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ACT Plus Writing Online FormatAlerts for Room Supervisors and

Proctors

Spring 2015

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1. The ALSDE requires that Test Administrators/Room Supervisors must be certificated employees. Proctors must be full-time employees involved with the education of examinees.

2. No relative of an examinee who is taking the test may serve as a Room Supervisor or Proctor for that examinee.

3. Anyone who coaches high school or college athletics may not serve as the Room Supervisor for one-on-one testing of a student athlete. An athletic coach may serve as the Room Supervisor if there is more than one examinee in the room.

4. No student or student teacher may serve as a Room Supervisor or Proctor.

General Alerts

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5. Room Supervisors and Proctors must read and comply with the policies and procedures described in ACT’s Administration Manual for the Online Format.

6. Before test day, Room Supervisors and Proctors administering online tests must read and be familiar with ACT’s Administration Manual for the Online Format; hereafter, this document will be referred to as the Online Administration Manual.

7. Room Supervisors and Proctors must be familiar with all information contained in the ACT Plus Writing Online Format Alerts for Room Supervisors and Proctors; hereafter, this document will be referred to as Online Alerts for Room Supervisors and Proctors.

General Alerts, continued

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8. Room Supervisors and Proctors must participate in test administration training prior to test date and attend a briefing session on the morning of the test.

9. Room Supervisors and Proctors must read and understand specific responsibilities listed on pages 8-10 of the Online Administration Manual.

10. A Proctor is required for one to twenty-five examinees assigned to a room.

11. Test materials must be secure at all times. Test materials must be kept in a secure location as examinees enter and exit the test room. A test room must never be left unattended, even if only one examinee is in the room.

General Alerts, continued

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12. Testing should not begin for any student who has not completed the pre-test session prior to test date. Do NOT admit any student to the test room who has not completed the pre-test session.

13. Testing must begin by 9:00 a.m. in all rooms. Testing begins when the Room Supervisor starts reading the Verbal Instructions. If testing begins after 9:00 a.m. in any room, scores for that room may be cancelled.

14. In the event of an irregularity, an Online Irregularity Report must be completed. In addition, an Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) Irregularity Report has also been provided on page 9 of the Online Alerts for testing staff to report other irregularities and prohibited behaviors that are not reported to ACT. This is the same ALSDE

Irregularity Report that is used for the other state assessments.

General Alerts

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Use of Digital Devices By Staff 15.School personnel involved in administration of state testing

may not use digital devices (including but not limited to telephones, cell phones, MP3 players, cameras, or other telecommunication devices capable of capturing or relaying information) during test administration. Violations may result in disciplinary action/certification revocation. Additional disciplinary action may be taken by the (LEA).

16.All printers that have scanning or copying capability and all copy machines must either be disabled or removed from all rooms being used for a testing session.

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Online Testing Overview

17. PearsonAccessnextTM is the web application used by testing staff (i.e., Test Coordinators, Room Supervisors) to start and monitor tests. It is located at http://actonline.act.org.

18. TestNavTM is the secure web application used by examinees to take the tests. It is located at http://tn.actonline.act.org.

19. The ACT Plus Writing Online Format must be given using a “locked down” testing application; TestNavTM .

20. Disabling the lock-down is strictly prohibited. Computers used for testing must also be configured to prevent examinees from accessing any application, content, or other service beyond TestNavTM during testing.

21. To help ensure test security, all software applications, including internet browsers, cameras (still and video), screen capture programs (live and recorded, such as Skype), email, instant messaging, application switching, media players (such as iTunes), and printing must be closed before testing begins.

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Online Testing Overview continued

22. To ensure the confidentiality of examinees, their results, and exam content:• Keep your staff login details confidential. Don’t share them.• Keep all student authorization tickets secure until test day

when ready to provide them to examinees.

23. Seal codes are a combination of letters and numbers examinees must enter at the beginning of each test to begin that particular section. Seal codes are unique to each test session and ensure standardized progress through the tests by all examinees in the room. The Room Supervisor provides each seal code as part of reading the Verbal Instructions. Each seal code must be announced verbally and cannot be written on the board.

24. Examinees testing with standard time and those with extended time (time-and-a-half, ACT Timing Code 6) may not test in the same room together. If they do, scores for that room will be cancelled.

