career and technical education -...

Career and Technical

Education

Statewide Assessment Administration Manual

2013-2014

Public Schools of North Carolina State Board of Education Department of Public Instruction

Career and Technical Education Division v2 10/25/2013

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CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose of this Manual ........................................................................................................................ 1 Statewide Instructional Materials …………………………………………………………… ....................... 1 Statewide Secure/Community Item Banks…………………………………………………… .................... 1 Statewide Pre-Assessments…………………… ..................................................................................... 1 Statewide Field Tests (Mid-Term/Final)……………………………. ....................................................... 2 Statewide Post-Assessments………………………………………………… ............................................ 2 What Is Meant By Proficiency ……………………………………………………………… ........................ 2 Use of Statewide Assessments Results ……………………………………………… .............................. 3 Reliability and Validity of Statewide Assessments ………………………………………… ...................... 3 NC Virtual Public School………………………………………… .............................................................. 3 Summer School .................................................................................................................................... 3 Other Programs (i.e. Odyssey and Nova Net) ....................................................................................... 3 Third-Party Assessments ...................................................................................................................... 3 WorkKeys .............................................................................................................................................. 3 Credentials ............................................................................................................................................ 4 II. OVERVIEW OF PROCESS .............................................................................................................. 5 LEA Instructional Management Coordinator’s Responsibilities ............................................................. 5 Building Level Coordinator’s Responsibilities........................................................................................ 5 Classroom Administrator’s Responsibilities .......................................................................................... 6 Use of Proctors ……………………………………………………………………….... ................................ 6 Testing Code of Ethics……………………………………………………………….. .................................. 7 Limitations to Providing Instruction to Students on the Day of Testing ................................................. 7 Suspended Students ............................................................................................................................. 8 Assessment Security-Paper and Pencil Method……………………………………………………… ........ 9 Assessment Security-Online Method .................................................................................................. 10 III. PREPARING FOR ASSESSMENTS ............................................................................................. 11 General Information ............................................................................................................................ 11 Assessment Schedule ........................................................................................................................ 11 Notifying Students About Accommodations ........................................................................................ 11 What to Tell Students .......................................................................................................................... 12 Assessment Environment ................................................................................................................... 12 Use of Formula Sheets and Other Reference Materials ..................................................................... 12 PDF Files of the Secure Assessments ................................................................................................ 12 Printing Sent to Third Party Printers (i.e. Kinkos) ................................................................................ 13 Recording Audio Files of the State Secure Assessment ..................................................................... 13 Medical Waivers .................................................................................................................................. 13 Before Assessment Pre/Mid/Post ....................................................................................................... 13 Before Online Assessments: ............................................................................................................... 13 Credit Recovery ………………………………………………………………… ........................................ 14 Credit by Demonstrated Mastery ………………………………………………………………… .............. 14 Middle School Student’s Taking High School CTE Courses ............................................................... 14 MSL’s/CTE Pre/Post-Assessments .................................................................................................... 15 IV. ADMINISTERING ASSESSMENTS .............................................................................................. 16

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Materials for the Classroom Paper and Pencil Assessment Administrator ......................................... 16 Administration Procedures (Paper-Pencil) .......................................................................................... 16 Proctors’ Responsibilities .................................................................................................................... 16 Timing Assessments ........................................................................................................................... 16 Timing of Project Based Assessments ................................................................................................ 17 After the Assessment (Paper-Pencil) .................................................................................................. 17 Reporting Errors on an Assessment ............................................................................................. 17&19 Online Assessment Method………………………………………………………………. ......................... 18 Materials for the Classroom Online Assessment Administrator .......................................................... 18 Administration Procedures (Online) .................................................................................................... 18 After the Assessment Administration (Online) ..................................................................................... 19 Scoring and Reporting ........................................................................................................................ 19 Assessment Forms ............................................................................................................................. 19 Assessment Irregularities .................................................................................................................... 20 V. SCANNING, SCORING, AND REPORTING RESULTS ................................................................ 21 Scanning ............................................................................................................................................. 21 Reporting Results ............................................................................................................................... 21 Appropriate Use of Results ................................................................................................................. 21 Handling Student Information .............................................................................................................. 21 What is Proficient ................................................................................................................................ 21 Who Counts in Technical Attainment .................................................................................................. 21 VI. ACCOMMODATIONS FOR SPECIAL POPULATIONS ............................................................... 22 Accommodations ................................................................................................................................ 22 Review of Accommodations Used During Testing .............................................................................. 22 Accommodated Assessment Formats ................................................................................................ 22 Standard Accommodations ................................................................................................................. 22 Other Accommodations ...................................................................................................................... 23 Alternate Assessment of Limited English Proficient Students ............................................................. 23 Alternate Assessments ....................................................................................................................... 24 VII. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS .......................................................................................... 25 Student identification Numbers and Coding ........................................................................................ 25 Administration ..................................................................................................................................... 25 Accountability ………………………………………………………… ........................................ …………25 Other CTE Courses ............................................................................................................................ 26 Where can I get more information? ..................................................................................................... 27

APPENDICES APPENDIX A-State of Accountability/Building Instructional Mgt. Coordinator .................................... 29 APPENDIX B-State of Accountability .................................................................................................. 31 Classroom Assessment Administration Form ................................................................................ 32 Class Roster Summary Form ........................................................................................................ 33 NC CTE Secure Assessment Irregularity Form ............................................................................. 34 APPENDIX C-Statement of Accountability/CTE Teacher Accountability Form ................................... 36 APPENDIX D-Medical Waiver ............................................................................................................. 38 APPENDIX E-Assessing Outside the CTE Assessment Window ....................................................... 42 School Request/Process ............................................................................................................... 43 Parent/Guardian Request Assessing Outside the CTE Assessment Window Form ...................... 44

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APPENDIX F-Review of Accommodations Used During Testing ........................................................ 45 Review of Accommodations Used During Testing Form Procedures ............................................ 46 Review of Accommodations Used During Testing Form ............................................................... 47 APPENDIX G-Testing Code of Ethics ................................................................................................. 48 APPENDIX H-Instructions to Students (Paper-Pencil) ........................................................................ 52 APPENDIX I-Instructions to Students (Online) .................................................................................... 56 APPENDIX J-Contingency CTE Assessments .................................................................................... 59 APPENDIX K-LEP/Alternative Assessment Verification Form ............................................................ 61 APPENDIX L- Statewide Assessment Printing via Third Party Accountability Agreement .................. 63 In compliance with federal law, including the provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Department of Public Instruction does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, or military service in its policies, programs, activities, admissions or employment.

Inquiries or complaints should be directed to: Career and Technical Education-Instructional Management

6359 Mail Service Center Raleigh NC 27699-6307

919/807-3892 or 919/807-3656 (fax)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thanks to the many LEA Instructional Management Coordinators, LEA Directors, Regional Coordinators, Department of Public Instruction staff members, and others who helped with the updating and review of the CTE Assessment Administration Manual. For more information about the CTE assessment process, contact [email protected]

I. INTRODUCTION

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Purpose of This Manual

To maintain the integrity of NC CTE’s statewide assessment program, it is essential that all individuals understand the importance of uniform policies, procedures, and protocols for maintaining assessment security. This publication has been prepared to assist principals, teachers, Instructional Management Coordinators, CTE Administrators, and other school personnel with the information required to implement a secure, uniform administration of CTE assessments.

Statewide implementation of CTE assessments has occurred for many years. To ensure uniform assessment administration statewide, it is critical that all persons involved review this manual to be sure correct procedures are being followed.

