2013-2014 Assessment Department

1. Washoe County School DistrictA Primer for Testing: Policies and Professional Expectations 2013-2014 Assessment Department

2. MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the WCSD Assessment Department is to maximize student success on the Pathway to College and Career Readiness by promoting, monitoring and supporting a balanced assessment system. As part of the Office of Academics, the department provides valid and reliable data from multiple measures to inform curricular and instructional decisions and facilitates the judicious use of assessment information by a variety of users to answer questions about student progress. 2

3. Mandatory Training for ALL School Personnel Involved with Testing This presentation is meant to be an overview of the contents of the Primer; however, the Primer must be read in its entirety. The principal or his/her designee will annually review A Primer for Testing with all staff members who assist with testing. 3

4. Statement of Responsibility • All certified and classified personnel concerned with assessment must be familiar with the policies and professional expectations contained within the Primer. • Those receiving the training must verify that they have received this training by completing the “Acknowledgement of Professional or Classified WCSD Personnel” found in the Primer. 4

5. All Accountability assessments are administered in the spring of each year with the exception of the November administration of the HSPE to 11th graders. Imperative that these assessments be administered ONLY to eligible students as posted in Infinite Campus. Not Shown: National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), and local assessments. 5

6. Assessment Administration • The Nevada Department of Education prescribes the specific date or range of dates on or during which an examination or examinations will be given. • Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) requires that all students enrolled in grades for which a state-mandated test is given participate. • Schools will provide appropriate accommodations on all state tests for IEP and LEP students and students with a Section 504 plan as outlined in their accommodations forms. 6

7. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) • In accordance with NRS 389.012, all Nevada schools that are selected by the National Assessment Governing Board for participation in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) MUST participate. • NAEP does not provide scores for individual • students or schools; instead, it offers reports for the entire state based upon a sample of student populations. • NAEP is conducted at selected schools in grades 4, 8, and 12. 7

8. Purposes of the Assessment Program • support Envision WCSD 2015 Strategic Plan, school improvement plans, and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS); • inform school and classroom decisions on differentiated instruction and intervention; • to track statistical data longitudinally; • to gather and report data that are accurate, meaningful, and professionally sound; and • to fulfill accountability requirements. 8

9. Personnel • All individuals involved with the testing process must be trained • Classroom test administrators must be licensed • Proctors may be unlicensed, but may not be left alone w/students • The test administrator is responsible for all testing activities at the classroom level 9

10. Timing the Examinations There are no strict time limits for the HSPE, CRT, and NAA; some time limits apply for the ELPA, Formative Writing Tools and CTE. Where appropriate, additional time in a quiet, test-conducive setting must be provided for any student who is working productively at the end of the district-prescribed times. 10

11. Unsupervised Breaks • Students receiving additional timemay not receive unsupervised breaks nor interact with their peers prior to completing any part of the reading, math science or writing assessments. • This does not apply to students taking the NAA. 11

12. Timing Continued… Students receiving extra time: • must be accompanied by trained certified staff while in possession of test materials; • may have a short (10-15 min.), closely supervised break; • must not carry or transport test materials; • must not be excused to another class, P.E., lunch, recess, or other school activity prior to the completion of a Part or Session of the test; and • may not return to a previously-administered Part of the CRT or HSPE after an unsupervised break or on a subsequent day. 12

13. Test Administration Procedures Organization 13

14. DISCLOSURE OF TEST CONTENT IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED BY STATE LAW 14

15. DO NOT READ, REVIEW, LOOK AT, COPY OR TAKE NOTES ON TEST CONTENT DO NOT PHOTOGRAPH, RECORD, OR TRANSMIT ANY PART OF A TEST OR TESTING SESSION* *Does not apply to the video recording of NAA test sessions. 15

16. Procedures… slide 1 • Read each administration manual thoroughly prior to each test administration. • You are responsible for complying with the contents of these manuals. • The manuals must be distributed well in advance of each test administration. 16

