Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) Administrator Training

1. Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA)Administrator Training CLICK HERE!!!!

2. General Overview and Important Information - DRC Important Dates - DRC The Assessment - DRC Returning Materials - DRC Planning for the Assessment - PDE Participation and Exceptions to Participation - PDE Administering the Assessment - PDE PDE Policy - PDE Test Security – PDE AYP – PDE Agenda

3. General Overview for 2011 • All policy decisions come from PDE • All PSSA logistics are the responsibility of DRC and include Grades 3 – 8 and 11 Reading and Mathematics, Grades 4, 8, and 11 Science, Grades 5, 8, and 11 Writing, and the Grade 12 Retest • Reporting – DRC manages the Parent Letters, District Student Data files, ISRs, and all eMetric deliverables (data interaction, online summary reports)

4. Today’s Training Highlights New this year, Important Information and Dates Administering the Assessment Participation, Attributions, Accommodations Test Security AYP General Overview

5. New this year: PSSA – Modified for Reading and Science Audio CDs – Must have PDE approval before DRC can ship any Audio CDs. Important Information

6. Yearly reminders Do not return booklets for PASA students Return appropriate booklets for students participating in modified assessments Expedite the return of Answer Booklets PIMS data was used to produce Precode Labels Match Booklets by Form Number Student Mobility Important Information

7. DRC Contact Information Our toll free number is: 1-800-451-7849 Our fax number is: 1-763-268-3008 Our email is: pacustomerservice@datarecognitioncorp.com Important Information

8. PDE contact information Our phone number is: 717-705-2343 or 717-787-4234 Our e-mail is: 00testing@psupen.psu.edu Important Information

9. 2011 Assessment Dates March 14 to 25 – Grades 3 – 8 & 11 Reading and Mathematics March 28 to April 1 – Grades 5, 8 & 11 Writing April 4 to 8 – Grades 4, 8 & 11 Science April 11 to 15 – Final makeups for all assessments Important Dates

10. Make-ups can occur anytime during the PDE-established window Return answer booklets for each assessment after the subject specific window UPS is used to return ALL secure materials All materials must be picked up by UPS by April 15 All material must arrive at DRC by April 22 Important Dates

11. DRC Online System Dates May 12 to 18, 2011 – Student Attribution window June 27 to 30, 2011 – PASA 1% and PSSA-M 2% redistribution window Important Dates

12. 2011 Reporting Dates June 10 – District Student Performance Data Files posted to DRC’s Report Delivery System and Parent Letters available on eMetric website July 18 – Pre-appeals Student Data Files with attributions available online July 18 – Online AYP System available Important Dates

13. Watch for information about these upcoming sessions Report Delivery System Cleanup webinars (February 28 - March 4) How PIMS data affects AYP (March 8, 9, and 11) Attribution System Webinars (May 9-12) Redistribution System Webinars (June 23-27) Understanding AYP (May 19-26) Important Dates

14. Before the assessment Read the manuals, schedule the assessments, and prepare test coordinators and administrators Inventory/account for all materials All subjects will arrive at the same time Order additional materials as soon as possible The Assessment

15. 2011 Design – More materials Make sure to include your District Code along with your District Name. Make sure to include your School Code along with your School Name. Indicate the quantity you need. Additional Material Request forms are located in the Handbook for Assessment Coordinators

16. Answer booklets returned to DRC for processing must have a label attached. The only answer booklets that should NOT have labels attached are booklets that are unused and COMPLETELY blank. Whether a Student Precode or a District/School Label is used, page 3 needs to be filled out for any student using an accommodation. Barcode Labels

17. STUDENT PRECODE LABELS Student Precode Labels contain district/school information and individual student demographic Barcode Labels information as reported in PIMS.

18. DISTRICT/SCHOOL LABELS District/School Labels contain district and school specific information only. These labels must be Barcode Labels used when Student Precode Labels are not used.

19. DISTRICT/SCHOOL LABELS (cont) When using District/School Labels, the student’s name, birth date, and PAsecureID must be bubbled exactly as it appears Barcode Labels in your school’s student information system.

20. DO NOT SCORE LABELS All sites will receive Do Not Score Labels for answer booklets that should not be scored. Barcode Labels

22. The Assessment Bubbling the answer booklets • English Language Learners • Use May 7, 2010, for calculating first year in U.S. school for ELL students • Court/Agency Placed Students • Foster care is not a court/agency placement for NCLB purposes • Per IDEA, court/agency placed students with an IEP are required to participate • Court/Agency captured in booklet only

23. The Assessment Bubbling the answer booklets (cont) • Home-Schooled Students • Home-schooled captured in booklet only. • Full-time – Item 5, option 6 on page 2 of booklet. • Part-time – “Other Assessment Information” grid on page 2 of booklet.