Statewide Instructional Materials

Course instructional guides and blueprints are available on LearnNC’s Moodle site. Teachers are ultimately responsible for checking and verifying that they have the correct materials, such as current blueprints and current instructional guides, and are using community banks through Thinkgate (Elements). Teachers are strongly encouraged to give formative assessments through the instructional management system, Thinkgate (Elements). Use of all three items supports necessary curriculum alignment. Curriculum may be found at www.moodle.learnnc.org.

Statewide Secure/Community Item Banks

A course blueprint that lists course objectives and additional information about course content is provided for most courses in the N.C. Career and Technical Education (CTE) Essential Standards. Assessment items are divided into a community bank and a state bank. The community bank, formerly known as a classroom assessment bank, is available for use by LEAs for district benchmarks and formative and classroom assessments. Secure items are reserved in a secure statewide bank for CTE assessments for most of these courses. Assessment items are developed by teams of teachers and content specialists. Both the community bank and secure state bank are aligned to the course blueprint. Items go through a strenuous validation process before being included in either bank. In addition, items are included on field tests and reliability data are collected before the item is included in a community bank or on a CTE statewide assessment.

Statewide Instructional Materials Clarifying Statement Items from community banks may not be posted on the web by teachers without LEA IMC permission and when approved, items must be password protected. Please see your LEA IMC for more information. The North Carolina Classroom Banks Acceptable Use Agreement, is located on the Directors Moodle, and should be submitted annually by the LEA Director.

Statewide Pre-Assessments

State assessments are used for the purposes of determining teacher effectiveness (EVAAS). For selected courses that have insufficient data available in Thinkgate (enrollment of 1,000 or more) and/or there is no predictive data to determine growth, required the administration of pre-assessments along with post-assessments to determine student growth. For more information please visit NCDPI’s Teacher Effectiveness website.

These pre-assessments are NOT optional, and must be completed before significant instruction takes place. Pre-Assessments are to be completed within the first five days (semester) or the first ten days (year-long) of the course.

I. INTRODUCTION

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Statewide Field Tests (Mid-Term/Final)

The field test year is defined as the entire first academic year after publication and includes implementation of a curriculum. During this year, data is collected on the curriculum and assessment items as part of the validation process. Secure field tests for high school courses will be provided by DPI for local administration.

Field Test (RBT): For RBT courses, mid-term field tests assess approximately the first half of the blueprint only. Final field tests assess approximately the second half of the blueprint only.

Field Test (Non-RBT): For these courses, the field test is comprehensive at the end of instruction.

These will be available through the Thinkgate™ software.

Use of field test scores is a local decision. If an LEA selects to use the assessment scores as part of the student’s grade, DPI recommends that results for mid-term and final field tests be scaled locally as follows: The highest individual class/section score achieved by a student on each field test will be scaled to 100 and all other scores will be adjusted by adding the same number of points by each classroom teacher (i.e., highest score 85, add 15 points for a total score of 100. Add15 points to each score). DPI applies a calculated scale that would provide a 77 as proficient after the field test year. Field test scores are not used by DPI to report proficiency for federal accountability.

Most students will complete a field test in a given 90-120 minute class period. Since a field test is not used for accountability purposes, you may give the test over two days if needed. EXAMPLE: If you are on traditional schedule, have less than 90 minutes class periods, and no extended mid-term period, then you may divide the test approximately in half and give questions 1-50 on Day 1 and 51-100 on Day 2. (Exact numbers will depend on how many questions print on a page). These SHALL be printed and packaged separately.

Be sure students use the same bubble sheet on both days for scanning and scoring purposes. Testing ethics and procedures for security must be followed. For online tests, the test must be suspended at the end of the testing period and continued the next day.

Articulation and Field Tests For more information regarding the process to award articulated credit during a field test year, please visit the North Carolina High School to Community College Articulation Agreement website.

Statewide

Post-Assessments

Secure statewide assessments are provided for most CTE courses. These generally consist of 100 multiple-choice items. Items are selected by course objective, and the number of items from each objective is determined by the weight that objective is assigned on the course blueprint.

A list of all course assessments appears in current edition of the CTE Status of Curriculum and Assessment found on the CTE IMC Moodle site. Local option courses also require a valid and reliable assessment, which may be an assessment developed by a third party.

Special provisions for assessing students with disabilities appear in this document in Section VI: Modifications for Special Populations. As a general rule, the CTE Post-Assessment process follows the procedures outlined in Testing Students with Disabilities, a publication from the Division of Accountability Services/North Carolina Testing Program.

CTE educators shall have access to blueprints and the community banks for courses they teach. Teachers may use the community banks for instruction, formative assessments, benchmark assessments, and review. Community banks must be accessed through Thinkgate™ software and must always be password protected.

Post-Assessments are to be completed within the last five days (semester) or the last ten days (year-long) of the course.

What Is Meant By Proficiency

See page 21—“What Is Proficient.”

I. INTRODUCTION

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Use of Statewide Assessment Results

Data are analyzed at the local, regional, and state levels by school, program area, and other demographic data in Thinkgate to determine current proficiency levels. State, regional, and individual LEA results of CTE assessments can be accessed online at http://ctelps.dpi.state.nc.us/. Visitors to this site can log on as follows: User Name: Guest Password: Guest

Reliability and Validity of Statewide Assessments

Validity of the secured assessment items is established through review by teams of teachers, business people, and staff consultants who are subject-matter experts. Each item is rated by several individuals, who must agree that it accurately measures student mastery of the course objective from which it is selected. Items that do not meet this criterion are not included in item banks.

Formal studies of reliability were conducted by professional psychometricians in 1993 and 2000-2008. These studies found high reliability scores for most statewide assessments. Reliability studies are conducted for all new assessment items.

NC Virtual Public School Courses

NCVPS students should be enrolled in CTE courses at the beginning of the semester and follow all rules just as if it was a face-to-face class. All NCVPS students enrolled in CTE courses must be given the same assessment as other non-NCVPS students enrolled. It is the responsibility of the home school/LEA to administer the appropriate assessment and report the scores to NCDPI. Students enrolled in NCVPS courses are included in calculation of the school/LEA performance on Technical Attainment.

Currently, NCVPS is exempted from pre-assessment requirements.

Summer School Students enrolled in CTE courses during summer school session are expected to follow the same assessment process as traditional academic year students with the following provisions:

NCVPS Not required to pre-assess Not required to take field tests (NCVPS will provide teacher-made assessment and

provide the results to the home school’s Distance Learning Advisor). Required post-assessment

Local May require pre-assessment (refer to Status of Curriculum and Assessment) Not required to take field tests (mid-term or final) Required post-assessment

Other Online Course Providers

Online courses may be used for CTE content only when they align with state board approved standards. There are many vendors for online content such as Nova Net, Odysseyware, etc… The Department of Public Instruction has not completed curriculum reviews/crosswalks for this content. The LEA is required to evaluate, document, and keep on file the content from third party vendors to ensure alignment with state standards. If a CTE number is used for registration, students will be required to participate in the post-assessment for the course. It is critical that content aligns.

Third-Party Assessments

The majority of third party assessments are available through Thinkgate. However, for those few courses for which there is no state CTE assessment, LEAs are to use appropriate third-party assessments. For a complete list of courses in which students are to receive a third-party assessment, refer to the current CTE Status of Curriculum and Assessment provided by your LEA IMC.

All third-party assessments administered via Thinkgate™ are reported for accountability as Yes (student met or exceeded cut score) or No (student did not meet cut score).

Third-party assessments can be used for Local Course Options (LCO) if they were included in the LCO approval process.

WorkKeys North Carolina administers the ACT WorkKeys assessment to all CTE concentrators who complete a four-course CTE sequence prior to graduation. The ACT WorkKeys assessment provides a gauge of career readiness and is widely recognized as an industry credential. The data reported indicates the numbers of students meeting the standard of a Silver or higher

I. INTRODUCTION

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(Gold or Platinum) certificate. For more information visit your local LEA Accountability department, the CTE Career Development Coordinator (CDC) Moodle, or visit the http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/act online site.