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Testing Facility Requirements

25.Lapboards are not allowed under any circumstances.

26.ACT online testing must be administered on school-owned computers that are housed permanently at the school. They cannot be “checked out” to examinees for use at home. iPads are not permitted.

27.Make sure bulletin board materials related to potential test questions (mathematics, reading, etc.), charts, and maps that provide strategies for solving problems or writing essays are removed or covered. Geographical maps and periodic tables need not be covered.

28.Rooms must be free from distractions and be able to provide an uninterrupted period. Post signs outside the test rooms to warn others that testing is in progress and quiet is required. Bells, intercoms and public address systems must be turned off during the test session.

29.Test rooms must be set up according to ACT requirements. If these requirements are not met, scores may be cancelled.

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Testing Facility Requirements continued

30. Whenever possible, individual testing workstations should be divided by test carrels that provide adequate privacy between examinees.

31. Testing workstations do not need to face the same direction. They may face the walls and/or each other as long as there is adequate privacy between examinees.

32. There must be sufficient aisle space for staff to get to every seat during testing without disturbing examinees.

33. Staff must be able to see every examinee clearly.

34. The workstations must provide enough space for examinees to work comfortably and use calculators and scratch paper.

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Computer-Based Test Administrations (Not in Manual)

35. Each online testing room must have a separate computer workstation the Room Supervisor will use to access the platform, begin and close the test session, and monitor testing progress.

36. The workstation must pass the System Check and be located in an area where the Room Supervisor can see all examinees in the room.

37. Whether a desktop or a laptop is used as the workstation, the computer must remain stationary on a table or a desk throughout the test session.

38. The Room Supervisor may not exit the program and enter any other site on the computer during the test session.

39. No iPads, cell phones, tablets, or other electronic devices may be used in the test room. These devices may not be used as timers.

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Approved Test Materials to be Provided for Testing

40.The Pretest Instructions for Online Testing contains instructions for the examinees to complete their pretest information online. Each examinee will have a personal set of instructions with a unique claim code.

41.Examinees are instructed to use the blank space on their student authorization ticket as scratch paper. ACT will supply blue scratch paper for you to distribute to examinees as requested.

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Preparing Examinees

42.Examinees are allowed to use a permissible calculator. The examinees are responsible for ensuring their calculators meet ACT standards. The ACT Calculator Policy for 2014-2015 is located on page 8 of the Online Alerts.

43.Examinees may not bring cell phones or other electronic devices, scratch paper, notes, reading materials or unauthorized testing aids to their testing session.

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Use of Digital Devices by Examinees (Not in Manual)

44. The possession of a digital device (including but not limited to cell phones, MP3 players, cameras, or other telecommunication devices capable of capturing or relaying information) is strictly prohibited during the administration of a secure test.

45. If an examinee is observed in possession of a digital device during the administration of a secure test then the device will be confiscated.

46. If an examinee is observed using a digital device during the administration of a secure test, testing for the examinee will cease, the device will be confiscated and is subject to search, the examinee will be dismissed from testing, and the examinee’s test will be invalidated.

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Completing Pretest Information for Online Testing

47. If an examinee has not completed any of the pretest portions before the initial test date, that examinee is NOT permitted to test. Instead, the student must be scheduled for makeup testing. The BTC must arrange for the student to complete the pretest portions before the makeup test date. If the student does not complete the pretest portion before the makeup test date, the student cannot test on the makeup date.

48.Pretest portions may NOT be completed on ANY test date – not before and not after any of the tests.

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Test Accommodations for Online Testing

49.For an examinee testing online, you may provide locally approved test accommodations without review and approval by ACT if ALL of the following conditions are met:

• The examinee must test with standard time.• The examinee must not receive additional

breaks.• The examinee must use the same workstation

configuration as other examinees.• The accommodations must be consistent with

the examinee’s plan on file at the school.

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Test Accommodations for Online Testing continued

50. Examples of locally approved test accommodations that can be made without ACT approval are:

• Preferential seating (e.g., at the front of the room, at a table

instead of a desk).• Testing in a quiet environment (e.g., small group or

individual room).

