Training of School Test Coordinators From System Test Coordinator At same time Includes: • State Assessment Handbook of policies and procedures • Local system policies and procedures • Specific upcoming test procedures • Materials to train school personnel • Confidentiality/security requirements

5. Prior to Receiving Test Materials 4. Training of Test Examiners, Proctors, and Monitors Program and Schedule • Each group at same time • Same instructions • Q & A • Done immediately prior to test administration • Previous training or previously giving the test does NOT substitute for current training. • Emphasize changes but review all instructions • Extra personnel in each group

6. Prior to Receiving Test Materials 4. Training of Test Examiners, Proctors, and Monitors Agendas, training materials, confidentiality forms • File copies • Verifies complete training Sign in/out sheets • Date & time stamp

7. Prior to Receiving Test Materials 4. Training of Test Examiners (TE), Proctors, and Monitors Roles and responsibilities • What to look for • What they can and cannot do • When and how to address issues/incidents • Where they will be assigned

8. Prior to Receiving Test Materials 5. Testing rosters for each testing site List students, Test Examiner, and Proctor TE and Proctors cannot test relatives TE and Proctors should not test in grade level of immediate relatives Change roster daily if needed 6. Master list of students and accommodations needed Signed by STC and Sp. Ed. Dept./ELL/504 designee

9. Prior to Receiving Test Materials 7. Train accommodation Test Examiners Second training Explain accommodations How to give “Oral Reading” • Detailed instructions on how to read • Number of times • Q and/or A choices • Regular classroom instruction • Practice • Tone and voice inflections

10. Prior to Receiving Test Materials 7. Train accommodation Test Examiners Roster with accommodations for examiner Test Examiner signs & dates accommodation notification Student must receive accommodation in plan Changes by STC only • Signed by STC • Dated by STC • Confirmed by department designee • Teachers cannot make changes alone

11. Prior to Receiving Test Materials • Secure storage area for test material Limited access Locked at all times Keys controlled by principal Limited number of keys • Security procedure for transporting test material System to school & school to system Date and time stamp

12. Best Practices After Receiving Test Materials in the School

13. After Receiving Test Materials • Integrity of secured storage area Keys signed in/out with dates and times. Purpose of entrance STC or designee in area with staff member • Two+ people present when verifying, counting or sorting test materials No one alone with test materials Sign in/out with date, time, purpose 12. Manually count packages comparing to invoice. Report discrepancies to System TC

14. After Receiving Test Materials • Manually count contents of each package Packages remain intact until testing Count booklet spines through shrink wrap Answer document count Label packages with correct numbers When sorting for testing sites verify package count again Notify System TC of discrepancies • Cease specific test prep/review activities Avoid appearance of wrong doing Lesson plans validate instruction schedule

15. After Receiving Test Materials 15. Prepare containers for each testing site Exact number needed by examiner • Lessens opportunity for loss • Reduces chance of examiner reading test Maintain test security and limited access Pull test booklets for “oral reading” Kept in secured area when not in use Keep booklet order as mandated by testing directions

16. After Receiving Test Materials 15. Prepare containers for each testing site Inventory form giving material count on each item Test Examiner verifies or corrects count • Done with STC or designee • Done daily upon check out and return • TE signs with date and time. • Once signed, TE responsible for returning exact count to STC

17. After Receiving Test Materials • Teachers remove/cover all instructional materials • Walls, desks, cabinets, boards, etc. • Done at least week prior to testing 17. Student desks/tables to discourage communication and cheating among students • Use of dividers/partitions for tables and computer stations • Develop plan for discouraging communication among facing students. • Done at least week prior to testing

18. After Receiving Test Materials • Principals verify instructional materials removed, appropriate desk arrangements, and windows uncovered. • Done 1 or 2 days prior to test administration

19. After Receiving Test Materials 19. Schedule all test sites in areas for easy access by Monitors. • Schedule Hall Monitors for availability to test sites on a regular patrol. • Sign system for when assistance is needed

20. Best Practices During Testing

21. During Testing 22. Provide pencils to students Erasers non-smearing or non-smudging #2 non-mechanical 23. Roster signed by student giving book and form number of his/her test booklet Done first day before testing TE verifies numbers Student/TE verifies daily