24. The Assessment Modified Assessments • There are modified assessments for Mathematics, Reading, and Science • Additional precode labels for use on PSSA-M • Proper booklet labeling is essential for accurate reporting

25. The Assessment Accommodated Assessments • Order Braille, Enlarged Print, and Audio CDs from DRC @ 1-800-451-7849 • All student responses must be transcribed into a regular scannable answer booklet. • A Spanish-translation version of the Mathematics and Science assessments are available

26. All students must use a No. 2 pencil. What to do if a student goes home ill. Use of calculators Use of Dictionaries Word-to-word dictionaries (including electronic dictionaries with beaming turned off) are permitted for ELLs in their first three years in a U.S. school on the math and science assessments. For all other students, do not provide or permit the use of dictionaries, thesauri, spell- or grammar-checkers, PDAs, or any device that can transmit information on any assessments. The Assessment

27. Distribution and collection procedures Security Numbers Security Checklist The Assessment Security numbers are located below the barcode are on the back of every secure booklet shipped by DRC. This barcode is the scannable version of the security number.

28. 2011 Mr. Gillin 4/16 4/17 4/18 Destroyed due to illness Mr. Schiller 4/22

29. Unusual Circumstances Test Administrators may encounter situations not covered in the manuals. The Test Administrator, along with the School and District Coordinator, should use their best professional judgment on how to handle each situation keeping test security and integrity in mind. One example is when a student becomes ill on a test. These tests should be destroyed and NOT returned to DRC. Make sure to note on the Materials Accountability Form that the document was destroyed due to student illness. The Assessment QUESTIONS? CALL 1-800-451-7849 NOT

30. Be organized Have clear communications and define a plan for returning scorable materials early Use the Materials Accountability Form and Security Checklist Return Instructions

31. Return Instructions - Materials Accountability Form

32. Return Instructions - Test Security Affidavit

33. Return Instructions Test Administrators School Assessment Coordinators District Assessment Coordinators Test booklets and unopened packages All Answer Booklets DRC Label UPS RS Label UPS RS Label UPS RS Label UPS RS Label B B B B DRC Label DRC Label DRC Label A A A A

34. Material Pick Up Return Instructions If you do not have a regularly scheduled UPS pick-up or delivery, call UPS at (866) 857-1501 to arrange a pick up at least 24 hours prior to your requested pick-up.

35. Keep a copy of the UPS-RS tracking numbers used. When DRC has questions about a district’s assessment materials, we make follow-up phone calls after the testing window has closed. It is important to return these calls as soon as possible in order ensure fast and accurate reporting and to keep you schools off the missing materials report sent to PDE. Special Note

36. Planning for the Assessment Testing Preparation DOs: • Plan for testing rooms and times. • Post PA General Description of Scoring Guidelines • Math Formula Sheets – only available for grades 7, 8 and 11. • Provide test administrators with: • Training • Test manuals • Schedule

37. Planning for the Assessment Accommodations The Accommodations Guidelines for students with IEPs, ELL students, and all students are available on department’s web site – www.education.state.pa.us

38. Access to Information Click on Programs

39. Access to Information Click on Programs O-R

40. Access to Information PVASS PA Secure ID Accountability PSSA

41. Planning for the Assessment • Be prepared for parental requests to view the test. • Schedule small group setting(s). • Schedule extended time setting(s). • Assign test administrators for breaks and movement to other setting(s). • Plan for secure distribution & collection of materials after each session.

42. Assessments Available • PSSA • PSSA-M • PASA • Accommodations are available for all tests.

43. PSSA • Students participate in the PSSA for Math, Reading, Science, and Writing.

44. PASA • Students participate in the PASA for Math, Reading, and Science • Students participate in a school-provided alternate assessment for Writing.

45. PSSA- Modified (PSSA-M) • Available for Mathematics, Reading, and Science • Recommended to be administered in a separate setting • Recommended to administer all sections of one content area, then all sections of the other • All sections must be given in the order in which they are printed in the test booklets • All accommodations available for the PSSA are also available for the PSSA-M

46. ELL students - Mathematics and Reading • ELL students are treated the same as every other student with the following exceptions: • Participation in the Math assessment is mandatory but if the student is in their first year of enrollment in a U.S. school their scores do not count for AYP purposes • Participation in the Reading assessment is optional for students in their first year of enrollment in a U.S. school

47. ELL students - Science and Writing • ELL students are treated the same as every other student with the following exceptions: • Participation in the Science assessment is mandatory for students in their first year of enrollment in a U.S. school but scores do not count for AYP purposes • Participation in the Writing assessment is optional for students in their first year of enrollment in a U.S. school

48. Administering the Assessment DO: • maintain calm & quiet • remove or cover all instructional materials • provide: • blank scratch paper • sharpened pencils • highlighters • encourage students • return all test materials to secure location DO NOT: • allow unsupervised breaks • display visual cues, e.g. picture icons • provide pre-printed graphic organizers • allow pens/colored pencils; stray marks • prompt students • keep any test materials

49. Make-ups • Make-up missed sessions as soon as possible • Make-ups for all subjects can be administered up to the end of the testing window

50. PDE Policy – Test Security • The assessments rely on the measurement of individual achievement. Any deviation from assessment procedures is strictly prohibited and will be considered a violation of test security. • School administrators, teachers and any other education personnel who are involved in the assessment program must maintain the security of all assessment materials at all times. • Because the assessment must remain secure, teachers/Test Administrators should not have assessment materials in their possession at any time other than during the actual assessment administration.