WorkKey’s Clarification Statement It is a collaborative effort between the local Accountability Office, CTE, and Student Services. As such, irregularities and medical waivers MUST be communicated through Accountability. For more information on WorkKeys visit http://www.act.org/stateservices/northcarolina/. For information addressing the process to complete medical exemptions for WorkKeys goto http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/accountability/. For further information contact your local Accountability Office.

Credentials A complete list of credentials that may be used in lieu of statewide assessments may be found in the current edition of the Status of Curriculum and Assessment document (located on the IMC Moodle). However, it is the responsibility of the LEA Instructional Management Coordinator to determine if state assessments must be given regardless, as to not violate their own local policy.

Nevertheless, if a credential is going to be used as an assessment in lieu of a statewide assessment, it is the responsibility of the student to provide an artifact (certificate from the authoritative source) to the classroom teacher two weeks prior to the statewide post-assessment. In some cases, the teacher may download a computer generated list, from the authoritative source, to serve as the artifact for the entire class. All artifacts must be attached to the Class Roster Summary. It is the responsibility of the Building Level Coordinator to verify, with the LEA Instructional Management Coordinator, that their local LEA policy accepts credentials in lieu of a state assessment. Please refer to state document “Credentials by Course,” as some credentials, like BM10 or IC00, require multiple credentials to satisfy the technical attainment requirement for a course in lieu of a post-assessment.

Where possible, student performance on credential examinations (including performance assessment) will be collected through Thinkgate™. Please refer to the “Credentials by Course” to see a full list of courses which are collected automatically and which are collected manually in Thinkgate. LEAs are to submit complete and accurate (refer to Article 21 on forgery) results for all students who attempt (pass or fail) to earn the credentials. LEAs will receive additional information about how to submit results on third-party assessments and credentials.

Credentials Clarifying Statement If a student took both the credential and the post-assessment, which will count toward technical attainment? State and Federal accountability will look at the credential first. If passed, the system will not use the post-assessment score in calculation of technical attainment. However, if the student did not earn the credential, the system will then look at the post-assessment.

II. OVERVIEW OF PROCESS

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LEA Instructional Management Coordinator's Responsibilities

The following is an overview of the LEA Instructional Management Coordinator’s responsibilities as they relate to statewide CTE assessments.

Attend appropriate state, regional, and local staff development activities for Instructional Management Coordinators including but not limited to the Career and Technical Education Summer Conference, the Instructional Management Technical Institute, and regionally based Instructional Management User Groups.

When using paper assessments, maintain an inventory of assessment materials prior to and after the administration, and establish and follow appropriate check-in/check-out procedures. Assessments must be counted during check-in and check-out. All assessments must be accounted for at ALL times.

When using paper assessments, print assessments from the state secure sftp at http://tinyurl.com/ncctesftp. Have the appropriate number of copies of each assessment printed and numbered using procedures established at your LEA.

When using paper assessments, pre-code student answer sheets for HALO forms or plain-paper bubble sheets using the appropriate Thinkgate™ software. CAUTION: The roster form of plain paper is NOT recommended for state assessing.

Prepare training materials and supplies for Building Level Coordinator training. Train Building Level Coordinators on the contents of this administration manual and the NC Testing Code of Ethics.

Have Building Level Coordinator sign the Statement of Accountability (Appendix A). Be available to answer questions from Building Level Coordinators during assessment

administration. Check materials back in after assessing. Assessments MUST be counted back in after

assessing. Work with Building Level Coordinators regarding make-up assessing. Set LEA and School Assessment Windows using Thinkgate™ Assessment

Scheduler. If using online assessments in Thinkgate™, open the assessment window at the

schools for the class exam for that day only. Thinkgate dashboard icons MUST not be active, when not in use. Appropriate versions of the assessments MUST be inactivated

Versions of assessments not assigned to LEA (XA, XB, etc.) NCCER Transitional pre and post-assessments

Scan assessments, if using paper and pencil assessments. Produce local accountability reports.

Follow up on any reports of irregularities or violations of assessment procedures (cheating, misadministration, etc.).

Building Level Coordinator's Responsibilities

The following is an overview of Building Level Coordinator's responsibilities as they relate to statewide CTE assessment.

Attend training session provided by LEA Instructional Management Coordinator. Collect CTE Teacher Accountability Form, see Appendix C.

Package student answer sheets with an appropriate number of assessments, a Statement of Accountability, a Class Roster Summary, NC CTE Secure Assessment Irregularity Form, and a copy of this Assessment Administration Manual. Distribute to Classroom Administrators on the day of the assessment. Have Assessment Administrators sign the Statement of Accountability acknowledging receipt.

Establish and follow appropriate check-in/check-out procedures for assessment materials for assessment administrators, when using paper and pencil assessments.

Maintain appropriate assessment security throughout the assessment. Conduct training session for Classroom Administrators and proctors to review all

information and procedures as outlined in this manual, including the NC Testing Code of Ethics.


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Work with the Classroom Administrators to ensure that a proper assessment environment is provided. Coordinate with Special Populations Coordinator and Exceptional Children’s Coordinator the administration of CTE assessments to students with disabilities or English as a second language (ESL) students (see Section VI).

Check materials being returned by Assessment Administrators. Have Assessment Administrators sign the Statement of Accountability acknowledging that appropriate procedures have been followed.

Return all assessment materials to LEA Instructional Management Coordinator as soon as assessments are complete. All assessments MUST be counted back in when returning assessments. Develop a check system to ensure the Classroom Administrator administering

online assessments clears each computer’s cache after assessment is complete. Establish appropriate make-up procedures and administer make-up assessments as

necessary.

Building Level IMC Responsibilities Clarifying Statement Assessments are to be secure at all times. Therefore, students who must use the bathroom, on an emergency bases, must be provided an escort to and from the assessment site. The proctor may not leave the room for any reason when the Classroom Administrator is the teacher of record. It is recommended that the Building Level IMC develop a local communication and emergency plan.

Classroom Administrator’s Responsibilities

Certified employees of the school system who have been trained in the CTE assessment administration process and the NC Testing Code of Ethics shall serve as Classroom Administrators.

The following is an overview of the Classroom Administrator's responsibilities as they relate to statewide CTE assessments.

Attend CTE Assessment Training Complete Teacher Accountability Form after Building Level Coordinator training

(Appendix C) Maintain an inventory and count of assessment materials prior to and after the

assessment. Conduct an unbiased administration of the assessments following the administration

procedures outlined in this manual. Complete the Class Roster Summary for each administration of the assessment, which

accurately indicates the type of assessment taken by the student. Report assessment irregularities to Building Level Coordinator.

If administering an online assessment, the Classroom Administrator MUST clear the cache of all computers at the end of the assessment session. See special note below. Note: Some LEAs have classroom computers set up to clear cache when the computer is powered down. If this is the case, all computers must be shut down at the end of the assessment session. It is the responsibility of the Classroom Administrator to verify how the cache is cleared before the start of the assessment.

For more information on Classroom Administrator responsibilities, see Section IV, Administering Assessments.

Use of Proctors The principal shall select responsible adults as proctors from community volunteers, school staff, or school system staff. Duties of proctors are outlined in The Proctors Guide, a publication of the Division of Accountability Services/North Carolina Testing Program.

While the use of proctors is not required in every situation of CTE statewide assessment, it is recognized that proctors in each assessment site would be most ethically correct. The LEA shall select from one of the following options to ensure proper assessment procedures.