22. During Testing • Student information accurately bubbled and printed on answer document. • Student name on doc first day of testing • Student labels • Start /stop time recorded of each testing session and/or section. • Done by each TE • Logs if too much or too little time given 26. Ensure script (instructions for students in the manual)read exactly as directed and no deviations

23. During Testing • Test Examiners and Proctors walk & monitor students routinely • Stops situation before a problem • No computer use or grading papers by TE • Discourages TE from note taking on test Q & A • Keeps everyone’s focus on testing process • No phone usage or texting by Examiners or Proctors during testing • TE maintains Incident Log Sheet • Safeguard for examiner • More info the better • Details of what happened which might impact test scores • Administrator review daily • Look for improvements needed • Initial daily to prohibit changes in future

24. During Testing • Transcribing Form when student’s answers must be transferred to new document • Reasons: erasure holes, soiled or torn answer document, excessive smearing, etc. • Protection for transcribers • Student transfers answers, if possible, and signs form • If adults, then transcriber and witness who verifies sign • STC, Asst. STC, and/or administrator witness • Always use certified personnel for transferring 30. Instruct Test Examiners, Proctors, and Monitors NOT to read a student test unless they are providing an “oral reading” exam or a Braille administration.

25. During Testing • Report student test booklet problem to the STC immediately. STC needs to verify form and level for replacement if book is to be exchanged. • Instruct Test Examiners, Proctors, and Monitors NOT to discuss test questions or answers with anyone, including students. 33. Report any concern about a test Q & A to the STC who will relay the information to the System TC who will notify GaDOE.

26. During Testing • Monitors enter testing sites routinely Protection of TE Verifies that testing protocol and procedures are being followed. Ensures students have fair and equal test administration

27. During Testing • School personnelshould NOT be in the building at night, on weekends, or on holidays while testing materials are in the building. Protection of personnel against allegations Includes STC, Asst. STC, and Administrators If must be in building, then ensure that no access to testing materials is possible or occurs.

28. During Testing • TE contacts the STC immediately if any situation arises that might impact test results. • STC contacts the Principal immediately if any situation arises that might impact test results. Principal ultimately responsible STC and Principal responsible for notifying System TC A designee must be assigned and announced to TE’s if STC /Principal will not be present on day of test.

29. During Testing • Each day announce to students and staff what test or test section will be completed that day. • Make-up testing must be done using the same testing procedures as the original testing. Monitor Accommodations Individual testing situations

30. Best Practices After Testing

31. After Testing 40. Test document cleanup done in group setting with the STC. Stray marks need to be erased. (Group setting) TE clean up documents of students other than the ones they test or teach. If major cleanup, then have witness and verification. Sign in/out of those present (date and time beginning and ending) 41. Testing materials should be collected and verified promptly after each testing session. Gives immediate verification of missing materials Protects TE if counts are correct

32. After Testing 42. Keep materials secured until return to System. 43. Return testing materials to System via secure procedure as soon as possible and document date and time for departure and arrival.

33. After Testing • Testing materials collected by system and counts verified for return to state/companies. • Materials returned from schools signed for and dated with time by a System TC or his/her designee and placed into the system’s inventory. 46. Package answer documents and note on master list the box number with a list of classes submitted in that box.

34. After Testing 47. Package testing materials for return recording the box number and what materials are returned in that box. Include book numbers Gives info for company when shipment lost Can compare shipping weights and billing to verify 48. If school is responsible for packaging materials for return to state/companies, then the system should spot check matching numbers and recorded contents for accuracy. 49. Assure that all shipping directions and time lines are followed.

35. After Testing 50. Test documents ready for shipping maintained in secure location, never "left at main desk" for pickup. • Procedure for the STC or School Administrator to sign for student scores (hard copy and electronic) when given to school Encourages/emphasizes security and confidentiality Serves as time stamp when scores were received 52. Procedure to distribute test scores to schools, teachers, and parents to ensure the protection of individual student test scores based on confidentiality laws and requirements

36. After Testing • Electronic files should be kept in secured manner with confidentiality stressed. Limited access on computer Safeguards on servers or individual computers 54. Retain all testing rosters, lists, signatures, agendas, sign-in/out sheets, logs, and other system/school materials for documentation purposes.

37. After Testing 55. Principal’s Certification Form After each test administration Kept at system level for 5 years Documentation attached • Superintendent’s Certification Forms due Jan. 30th and July 31st.