Best Practices: Getting it Right the First Time

1. Not So New Coordinator Academy September 24, 2008 Emily Lorenz – Gregory-Portland ISD Jim Street – Edgewood ISD Best Practices: Getting it Right the First Time

2. Agenda • Who are we? • What we have learned… • What we have done wrong… • How we fixed it… • What not to do again!

3. Real Agenda • Training and Sharing of Information • Forms • Materials Control • Handling materials • Checking in and out • Transfers • Accommodation Request Forms • Who, what, when, and why? • Incident Reporting • TELPAS • Documentation

4. A Little Funny…

5. Training

6. Administrator Training Written by DTC Delivered by CTC Non-certified staff training Campus Readiness Visits Vignettes Designed and delivered via alternative methods Quick tips, reminders, best practices Trainings and Meetings • Best method of prevention • Administrator Overview • Materials Handling • Overview Training – once per year • Delivered by DTC • Best Practices Meetings • Campus Coordinator Training • Provided by DTC http://www.g-pisd.org/GPHS/TAKSProblemsApril2006/TAKSPages/TAKSHomePage.html

7. Resource Materials • Resource Materials • Page number documents • Highlight important manual contents • Provides notes section during training • District Calendars • Training dates • Meeting dates • Testing dates • Materials return deadlines • Reporting dates • Include in training at all levels • TSNAP, Pearson and TEA websites

8. Sharing the Information • CTC Training • Make it a regular event – schedule in advance • Will alleviate most incidents if done correctly • Document Posting • Counselor Sharepoint • Dedicated intranet site • District webpage and/or via email • Ensures everyone is using the right forms and has access to all of the training documents

9. Forms

10. The Beauty of Forms • Student Tracking: • Absentee documentation • LEP exemptions • Score code “O”ther • Refusal documentation • You never want to have to spend too much time doing research when checking in answer documents! Make it easy on yourself…

11. Day of Testing • Do Not Disturb • Include the time slots you want staff to be monitoring for condensing • Seating Charts • Make available TEA recommended as well as district formatted that include multiple room layouts – by creating them you make sure they have everything they need for compliance • Add a notes section – allows us to log for relief administrators and to record student behavior

12. More Forms… • Day of Testing Checklist • Includes all the important reminders we want teachers to know • Step-by-step instructions on what needs to be completed

13. Active Monitoring • Monitoring Logs • Campus principal and CTC log all of their active monitoring efforts during test days (done 1 of 2 ways) • Restroom sign-in/out sheets are used to monitor and document student movements during testing

14. Materials Control

15. Handle the Stress - GPISD • Secure storage • Another form! There should never be a question about the security of your storage • Materials Control – Boxes • District created form that creates an auditable paper trail of boxes to campuses • Triplicate • One delivery person • One receiving location • Color code campus box labels and everything be sent to campus – makes it easily identifiable • Copy campus packing list on campus color and ask it to be signed and returned within 24 hours • For district overage materials – guess what, another form – gives them a specific list of materials being sent from overage

16. Handle the Stress - EISD • Secure storage – find out early • Materials Control – Boxes • Campus Test Coordinator or Alternate CTC must pickup boxes from the Testing Department. • Signature required on district packing slip which indicates that they received the boxes they were supposed to. • Verify contents and notify the testing department (via email) by the end of the day via that all materials are present. • District created transfer form (triplicate) that documents transfer of secure materials. • Testing Department overage to campuses • District to district • ALL transfers MUST go through Testing Department

17. Materials Control • Booklet control • Materials control form • Condensing Forms • Be able to find a booklet at any given moment on your campus • Returning materials from campus • Check in list • Includes what to bring back with them for score vs. non-score and a place for them to enter the count before check in • Counts return • Modified secure booklet number spreadsheet that is separated by campus and includes a place for me to enter what is returned

18. Materials Control • Return of materials is set by appointment • Provide snacks, drinks, and make them comfortable, we could be here a while • Each CTC is responsible for accompanying their materials to the CO or Testing Dept. for check-in • For larger GPISD campuses – the delivery person will set an appointment with campus personnel that corresponds with district check-in time • Check-in includes all materials – during non-score check-in all oaths, sign-ins, copy of training materials, and auditable documentation should be returned • Have a plan BEFORE HAND for how you will store these items for the required amount of time

19. Answer Document Verification • During training cover answer documents – using those provided by Pearson! • Create a sample that it is given to every test administrator highlighting the fields they are responsible for • Train CTC and create samples for all different possible combinations that they then take and post in storage room as reminders • Create a DTC sample that reminds you what not to forget and how to verify the tricky ones • DTC verifies every answer document – do not move on until you have it corrected. That is why it is imperative that CTC does not leave until the process is complete! • Have access to your student management system and special ed information management system…be prepared

20. Check-In Forms • Various documents can be created to assist with answer document check-in. • Completion of forms by the CTC prior to check-in can help ensure that: • Every student has been accounted for, • Each student has appropriate bubbles completed (accommodations, make-up testing, DAEP or JJAEP coding, etc…), • Appropriate demographic and program information changes have been made if necessary, • Basically, that ALL of the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed.

21. Transfers • Document, document, document • Campus to Campus • Is included on the form GPISD uses to track boxes moving from CO to campus • EISD does not allow campus to campus transfers • District to District • Phone a friend! Make an agreement before the year begins • Always create a trail for each district to follow – statements signed by both DTC’s is imperative

22. Accommodation Request Forms

23. Accommodation Requests • Accommodations manual • Will alleviate the need for as many ARF’s • Online ARF submission • Need to create a plan and means for coordinating the submission – still submitted by DTC • Keeping track – spreadsheet with students by number • Be ready to answer questions from TEA! • Cheat sheets – what needs one and what doesn’t – Training!

24. What I’ve Learned • ARF’s become an afterthought • Coordinate with Special Ed staff and include with ARD documentation / make available during ARD with copy of manual for better decision-making • Should be completed when ARD adjourns and submitted immediately • Alleviate last minute requests • Ensures most recent decisions are reflected for testing • Ask questions – watch for “mass” usage of an aide or accommodation

25. Incident Reports

26. Be Prepared • On days of testing, always have: • Monitoring Forms • General Campus Overview: storage, hallways, testing signs, etc. • Individual Administrator: monitoring, seating arrangements, covered walls, etc. • Blank incident report forms and statements forms • Blank Corrective Action Template • Locally Determined Disciplinary Action Template • DCCM and TA Manuals along with the materials you used/provided during training

27. Take Good Notes • Gather complete information • Collect sufficient documentation (there is never too much) • Including dates, signatures, multiple accounts by everyone involved • Document your conversations • Use blank templates so you know all the information is included • Track what you submit to TEA

28. TELPAS

29. Writing Collections • English Language Proficiency Standards – for the first time have some ammunition! • Timelines for submissions • Collection coversheets • District developed Validity of Ratings coversheet • Allows us to have extra documentation supporting how we chose to implement the rating support and verification component • Coordinate with the Bilingual/ESL Dept.

30. Questions?

31. Jim Street, Edgewood ISDjstreet@eisd.netEmily Lorenz, Gregory-Portland ISDelorenz@g-pisd.org