Option 1: Proctors – In each classroom assessment site, there shall be one administrator and one proctor. The administrator CAN be the teacher regularly assigned to this classroom. The proctors MUST also attend the assessment training


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sessions in order to be familiar with standard procedures. This option must be used if the teacher of record is administering

assessments for their own class, or an assessment in their own department/licensure.

Option 2: Arena Assessing – Several groups of students are combined in a large arena-type setting (i.e., media center or cafeteria) with one teacher serving as lead assessment administrator and other teachers serving as proctors.

Option 3: Department trade-off – Teachers do not administer assessments within their own departments/licensure area, but trade with other CTE teachers in different program areas to administer the assessments. Proctors are not required for this option.

Testing Code of Ethics

Use of proper assessment procedures is essential to provide accurate data for making decisions about individuals and courses or programs. Classroom teachers, Instructional Management Coordinators and others involved in the statewide CTE assessment process are expected to follow appropriate professional practices as explained in the NC Testing Code of Ethics. Adherence to the NC Testing Code of Ethics is one way to increase the accuracy of local and statewide data. Review the NC Testing Code of Ethics for consequences of noncompliance (Appendix G).

LEA Instructional Management Coordinators and Building Level Coordinators should facilitate and maintain records of attendance for training on this administration manual and the NC Testing Code of Ethics. Attendees are to complete a CTE Teacher Accountability Form after training, see Appendix C.

NC Testing Code of Ethics Clarifying Statement Teachers may conduct the read-aloud accommodation for state assessments outside of their department/licensure area.

Teachers and students shall not discuss state secure assessment content following an assessment event, as this would be deemed unethical behavior by trying to access secure material for “personal gain.” Refer to the NC Testing Code of Ethics.

Limitations to Providing Instruction to Students on the Day of Testing

During the school year, teachers shall provide instruction that meets or exceeds the North Carolina CTE Essential Standards to give students an opportunity to master the standards measured by CTE assessments. School systems shall prohibit local staff from conducting any type of instructional activity related to the content being tested on the morning of the test administration or during the test administration. LEAs may elect to have review sessions for assessments given on a different day (You may not review for same day testing). In these instances, teachers must not jeopardize the security of the assessment forms. For example, students might approach a teacher and ask questions about assessment items. Teachers must not discuss assessment items with the students and should inform students that they are not to share assessment items with others (e.g., students, teachers). Teachers should not use assessment items or information from students as the basis for additional instruction or review. Excerpts from the tests may not be used at any time during classroom instruction or in resource materials such as study guides.

In addition, teachers are not permitted to (1) discuss specific items from the assessment with students or colleagues before, during, or after the assessment administration or (2) ask students for feedback on assessment items. For example, which test questions were difficult? Before the designated assessment administration date and according to State Board of Education policy GCS-A-010 (16 NCAC 6D .0306), teachers may help students improve test-taking skills by:

1. helping students become familiar with the assessment format using curricular content;

2. teaching students assessment-taking strategies; 3. helping students learn ways of preparing to take assessment; and 4. using online sample assessment items when they are made available through the

NCDPI Accountability Services Division/North Carolina Testing Program and classroom item banks from Thinkgate.

Classroom assessment administrators should explain to students that the assessment administrator and proctor will move quietly throughout the room to scan the students’ work


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areas to ensure students are following the assessment directions. While monitoring, assessment administrators and proctors are not to read assessment questions from students’ assessment booklets or from computer monitors used for online assessments. Assessment administrators and proctors must be made aware of what they can and cannot do to assist students. All assessment administrations must be conducted in an unbiased and uniform manner. For all assessments, it is essential that the score represents the best estimate of the students’ knowledge and mastery of the concepts. Before and during the assessment administration, the assessment administrator must promote an informative, positive, and supportive environment in order to minimize student tension regarding the assessment. Before the first day of the assessment administration, the school should inform the students and parents (preferably in writing) about the purpose of the state assessment and that students:

1. Are scheduled to take assessment(s) surveying their knowledge and mastery of skills as specified in the North Carolina CTE Essential Standard

2. Should attempt each question/prompt on the assessment; 3. Should bring two sharpened No. 2 pencils (for paper-pencil assessments); 4. Should use school issued/approved graph paper, if applicable; 5. Will be provided information regarding the use of calculators during the

administration of NC CTE assessment; 6. Should not bring extra blank paper, dictionaries, reference books, textbooks, cell

phones, mp3 players, cameras, smartpens, music, thesauruses, or computers to the assessment site; and

7. Will be informed of any local and state policies regarding the use of assessment results.

For paper-and-pencil, multiple-choice tests, students should be taught to check for misalignment during instructional assessment preparation sessions conducted on days before the actual assessment administration. Students should be taught to check every tenth number to see if the question to which they are responding in the assessment book corresponds with the number of the bubble on the scannable answer sheet.

Suspended Students

According to North Carolina General Statutes G.S. §115C–391(b), “the principal of a school, or his/her delegate, shall have authority to suspend for a period of 10 days or less” (i.e., short-term suspension) “any student who willfully violates policies of conduct established by the local board of education.” When a student is suspended for a period of 10 days or less, the student shall be provided “the opportunity to take any quarterly, semester, or grading period examinations missed during the suspension period.”

Students with short-term suspensions are thus required to take the appropriate state-mandated test(s). The school must make arrangements to test these suspended students in a location (e.g., central office, home) that is mutually agreeable to parents/guardians. The school test coordinator must ensure test security is maintained and all procedures located in the CTE Assessment Administrator’s Manual are followed throughout the test administration(s).

“The principal of a school, with prior approval of the superintendent, shall have the authority to suspend for periods of times in excess of 10 school days, but not exceeding the time remaining in the school year” (i.e., long-term suspension), “any pupil who willfully violates the policies of conduct established by the local board of education” [G.S. §115C–391(c)]. The LEA decides if it will provide students with long-term suspensions the opportunity to take the appropriate state-mandated test(s). If the opportunity is provided, the school must make arrangements to test these suspended students in a location (e.g., central office, home) that is mutually agreeable to parents/guardians, and the Building Level Coordinator must ensure test security is maintained and all procedures contained in the CTE Assessment Administrator’s Manual are followed throughout the test administration(s).


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Assessment Security – Paper and Pencil Method

Prior to Administration Review the Thinkgate® Technology Platform Tutorials State Assessment Scheduler – Cmanager, Find and Print a State Assessment and Administer a State Assessment and Print Bubble Sheets found in the Reference Center.

Each local school system will download from the secure sftp site (refer to LEA IMC Responsibilities) a copy of each assessment that will be assessed using the paper and pencil method. Access to the assessments shall be limited to authorized school personnel involved in printing or duplicating and to persons reformatting assessments to meet requirements of individual student IEPs or Section 504 plans. If using an outside vendor for reproduction of assessments (see Printing Sent to Third Party Printers), have them sign a Statement of Accountability form and keep on file locally (Appendix L).

State Board of Education policy specifies that secure tests, including all test materials and test questions, are not to be used in instruction or for resource materials such as study guides. Access to tests shall be limited to school personnel who have a legitimate need. No person may copy, reproduce, or paraphrase in any manner or for any reason the test materials without the prior written consent of the test publisher (i.e., NCDPI Career and Technical Education).

CTE Administrators and/or Instructional Management Coordinators should review the assessment to be sure all pages are included and that any graphic images are printed correctly. They are not to review assessment item content.

On Assessment Day Assessment booklets shall be distributed to the Classroom Administrator and returned to the Building Level Coordinator or principal for secure storage. Classroom Assessment Administrators are responsible for the materials they receive. They shall check to be sure they have the correct document and that all pages are included. An inventory shall be included for Classroom Administrators to sign for the number of assessments they receive and the number returned at the end of the assessment day.

No one is to review assessments. Teachers should not attempt to answer student questions about specific items.