17. Procedures… slide 2 • Follow only the script provided in the administration manuals. • Follow the order of tests as presented in the student test booklet. • Students who are not participating in a specific test and parents/guardians must not be allowed in the testing room while tests are being administered. • Provide a minimum of one Test Administrator for every 30 students in each testing room. 17

18. Procedures… slide 3 Translation by the test administrator or proctor of any test material (directions, passages, questions, answer choices) into another language is prohibited during test administration. 18

19. Procedures… slide 4 If a student has concerns about a test item: • Test administrator records ONLY the test subject, grade level, item number, and test booklet version and submits information to testing coordinator (do not review the item) • Test coordinator reports information to district assessment director • District assessment director reports information to the state 19

20. Procedures… slide 5 Circulate through the room, ensuring that students are on task and working and responding in the correct section of the test. Sitting down throughout the examination period is NOT appropriate. • The only assistance given should clarify the instructions, in ENGLISH, for taking the test and/or examination. • Be careful not to inadvertently give hints or clues that indicate an answer or help eliminate answer choices. 20

21. Procedures… slide 6 • At no time before, during or after testing, shall students be left unattended with testing materials or unlicensed personnel, nor shall examination materials be left unattended, unless locked and secure. In other words, SUPERVISE STUDENTS AND KEEP TEST MATERIALS SECURE 100% of the TIME! 21

22. Organization… slide 7 NO UNSUPERVISED BREAKS… • Restroom breaks should be discouraged during the administration of tests in grades 3-8. • If allowed, restroom breaks must be supervised. • During the High School Proficiency Examination, students must not leave the room for any reason except in an emergency. 22

23. Organization… slide 8 • Additional instructional/support materials, beyond those specified in test administration instructions, or approved by an IEP committee, cannot be provided to students for use during a test administration. • Students may not have access to personal materials during testing. • Arrange to have permissible materials available for distribution to students prior to testing. 23

24. Organization… slide 9 • Test booklets are not to be distributed until the prescribed date for each examination. • Each time that tests and/or examination materials change hands the materials must be counted and the count shown on a sign-in/sign-out sheet and must not be left unsupervised. In short, ACCOUNT FOR ALL TEST MATERIALS! 24

25. Organization… slide 10 All testing materials, including test booklets, writing prompts, student responses, HSPE formula sheets and scratch paper, must be collected by the test administrator and accounted for before a student is allowed to leave the testing area for any reason. 25

26. Unless otherwise noted, students may mark in and on the test booklets; however, their answers must be appropriately marked on the answer document(s) in order to be scored. • Submit only one answer document for each student. 26

27. Test Administrator Responsibility: Checking Answer Documents • It is imperative that the answer portion of the answer sheet not be altered in any way, with the exception of erasing stray marks. • Smudged erasures and stray pencil marks must be cleaned up by the test coordinator. Scanners may be sensitive to stray erasure marks or smudges. 27

28. Exchange of Test Materials • Upon completion of testing each day, all materials must be returned in person to the appropriate test coordinator in a timely manner and not later than the end of the school day on which the examination is administered. • EXCEPTION: NAA materials may be stored in the test administrator’s room/office if they can be secured in a LOCKED cabinet. 28

29. Who brings what to the testing environment? • All materials—including test and/or examination booklets, writing test prompts, answer sheets, #2 pencils, scratch paper, and highlighters—must be provided by the school. • Students must not be allowed to access personal items. 29

30. NO ELECTRONICS!Students and Test Administrators Inform students in advance • NO electronic devices (also applies to Test Administrators/Proctors) • unless a student has an accommodation plan that allows a specific permissible device • Unauthorized possession of a non-permissible device is grounds for invalidation of scores 30

31. Materials for Students Who Finish Early • Students who finish early may read • paper materials only >> NO E-READERS << • test materials must be collected prior to a student accessing reading materials • Pencil-and-paper activities are prohibited (no writing or drawing) 31