• Wheelchair access.• Diabetics may eat snacks in the test room, but should test

separately to avoid disturbing other examinees.• A written copy of the Verbal Instructions or a sign

language interpreter to interpret the Verbal Instructions.

51. If you provide locally approved test accommodations, please complete an Irregularity Report.

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Approved Test Materials to be Provided for Testing

52.The school is responsible for providing the following items for each test room:

• A supply of soft lead No. 2 pencils with erasers to

lend to examinees who do not bring them (examinees must not use mechanical pencils or

ink pens).

• Two reliable timepieces: watch, stopwatch, interval

timer, or accurate wall clock. Cellphone cannot be

used as a timer.

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Test Day Activities53. Every Room Supervisor must have a complete copy of Online

Administration Manual in order to verify procedures for any situation that may occur.

54. Examinees must not bring cell phones or other electronic devices into testing room, including during the break.

55. Highlighters, colored pens or pencils, and mechanical pencils are not allowed.

56. Examinees must not bring backpacks or bags of any kind into testing room.

57. Neither examinees nor staff may have access to food or beverages, including water, except during the scheduled break.

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Setting up Computers

58.Room Supervisors will set up computers before admitting examinees to the room.

59.On the administrative workstation, open PearsonAccessnextTM at http://actonline.act.org.

60.On each testing workstation, open TestNavTM at www.tn.actonline.act.org.

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Identifying & Admitting Examinees61.Control who enters and leaves the test room at all times. Do not allow

examinees to enter the test room until the room is properly prepared, the test materials are in a secure location where examinees cannot access them, and the Room Supervisor is ready to admit examinees.

62.Admit examinees by checking them in, one-by-one, at the door of the test room.

63.Do not allow an examinee to enter the room unless the Room Supervisor has verified the examinee’s identification and marked the roster.

64. If an examinee cannot present acceptable ID at the door or cannot be verified by a member of the testing staff, do NOT admit him or her to the room.

65.Admitted examinees must stay in the test room. If it is necessary for an examinee to leave, recheck ID when the examinee is readmitted.

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Identifying & Admitting Examinees continued66.Do NOT admit examinees with ANY electronic devices (other than permitted

calculators) to the test room.

67.Never allow examinees to choose their own seats.

68.All examinees are required to present an acceptable form of photo identification or be personally recognized (face-to-face) by a school faculty member before being admitted to the test room.

69. If an examinee without acceptable photo ID is permitted to begin testing, the examinee must be dismissed and the answer document will not be scored—even if acceptable ID is presented later.

70.Mark the roster to indicate the type of ID accepted for each examinee.

71. Identification issued or verified by a relative is NOT allowed.

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Identifying & Admitting Examinees continued

72.Do NOT delay testing waiting for an examinee to bring identification or allow testing of late examinees.

73.Do NOT admit any examinees to the test room once you have started to distribute the student authorization tickets.

74.Examinees who are absent must be indicated on the roster. The BTC will determine if the examinee is eligible for makeup testing.

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Permitted Calculators75. All problems on the Mathematics test can be solved without a

calculator.

76. ACT permits examinees to use a calculator on the Mathematics test only.

77. The calculator must be turned off and put away during all other tests.

78. Examinees are responsible for making sure their calculator works properly.

79. Each Room Supervisor must have a copy of the current Calculator Policy to refer to during Test 2.

80. Examinees may not share calculators.

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Administering the Online Test

81.Verbal instructions may begin as soon as all examinees have been identified and seated, no later than 9:00 a.m. in all rooms.

82. If any room starts later than 9:00 a.m., document the time and reason on the Irregularity Report. Starting after 9:00 a.m. in any room may result in the cancellation of scores for that room.

83.Prior to reading the Verbal Instructions, log in to PearsonAccessnextTM at http://actonline.act.org.

84.Follow the steps listed on page 44 of Online Administration Manual to start a test session.

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Viewing Examinee Progress in a Session

85. At the administrative workstation, take the steps listed on page 45 of the Online Administration Manual to view an examinee’s progress during testing.

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Testing Monitoring Responsibilities

86. All testing staff, Room Supervisors, and Proctors are to remain attentive to their testing responsibilities throughout the entire administration.

87. To protect the validity of individual test scores and maintain the security of test materials, the following must be observed:

• Walk around the room during testing to be sure examinees are working on the test and to help prevent prohibited behaviors.