During long breaks and lunch periods, assessments should be returned to the Building Level Coordinator or principal for secure storage. When not checked out to Classroom Assessment Administrators, all assessment materials shall be securely stored in a locked location until they are returned to the LEA Instructional Management Coordinator.

After Administration Test copies may be saved for future use by the LEA IMC only. Each test copy must be scrutinized to be sure it does not contain any marks, by the LEA IMC or the Building Level Coordinator. If the LEA allows for marking in test booklets, they must provide one copy for each student and test booklets may NOT be reused. Assessments must be stored in a locked area. The LEA Instructional Management Coordinator will be notified by DPI when the assessment cycle for a particular form is complete. At that time, all copies shall be securely destroyed.

LEA Instructional Management Coordinators shall NOT retain copies of the assessments in their archives. The assessments will be archived at the Department of Public Instruction.


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Assessment Security – Online Method

Prior to Administration Review the Thinkgate® Technology Platform Tutorials State Assessment Scheduler – Cmanager, Find and Print a State Assessment and Administer a State Assessment Online found in the Reference Center.

Each local school system will use Thinkgate™ Assessment Scheduler to set the LEA and School Assessment Window. This will prevent the State Assessments from being used before the assigned assessment day. Access to the assessments shall be available only on the authorized assessment day.

NC State Board of Education policy specifies that secure tests, including all test materials and test questions, are not to be used in instruction or for resource materials, such as study guides. Access to tests shall be limited to school personnel who have a legitimate need. No person may copy, reproduce, or paraphrase in any manner or for any reason the test materials without the prior written consent of the test publisher (i.e., NCDPI Career and Technical Education).

Assessment Security Online Clarifying Statement Classroom Administrators with students having difficulty logging into state online assessments should refer to Appendix J

III. PREPARING FOR ASSESSMENTS

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General Information

The purpose of this manual is to ensure that Classroom Administrators in different courses, different schools, and different LEAs are consistent in the way they administer the CTE assessments. If the administration procedures change even slightly from one location to another, the maximum performance of the different students may be compromised.

It is the classroom teacher's responsibility to use the correct blueprint for instruction and to ensure that all core standards and objectives/indicators are covered in the course.

Assessment Schedule

Although schedules vary from region to region, LEA to LEA, and even schools within LEAs, state law makers have set policy to protect instructional time for CTE and non CTE content areas.

Assessment Schedule Clarifying Statement Pre, Mid-Term, and Post-Assessments:

Pre-Assessments must be administered within the first five days of the semester or first ten days of a yearlong course.

RBT courses with mid-terms are considered an extension of the post-assessment, as the mid-term is averaged with the final. Therefore, these assessments must be administered at the mid-point of the course.

Post-Assessments must be administered within the last five days of the semester or last ten days of a yearlong course.

For more information, please refer to G.S. 115C-174.12(a)

Early Assessment Administrations A student may assess early under special circumstances. See Process for Requesting to Assess Outside the CTE Assessment Window (Appendix E). Once a student has taken the CTE Post-Assessment, he/she is NOT allowed to return to the classroom, since CTE Post-Assessments are secure state assessments. This would be a breach of assessment security and deemed an assessment misadministration. Also by taking the exam, their coursework is completed.

Makeups: Makeup assessments are to be completed within the assessment window. There are at least three circumstances that allows LEAs to go past the window: 1) IEP/504 “multiple-test sessions”, 2) national assessments, or 3) family emergency/family relocation.

Certified employees of the school system, who have been trained, shall serve as assessment administrators.

CTE State Assessment Cutoffs Summer: State window ends the second Friday in August Fall: State window ends the second Friday in February Spring: State window ends the third Friday in June

Please plan accordingly.

Notifying Students About Accommodations

Notifying students about the accommodations they are to use prior to the actual assessment administration date allows the student to know what to expect in advance of the assessment. Knowing details beforehand assists the student in preparing for the assessment administration, and gives school personnel the opportunity to address any student concerns prior to the actual assessment administration date. For example, when a student is notified about the accommodation before their assessment date, the student may state that he/she will not use the accommodation documented on their IEP. This prior knowledge allows the school time to work with the student, parents, and the IEP Team to resolve the issue beforehand.

Appropriate officials in LEAs should provide “Review of Accommodations” used during assessments. Refer to Appendix F as an example. If needed, the LEA may use the sample form.


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What to Tell Students

The classroom teacher shall promote an informative, positive and supportive environment to minimize student anxiety regarding the assessment. Prior to assessing, students should be given the following information:

They will be assessed on one of the following (choose which applies): Pre-Assessment—measure current knowledge and mastery of the concepts of the

course. Pre-Assessment Clarifying Statement Students shall answer questions they know on the assessment. They are not required to answer every question.

Mid-Term—measure knowledge and mastery of the concepts learned in the first half of this course.

Post-Assessment—measure knowledge and mastery of the concepts learned in this course.

The assessment will provide information about students’ individual level of achievement. Another purpose is to assist the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and

U.S. Department of Education in ensuring that students throughout the state have access to similar educational opportunities.

The assessment scores will be used in determining course grades according to local policy.

The day before the assessment is to be administered, teachers should tell the students to be sure to bring two sharpened No. 2 pencils. (The school system may provide assessment pencils.) Tell students they are not to bring textbooks, dictionaries, bookmarks, thesauruses, or microcomputers unless allowed by personalized education plans. Student cell phones are not permitted in the assessment site. Note: Principals will develop a local plan to handle cell phones brought to the assessment site.

Students are permitted to bring their own calculators or borrow one for the assessment. Calculators are permitted for all assessments. Cell phone calculators may NOT be used. Students who use personal calculators that have information previously stored in the memory must be required to clear the memory before and after taking the assessment.

Assessment Environment

The area selected for assessment administration must provide an environment that minimizes distractions and interruptions for students. Rooms used for administration of the assessment shall be quiet, comfortable, and have adequate lighting.

Seating shall be arranged to prevent students from sharing answers (this includes computer labs that will be used for online assessments). If assessments are to take place in a facility other than a classroom (for example, the cafeteria or the media center), special effort may be required to establish and maintain a proper environment.

Instructional displays of classroom materials and other equipment that may provide students with assistance in answering items must be removed or covered with opaque paper or plastic material such as plastic trash bags. Failure to cover or remove such displays during the test administration is considered a violation of the NC Testing Code of Ethics.

No food or drink is permitted unless it is required for health reasons.

Use of Formula Sheets and Other Reference Materials

DPI provides formulas and conversion tables for certain courses. These formulas are included in the specific assessment item where they are needed. Use of formula sheets other than those provided by DPI is not permitted.

The National Electric Code Book is allowed as a reference for the Electrical Trades assessment. No specific edition is required.

Students enrolled in Metals Manufacturing Technology I and II should be allowed to use the Machinery's Handbook or a student version of the book.

PDF Files of the Secure Assessments

Secure pdf files will no longer be uploaded into Thinkgate, but instead be placed on the state’s secure ftp site. The IMC, Primary Point of Contact, shall only print from the secure ftp site. No pdf state secure assessment shall be saved outside of the state secure ftp site, as this is considered a breach of assessment security.


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Printing Sent toThird Party Printers (Kinkos)

Pdf files maybe provided on electronic media such as CDs or flash drives for delivery to third party (offsite) printers. These devices must be secured as all other secured state assessments (labeled, numbered, and inventoried going-out and coming-in). Electronic files must remain on the device that was provided by LEA IMC. Third party printer must sign a confidentiality agreement, which includes keeping assessment materials secure and clearing data from their printers when print job is finished, see Appendix L.

LEA IMCs must secure electronic device between assessment cycles. At the end of school year, all electronic devices must be securely destroyed or files erased. If, under any circumstance, a breach occurs in this process, the LEA will be held responsible for damages.

