Best Practices For
State Mandated Student Assessment
Best Practices
• Prior to Receiving Test Materials in the School
• After Receiving Materials• During Testing• After Completion of Testing
Acronyms
• TE (Test Examiner)
• SyTC (System Test Coordinator)
• ScTC (School Test Coordinator)
Prior to Receiving Test Materials
1. School Test Coordinator (ScTC)Administrator
• Supervisory authority• Evaluation and Reporting authority
2. Assistant School Test Coordinator (Asst. ScTC) Certified Personnel
Prior to Receiving Test Materials
3. Training of School Test Coordinators From System Test CoordinatorAt same timeIncludes:
• State Assessment Handbook of policies and procedures
• Local system policies and procedures• Specific upcoming test procedures• Materials to train school personnel• Confidentiality/security requirements
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
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
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
Prior to Receiving Test Materials
5. Testing roster for each Test ExaminerList students, Test Examiner, and Proctor TE and Proctors cannot test relativesTE and Proctors should not test in grade level of immediate relativesChange roster daily if needed
6. Master list of students and accommodations neededSigned by ScTC and Sp. Ed. Dept./ELL/504 designee
Prior to Receiving Test Materials
7. Train accommodation Test ExaminersSecond trainingExplain accommodationsHow 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
Prior to Receiving Test Materials
7. Train accommodation Test ExaminersRoster with accommodations for examinerTest Examiner signs & dates
accommodation notificationStudent must receive accommodation in
planChanges by ScTC only
• Signed by ScTC• Dated by ScTC• Confirmed by department designee• Teachers cannot make changes alone
Prior to Receiving Test Materials
8. Secure storage area for test materialLimited accessLocked at all timesKeys controlled by principalLimited number of keys
9. Security procedure for transporting test material
System to school & school to system Date and time stamp
Best Practices
After Receiving Test Materials in the School
After Receiving Test Materials
10. Integrity of secured storage areaKeys signed in/out with dates and times.Purpose of entranceScTC or designee in area with staff member
11. Two+ people present when verifying, counting or sorting test materials
No one alone with test materialsSign in/out with date, time, purpose
12. Manually count packages comparing to invoice.Report discrepancies to SyTC
After Receiving Test Materials
13. Manually count contents of each package
Packages remain intact until testingCount booklet spines through shrink wrapAnswer document countLabel packages with correct numbersWhen sorting for testing sites verify package count againNotify System TC of discrepancies
14. Cease specific test prep/review activitiesAvoid appearance of wrong doingLesson plans validate instruction schedule
After Receiving Test Materials
15.Prepare containers for each TEExact number needed by examiner• Lessens opportunity for loss• Reduces chance of examiner reading testMaintain test security and limited accessPull test booklets for “oral reading”Kept in secured area when not in useKeep booklet order as mandated by testing directions
After Receiving Test Materials
15. Prepare containers for each TEInventory form giving material count on each itemTE verifies or corrects count
• Done with ScTC or designee• Done daily upon check out and return• TE signs with date and time. • Once signed, TE responsible for returning exact count
to ScTC
After Receiving Test Materials
16. Teachers remove/cover all instructional materials
• Walls, desks, cabinets, boards, etc.• Done at least week prior to testing
17. Student desks/tables arranged 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
After Receiving Test Materials
18. Principals verify instructional materials removed, appropriate desk arrangements, and windows uncovered.
• Done 1 or 2 days prior to test administration
After Receiving Test Materials
19. Schedule all test sites in areas for easy
access by Monitors. 20. Schedule Hall Monitors for availability to test
sites on a regular patrol.
21. Develop sign system for when assistance is needed.
Best Practices
During Testing
During Testing
22. Provide pencils to studentsErasers 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 testingTE verifies numbersStudent/TE verifies daily
During Testing
24. Student information accurately bubbled and printed on answer document.
• Student name on doc first day of testing• Student labels
25. 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
During Testing
27. 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
28. 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
During Testing
29. 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• ScTC, Asst. ScTC, 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.
During Testing
31. Report student test booklet problem to the ScTC immediately.
ScTC needs to verify form and level for replacement if book is to be exchanged.
32. 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 ScTC who will relay the information to the SyTC.
During Testing
34. Monitors enter testing sites routinelyProtection of TEVerifies that testing protocol and procedures are
being followed.Ensures students have fair and equal test
administration
During Testing
35. School personnel should NOT be in the building at night, on weekends, or on holidays while testing materials are in the building.
Protection of personnel against allegationsIncludes ScTC, Asst. ScTC, and AdministratorsIf must be in building, then ensure that no access
to testing materials is possible or occurs.– Document who, why, and when in
building
During Testing
36. TE contacts the ScTC immediately if any situation arises that might
impact test results.
37. ScTC contacts the Principal immediately if any situation arises that might impact test results.
Principal ultimately responsibleScTC and Principal responsible for notifying SyTCA designee must be assigned and announced to TE’s if ScTC /Principal will not be present on day of test.
During Testing
38. Each day announce to students and staff what test or test section will be completed that day.
39. Make-up testing must be done using the same testing procedures as the original testing.
MonitorAccommodationsIndividual testing situations
Best Practices
After Testing
After Testing40. Test document cleanup done in group setting
with the ScTC.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 materialsProtects TE if counts are correct
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.
After Testing
44. Testing materials collected by system and counts verified for return to state/companies.
45. Materials returned from schools signed for and dated with time by a SyTC 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.
After Testing
47. Package testing materials for return recording the box number and what materials are returned in that box.
Include book numbersGives info for company when shipment lostCan 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.
After Testing
50. Test documents ready for shipping maintained in secure location, never "left at main desk" or “out in the open” for pickup.
51. Procedure for the ScTC 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
After Testing
53. Electronic files should be kept in secured manner with confidentiality stressed.
Limited access on computerSafeguards 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.
After Testing
55. Principal’s Certification FormAfter each test administrationKept at system level for 5 yearsDocumentation attached
56. Superintendent’s Certification Forms
due Jan. 30th and July 31st.