• During the test, do not read, correct papers, or engage in any

tasks not related to the administration of the test.• Do not engage in conversation during the test or allow

unauthorized personnel in the test room.• Do not leave a test room unattended at any time.• Complete detailed documentation of any irregularities of

which you are aware.

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Guessing and Questions about Test Items

88. Do not answer questions regarding individual test items or how to use a calculator.

89. If examinees ask about guessing, inform them that they will not be penalized for guessing.

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Retrieving Seal Codes

90.Follow the steps listed on pages 46 and 47 of Online Administration Manual to retrieve seal codes.

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Verbal Instructions

91.Read aloud the instructions in the shaded boxes, loudly and clearly, exactly as written. Do not depart from the text.

92.Do not read aloud text in (parentheses).

93.Pause after each series of dots (…) and wait for examinees to finish the task before proceeding. Look at the examinees to be sure they are following instructions.

94.Perform all tasks only when directed to do so.

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Verbal Instructions continued

95.Provide only the seal code for the test that is about to begin. Do not provide codes for other tests or write them on the board.

96.The tests must be administered in the order listed. If this order is altered, the answer documents will not be scored or scores will be cancelled.

97.Walk around the room and collect the student authorization tickets and scratch paper from each examinee. Do not allow examinees to handle the tickets or scratch paper of other examinees. Keep each examinee’s scratch paper and student authorization ticket together, with the examinee’s ticket on top of the scratch paper. Do not collect tickets and scratch paper in separate stacks.

98.Make sure all examinees are logged out of TestNavTM.

99.Do not dismiss any examinee until you have verified that the number of student authorization tickets collected equals the number distributed.

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Break

100.ACT requires that you allow a break of 15 minutes at the end of Test 2.

101.The break may NOT include lunch. If it does, scores for all examinees may be cancelled.

102.Do not delay or lengthen the break in your room to wait for other rooms. You MUST resume testing no later than 15 minutes after STOP is called on Test 2.

103.If the break is longer than 15 minutes, explain why on the Irregularity Report.

104.Resume testing no later than 15 minutes after Test 2 ends. Do not delay the start of Test 3 waiting for examinees who return late. They may be readmitted, but may not make up lost time. Keep conversation with late arrivals to a minimum.

105.During the break, ensure that no examinees have mistakenly logged out of TestNavTM

(status will show as “Exited”). If they have, resume the examinee’s test in PearsonAccessnextTM.

106.Do not leave the test room unattended.

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Returning Materials to the Test Coordinator (BTC)

107.Immediately after testing is completed in each test room, the Test Coordinator must account for all test materials.

108.Materials to be returned to the Test Coordinator include:• completed roster with every name marked either as

absent, denied, or with the type of ID accepted• the bundled student authorization tickets and

scratch paper for every examinee• all unused tickets and scratch paper• The ACT Administration Manual for the Online

Format with the information block completed on the front cover

• the completed Seating Diagram

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Irregularities

109.A group irregularity is something that affects a group of examinees (e.g., one room or the entire site).

110.An individual irregularity is something that affects a single person or several individuals involved in a single circumstance (e.g., communicating answers to each other).

111.Follow the steps listed on pages 61-62 to submit an ACT Irregularity Report.

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Irregularities continued

112.Report and describe in detail any irregularity.

113.Examples of irregularities are provided on pages 62-63 and Prohibited Behaviors are listed on pages 67-68 of the Online Administration Manual.

114.If a disturbance, distraction or technical issue occurs that affects examinees’ concentration and it cannot be stopped, contact the Test Coordinator immediately for further instructions. DO NOT dismiss examinees until you have received instructions.

115.Submit an Irregularity Report for all disturbances and distractions, however minor (including examinee illness).

116.Failure to report any irregularity is a test security violation.

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Handling Examinees Who Leave and Don’t Return

117.If an examinee leaves the room during testing or at the break and does not return to continue testing, stop his or her test and determine eligibility for makeup testing.

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Handling Examinees Who Leave the Test or are Late from Break

118.Refer to the table on page 64 of the Online Administration Manual to decide how to proceed with examinees who become ill during testing, leave during a test, or return late from break.