Recording Audio Files of the State Secure Assessment

Although read-aloud capability will be available in the new platform of Thinkgate, there may be rare circumstances where the LEA IMC may need to create an audio file of a state secure assessment. Audio files maybe provided on electronic media such as CDs or flash drives. These devices must be secured as all other secured state assessments (labeled, numbered, and inventoried). Electronic files must remain on the device that was provided by LEA IMC.

LEA IMCs must secure electronic device between assessment cycles. At the end of school year, all electronic devices must be securely destroyed or files erased.

File Sharing between LEAs

LEAs may share audio file through the sftp state site only.

Process: Upload file to the Upload Folder on the sftp at http://tinyurl.com/ncctesftp Email your Instructional Management Consultant Instructional Management Consultant will move files to statewide folder for other LEA

access.

Please remember to always clear your computer’s cache when after working with state secure documents/files.

Medical Waivers Please refer to Appendix D.

Before Assessment

Pre/Mid/Post:

Teachers are to enter students’ anticipated grades into the Thinkgate™ software prior to the test period (online and paper-pencil assessment). Use the following scale: A or B or C or D or F. Review the Thinkgate® Technology Platform Tutorials Enter Anticipated Grades in the reference center.

Pre-Assessments Teachers are required to enter an “A” for pre-assessment anticipated grades. The anticipated grades are not used for any statistical analysis, but rather it allows the student to access the online assessment or the scoring of paper-pencil assessments.

Mid-Term and Post-Assessment Use the following scale: A or B or C or D or F. This need not be a mathematical calculation, but simply the teacher’s “best estimate” of what the student would receive at that point without regard to their performance on the assessment or their attendance.

IMPORTANT: Anticipated grades are VITAL for reliability purposes.

Special Populations information will be extracted from an authoritative source. Teachers are not responsible for entering any Special Populations information.

Before Online Assessing:

Classroom Assessment Administrators should have experience in the use of Thinkgate™ online assessments.

Review the Thinkgate® Technology Platform Tutorials Administer a State Assessment Online in the Reference Center.

Check to ensure that all equipment is in proper working order. Check to ensure computers are Internet accessible. Check to ensure that a Web browser capable to displaying a CTE online assessment is

installed on each computer workstation intended for the administration and ensure that it starts, a secure connection is verified, and all components work.

LEA IMCs should check with their local Technology Department to ensure scheduled


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programs such as virus checks, weather programs etc. will not pop-up during the assessment window or it will lock students out.

Credit Recovery Students who are in credit recovery or repeating a course must be coded appropriately in PowerSchool (State Board of Education Policy GCS-M-001).

Credit Recovery (Earn PASS/FAIL Only) Schools must code a student as credit recovery. Students will not be in same section as regular students. Students in credit recovery are exempt from taking statewide CTE assessments—if they met proficiency (77 or greater) on the post-assessment when they originally took the course. Those who did not take or did not make proficiency are expected to be assessed/re-assessed. Keep in mind, a student may not get articulated credit for credit recovery.

Thinkgate (If re-assessing is needed): If there is an old score, LEA IMC must reset before assessing the student

Repeating Course (Earn PASS/FAIL or Grade) *Can be used to improve GPA School must code student as regular section. Students repeating the course are exempt from taking statewide CTE assessments—if they met proficiency (77 or greater) on the post-assessment when they originally took the course. Those who did not take or did not make proficiency are expected to be assessed/re-assessed. Keep in mind, a student may only be granted articulated credit if they receive mastery (93 or higher).

Thinkgate (If re-assessing is needed): If there is an old score, reset before assessing the student

Credit by Demonstrated Mastery

Credit by Demonstrated Mastery is the process by which LEAs shall, based upon a body-of-evidence, award a student credit in a particular course without requiring the student to complete classroom instruction for a certain amount of seat time. “Mastery” is defined as a student’s command of course material at a level that demonstrates a deep understanding of the content standards and application of knowledge. Beginning with the 2013-14 school year, Credit by Demonstrated Mastery shall be available for all NC students in grades 6-12 (GCS-M-001).

Credit by Demonstration Route Students shall demonstrate mastery through a multi-phase assessment, consisting of:

1) a standard examination, AND 2) an artifact which requires the student to apply knowledge and skills relevant to the

content standards.

Credit by Demonstration Clarifying Example: 1) CTE Assessment of 93 or higher plus MSITA certifications 2) CTE Assessment of 93 or higher plus project (P/F).

Students are NOT to be enrolled in the course in which they are seeking credit by demonstrated mastery. The following courses are excluded from Credit by Demonstrated Mastery: Career and Technical Education (CTE) work-based learning courses (co-op, internship, apprenticeship), CTE courses that have a clinical setting as a requirement of the course, such as ProStart, Early Childhood Education I/II and Nursing Fundamentals, and CTE Advanced Studies courses.

Future guidance concerning how to enter student score information to transcript to be posted on the IMC Moodle.

Middle School Student’s Taking High School CTE Courses?

In exceptionally rare circumstances, a middle school student may be eligible to take a CTE course offered at the high school level. This must be approved through the CTE Director and Regional Coordinator for prior approval. LEA IMC will follow directions via Thinkgate® Technology Platform Tutorials to add classes, teachers, and students.


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MSLs/CTE Pre/Post- Assessments

Please refer to the August 8, 2013 Memo “Middle School CTE Measures of Student Learning” sent out by the NCDPI’s CTE Director, JoAnne Honeycutt. A copy of this memo is located in the Middle School MSL folder on the sftp site.

For additional information on the MSL process, please refer to resources available on the DPI website at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/effectiveness-model/measures/. If you have addition questions, please contact Jennifer Preston ([email protected]) or Jo Anne Honeycutt ([email protected]).

IV. ADMINISTERING ASSESSMENTS

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Materials for the Classroom Paper and Pencil Assessment Administrator

The Classroom Administrator shall receive:

An assessment booklet for each student in the class. A pre-coded answer sheet for each student in the class and a few blank answer sheets

to accommodate students for whom there is no pre-coded sheet. Statement of Accountability: Classroom Administrator Form A Class Roster Summary for each class. A NC CTE Secure Assessment Irregularity Form for each class. (see Appendix A) A copy of this CTE Statewide Classroom Assessment Administration Manual.

Administration Procedures (Paper-Pencil)

Classroom Administrators shall observe and monitor students during assessments. Administrators shall not read, work on the computer or other devices, talk, or leave the room during the test administration.

The Classroom Administrator shall do the following:

Sign the Statement of Accountability: Classroom Administrator Form to acknowledge receipt of assessment materials listed above (see Appendix A).

Review the CTE Classroom Assessment Administration Manual and the NC Testing Code of Ethics (Appendix G).

Distribute answer sheets to students. Have students verify their student identification number and test ID. If there are errors in pre-coding, instruct students not to try to erase them; make a note on the roster of the needed correction.

Distribute an assessment booklet to each student. Read aloud (script) the Instructions to Students from Appendix H. Provide blank paper if needed. Monitor the classroom during assessments. Do not leave the room. Schools are

responsible for developing student escort plans. Students should never be left unsupervised with assessment materials.

At the end of the assessment period: Collect the completed answer sheets from students. Collect all assessment booklets from the students. Collect blank and used paper from students.

Proctors’ Responsibilities

Proctors serve as additional monitors to help the Classroom Administrator ensure that assessing occurs fairly and uniformly. Proctors may not assist students in choosing responses to assessment questions or at any time modify, change, alter, erase, or tamper with student responses to assessment questions. At no time shall proctors be responsible for reading directions or otherwise providing information for the assessment administration to students.