32. Testing Students with Special Needs 32

33. Students with Special Needs • All students must participate • Students who are receiving special education, 504, or ELL services may be afforded accommodations or opportunities to take the NAA* *Note: students may not take both the CRT/HSPE and NAA • Students who do not meet the above criteria must test under regular conditions 33

34. Special Needs Accommodations All teachers and staff members at each school are required to assist the principal in ensuring that all students with special needs students receive appropriate accommodations. 34

35. Student List: Accommodations Lists of students with special needs (including eligible ELL students) and their specific accommodations, updated for each test or examination, must be prepared and provided to all test administrators who will be administering a test to those students. 35

36. IEP & Calculators • Student MUST have a disability-related need for calculator written in their IEP • Documented on testing accommodations form • Must be a free-standing device ONLY • Approved 4-function or scientific calculator ONLY • Graphing and programmable calculators are NOT permitted 36

37. American Sign Language (ASL) If included in the IEP and regularly used by the student for translation of written information: • Glossaries, hard copy (paper) only • MATH, SCIENCE, CTE and Formative Writing tools ONLY • Must be word-to-signed symbol style Random House Webster’s • Concise ASL Dictionary • Pocket ASL Dictionary Collins, ASL Concise Dictionary 37

38. Accommodations… Note! • Teachers providing read aloud assistance to students must sign the confidentiality agreement prior to test administration. • Students given “Modifications” will be counted as non-proficient and not participating. Accommodations allow access to the assessment without compromising validity; Modifications alter the scope of what is being assessed 38

39. LEP • Students may be afforded accommodations for up to two years after being exited from ESL services. • Accommodations must be consistent with classroom practice. • LEP students with IEPs may receive accommodations under both areas. 39

40. Bilingual Dictionaries • Bilingual Dictionaries • Glossary style, word-to-word translation only • BilingualDictionaries.com (recommended) • Must be hard copy (paper) only • Permitted ONLY on • MATH, SCIENCE, CTE, and Formative Writing Tools 40

41. Read Aloud Clarification • CRT/HSPE Math and Science tests ONLY • IEP, 504, LEP students • Words may be read aloud, ENGLISH ONLY • NO symbols (including numerals) • NO paraphrasing, elaborating or explaining • Never read a Reading test aloud to a student in any language • “Test” includes passages, questions, answer choices (everything beyond the TA script) 41

42. Accommodation: Alternate Response Mode • Students whose 504 plans or IEPs call for it may use a keyboard or Braille writer for written responses, including constructed response*. • The person administering the HSPE writing test under these conditions must complete a Certification of Proper Use of Keyboard or Braille Writer form. 42

43. WCSD Local Assessments 43

44. District-level examinations may vary significantly in rules and procedures from State tests. • Administrators and staff must carefully read all guidelines and resources that accompany these tests. 44

45. WCSD Assessments The same proscriptions and rules against inappropriate test administrator/proctor assistance and/or tampering with or inflating student scores that apply to Nevada accountability assessments apply to all WCSD Local Assessments. 45

46. WCSD Assessments: MAP, DRA, KAP • Interim assessments must be administered within the prescribed testing windows and by qualified & trained test administrators • Teachers and administrators plan ahead to ensure full administration to all eligible students, within the testing window. • Retesting is not permitted. • Do not use scores from interim assessments for academic grades (does not apply to KAP). 46

47. WCSD Assessments: HS Math Finals • Secure assessments • Follow security guidelines for Nevada summative tests (security includes storage, distribution/collection, supervision, administration, etc.) • Read and follow WCSD administration guidelines • Read teacher scripts verbatim • Adhere to Accepted Practice “Final Test Guidelines” 47

48. Parent/Guardian Notification 48

49. Parent/Guardian Notification All school administrators and teachers must communicate with the parents/guardians of affected students at least one month before the administration of a large-scale assessment. 49

50. Security & Confidentiality 50