Proctors shall: Maintain assessment security at all times. Help ensure that physical conditions in the room are appropriate. Make sure that materials are appropriately distributed. Ensure that appropriate assessment administration procedures are followed. Assist students with emergencies and restroom breaks during assessments. Schools

are responsible for developing student escort plans. Monitor students. Ensure that appropriate procedures for providing accommodations are followed. Report all assessment irregularities to the Building Level Coordinator. Maintain student confidentiality. Sign Statement of Accountability: Classroom Administrator Form (Appendix A)

Proctor’s guide is available at http://tinyurl.com/og9kkrk for you convenience.

Timing of Assessments

(non-project based)

High school students are to be given a minimum of 120 minutes and a maximum of 4 hours.

Timing of Assessments (non-project based) Clarification Statement It is recommended NOT to hold an entire class over 120 minutes for students. Students with an extended time modification may be moved to a pre-determined site in the building.


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Timing of Project Based Assessments

High school students taking Project Management courses are to be given five “regular” periods or no more than four hours to complete the CTE Project Management Assessment Project

After The Assessment (Paper-Pencil)

Following assessment administration, the Classroom Administrator shall do the following:

Inventory assessment booklets and prepare for return to the Building Level Coordinator. Package Class Roster Summary and answer sheets by class and return to the Building

Level Coordinator. Destroy scratch paper students used for figuring during assessments or return to Building

Level Coordinator if requested. Be very careful in handling the student answer sheets. Do not bend or fold. Do not use

staples, paper clips, “Post-It” notes, or rubber bands. Sign the Statement of Accountability: Classroom Administrator Turn in all materials to the Building Level Coordinator. If necessary, complete a Testing Irregularity Form and submit to the Building Level

Coordinator. NC CTE Secure Assessment Irregularities Form MUST be reported within the day of occurrence.

Only the Building Level Coordinators may review for marks-in-books or other stray marks after administration.

Reporting Errors on an Assessment When a student has a question or a concern with an item(s) on an assessment, the only direction the classroom administrator or proctor may provide to the student is “I’m sorry; I cannot answer questions about specific items. Please read the question and do the best you can.” The administrator or proctor may document, on the NC CTE Secure Assessment Irregularity Form, a particular question may have an error — no content details shall be written down. No one shall copy down a state secure assessment item(s). The Classroom Administrator or proctor shall inform the Building Level IMC. The Building Level IMC shall notify the LEA IMC the day of the occurrence, and the LEA IMC shall review the irregularity.

ONLY the LEA IMCs may request state review of state secure items by completing the Google Doc form at http://tinyurl.com/n2lfkj4


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Assessment Method (Online)

Security of Assessment Materials and Online Content Online CTE assessments contain secure and copyrighted content. Therefore, classroom administrators, proctors, information technology staff, and students must follow rules and procedures that ensure online content is not made available to anyone for any other purpose than to conduct these assessments. All administrators and staff involved in delivery and administration of online CTE assessments must be trained on the appropriate use of assessment materials, assessment security, online security, the NC Testing Code of Ethics, and ensure that appropriate assessment security procedures are followed. For example, secure online assessment items must not be visible on a computer monitor unless the Classroom Administrator, proctor and student are present during the actual administration of the assessment.

Materials for the Classroom Online Assessment Administrator

The Classroom Administrator shall receive: Statement of Accountability: Classroom Administrator A Class Roster Summary for each class. A NC CTE Secure Assessment Irregularity Form for each class. A copy of this Statewide Classroom Assessment Administration Manual

Administration Procedures (Online)

The Classroom Administrators shall observe and monitor students during assessments. Administrators shall not read, work on the computer or other electronic devices, talk, or leave the room during administration.

The Classroom Administrator shall do the following: Obtain secure Test ID from the Thinkgate dashboard for that state secure assessment. Display the Thinkgate™ assessment site URL so students can read it -

https://elements.schools.nc.gov/client/test (Your LEA will replace “client” in the above URL—buncombe, wake, charter, etc.)

o LEAs may choose to create short cuts to test page URL. Display Test ID so students can read it. Review the Assessment Security – Online Assessment Method section in this manual.

After Students Enter the Room: Instruct students to sit down, but NOT to use the computer until directed to do so by the

classroom assessment administrator. When all students are seated the classroom assessment administrator will have the

students’ log in to the Thinkgate™ online site.

After ALL students have the login screen visible, the classroom assessment administrator will have the students to enter the Test ID and their Student ID, and then click Sign in.

The classroom assessment administrator MUST confirm that each student’s computer is set to the Start Test page and that the student’s name is identified on his/her computer. (Confirm student in seat is student at computer.)

When ready, the classroom assessment administrator may begin reading the script to start the assessment session.


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During Testing The classroom administrator MUST verify on the state assessment dashboard that each student has a start time. If not, student answers will not submit.

Read aloud (script) the Instructions to Students from Appendix I. Provide blank scratch paper if needed. Students are not to be left unsupervised with assessment materials. Monitor the classroom during assessment. Do not leave the room.

After the Assessment Administration (Online)

The Classroom Assessment Administrator will ensure that any information from the assessment saved or cached on any network or computer is purged or deleted immediately following the completion of the assessment administration session. Assessment security SHALL be maintained at all times.

Reporting Errors on an Assessment When a student has a question or a concern with an item(s) on an assessment, the only direction the classroom assessment administrator or proctor may provide to the student is “I’m sorry; I cannot answer questions about specific items. Please read the question and do the best you can.” The administrator or proctor may document, on the NC CTE Secure Assessment Irregularity Form, a particular question may have an error—no content details shall be written down. No one shall copy down a state secure assessment item(s). The classroom administrator or proctor shall inform the Building Level IMC. The Building Level IMC shall notify the LEA IMC the day of the occurrence, and the LEA IMC shall review the irregularity.

Scoring and Reporting

North Carolina CTE assessments are scored electronically on a centrally hosted server. A program that defines technical item parameters scores the responses. Once scores for each item have been assigned by the program, teachers, assessment administrators, principals and CTE directors will then be able to generate reports from Thinkgate™ Reports (formerly Data Utilization).

Assessment Forms

NCDPI (within Thinkgate™ software) will designate the number of assessment form(s) for the administration of North Carolina CTE Assessment(s).

ONLY the LEA IMCs may request state review of state secure items by completing the Google Doc form at http://tinyurl.com/n2lfkj4


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Assessment Irregularities/Mis-administrations

It is the responsibility of the Classroom Administrator and any others involved in the assessment process to file a NC CTE Secure Assessment Irregularity Form if they believe there has been a possible mis-administration. Mis-administrations include, but are not limited to, the following:

Interpreting, explaining, or paraphrasing the assessment directions. Not assessing eligible students. Administering the incorrect assessment. Not returning all assessment booklets to the Building Level Coordinator (Assessment

booklets must be counted back in when returning.) Leaving state secure assessments unlocked when not in use. Leaving secure unsupervised with access to assessment materials. Allowing students to review secure assessment materials prior to administration. Cheating. Not providing accommodations for students as required by their IEPs. Providing accommodations for students who are not eligible to receive them. Changing or modifying student responses on the answer sheets or allowing students to

change responses after they have turned in their answer sheets.

All unusual situations should be recorded on the NC CTE Secure Assessment Irregularity Form.

Proctors can report irregularities independently. Side 1 of the report of NC CTE Secure Assessment Irregularities Form should be completed.

LEA IMC (Primary Point Of Contact) shall report Building Level Coordinator irregularities, via Google doc, at http://tinyurl.com/m8wbg3c on the day of occurrence.

If the School Superintendent declares a misadministration, the school system must complete Part 1 & 2 of the NC CTE Secure Assessment Irregularity Form and send them certified mail, within five business days, to:

Stephen Kelley Instructional Management Consultant

NCDPI-CTE 6359 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-6359

If a misadministration is not declared, the form should be kept on file locally but need not be submitted to NCDPI.

A declared misadministration must have its results reset for accountability purposes, as outlined in the accountability documents. Only the IMC PPOC and/or the Local CTE Director (two employees with a legitimate need) may reset student scores, as these are the only persons permitted cmanager access. Failure to reset results is considered falsification of state and federal data. It is recommended that LEAs print results prior to resetting for local LEA audit purposes.

V. SCANNING, SCORING, AND REPORTING RESULTS

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Scanning Scanning MUST take place by central office staff at a central location or the Building Level

Coordinator at individual schools. Teachers may run their own class reports and grades after 2:00 p.m. The person responsible for scanning must maintain security of assessments and data files at all times. It is recommended that LEA IMC print the “Report Card by Test” for their files, as it is not uncommon for student to “disappear” if they are withdrawn or graduate early.

Instructions for scanning may be found in Thinkgate® Technology Platform Tutorials

CAUTION: Be sure you use the correct scanning software, HALO or plain-paper.

CAUTION: The roster form of plain paper is NOT recommended for state assessing.

Reporting Results

Teachers may receive any reports they believe would be useful in evaluating student performance and planning for future classroom instruction, provided the reports do not show the correct item answers or the percent of students who answered individual items correctly.

Teachers may run their individual reports after 2:00 p.m. of the test administration day.

CTE Directors and Principals may also run their own reports after 2:00 p.m. of the test administration day.

Generating reports may increase unnecessary internet traffic during heavy online assessment times. In order to ensure students with the best possible online assessment experience, please adhere to the established procedure of running reports after 2:00 p.m. of the test administration day.

Appropriate Use of Results

Educators should remember that assessment scores are only one measure of student performance and should be combined with other measures when possible to truly evaluate student achievement. Use the guidelines in the NC Testing Code of Ethics to determine appropriate use of results of assessments, including Thinkgate™ reports and results posted in the Local Planning System.

Care must be taken to provide interpretive information as needed when assessment scores or performance analyses are released.

It is imperative the confidentiality of individual students be protected at all times.

Scores will be stored in Thinkgate™ in Historical Data.

Handling Student Information

Electronic communication which includes a student’s full name and/ID is prohibited in email or text.

What Is Proficient Proficiency is based on a scale score of 77 for state and third-party assessments. Based on assessment scores, students are determined to be Proficient or Not Yet Proficient based on these cut scores. A score of 93, or mastery required for articulation purposes according to the statewide articulation agreement. However, pilot and field tests are determined by the individual LEA. Pilot and field tests are not reported for federal accountability purposes.

Who Counts In Technical Attainment?

All students enrolled at the time of assessing should be assessed with the CTE statewide assessment, approved third-party assessment, approved credential, or other assessment strategy required by the student’s IEP. The Status of Curriculum and Assessment indicates what assessment strategy is required. Unless otherwise indicated, credentials must be reported in Thinkgate.

Records for students who meet membership requirements (length of time enrolled in the course) automatically are counted in state and federal reporting of proficiency. The current DPI membership requirement states that students must be enrolled at least 70 days in a semester course or 140 days in a yearlong course to be included. You do not need to do anything to these student records. Students who do not meet membership requirements are excluded automatically in state and federal reporting of Technical Attainment and in EVAAS reporting.

VI. ACCOMMODATIONS FOR SPECIAL POPULATIONS

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Accommodations CTE assessments are designed to measure students’ mastery of course objectives. Accommodations shall be made for any disabilities—temporary or permanent—that interferes with the measurement of what students know.

Approved accommodations for students with disabilities must be consistent with instructional practices routinely used during instruction and must be documented on the student’s Individualized Education Program or Written Accommodation Plan. Students with disabilities are identified under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Information on determining the appropriate student accommodations is provided in Testing Students with Disabilities, a publication from Division of Accountability Services/North Carolina Testing Program.

Documentation of approved accommodations is necessary in cases of temporary disabilities (broken arm, broken finger, etc.) for CTE assessments (follow emergency 504 directions). Limited English Proficient students can be assessed in a separate setting. Students who are not primarily English speakers cannot receive accommodations unless they have documented accommodations.

Review of Accommodations Used During Testing

Please refer to Appendix F. Building Level IMC may be able to obtain the Review of Accommodation Used During Testing form from the authoritative source (CECAS). Check with your EC Department or Program Specialist, etc. Building Level IMC needs to verify accommodations form is complete for all students with accommodations. Before testing, left side of form needs to be complete. The right side of the form needs to be competed after testing. A copy of the Review of Accommodations Used During Testing should be kept at the LEA IMC office for audit purposes.

Accommodated Assessment Formats

It is imperative that classroom assessment administrators of modified assessment formats recognize that the procedures in this section take precedence over the standard assessment procedures in this document when administering assessments with modifications.

Students with disabilities may need (1) accommodated assessment formats, (2) special assessment arrangements, and/or (3) different assessment environments to demonstrate achievement. It is vital that all students with disabilities receive accommodations on state assessments that allow them to demonstrate their true abilities; however, students shall not receive unnecessary or inappropriate accommodations.

Accommodated Assessment Formats Clarifying Statement Students with accommodations must have been receiving accommodations all semester, or a minimum of 30 days prior to the assessment.

Standard Accommodations

When Braille assessments are required by a student's IEP, the Instructional Management Coordinator or CTE Administrator shall contact the Instructional Management Office (919-807-3880) at least EIGHT WEEKS before the Braille assessment is needed. The LEA is responsible for producing other modified assessment formats.


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Other Accommodations

Accommodation may include the following:

Modified Assessment Format options Braille edition Large print edition One item per page

Special Arrangements and Assistive Devices Assistive technology devices Braille Writer/Slate and Stylus Dictation to a scribe

Interpreter/transliterator signs/cues assessment Cranmer Abacus Keyboarding devices Magnification devices Student marks in assessment book Student reads assessment aloud to self Assessment administrator reads assessment aloud

You may use software or recording devices to provide read-alouds. If the assessment must be edited or prepared for use with the software, this must be done by the Instructional Management Coordinator. All media and electronic files MUST be treated in the same manner as a printed assessment to maintain security and integrity. See section “Recording Audio files of the state secure assessment.” Note: Teachers may conduct read-aloud accommodation for state assessments outside their department/licensure area. NOTE: The procedure used for administration of the assessment must be the procedure regularly used in the classroom.

Assessment Environment Hospital/home assessing Multiple assessment sessions Scheduled extended time Assessing in a separate room

Testing Students with Disabilities provides extensive additional information about how these accommodations are to be used. Accommodations not included on the above list may NOT be provided to students.

Alternate Assessment of Limited English Proficient Students

Limited English Proficient (LEP) students who qualify for an alternate assessment based on their performance on an English proficiency exam and the amount of time they have been in the United States can be given an alternate assessment in CTE courses if it is determined that this assessment is in the best interest of the student. If these students do not receive an alternate assessment, they are to receive the standard CTE assessment.

LEP/Alternative Assessment Criteria: An LEP student qualifies for an alternate assessment if he/she meets both of these criteria:

Is enrolled in a U.S. school for two years or less, and Scores below Level 4.0 on the most recent reading subtest of the W-APT (WIDA- ACESS

Placement Test) or the ACCESS for ELLs® English language proficiency assessment.

The school ESL teacher, LEP Coordinator, or Testing Coordinator can verify if an LEP student meets the alternate assessment criteria.

LEP students who receive accommodations in the regular testing program are to receive the same accommodations for CTE assessments.

The Building Level IMC will print and have the LEP Coordinator complete the LEP/Alternative Assessment Verification Form and send to the LEA IMC. The LEA IMC will make and keep a copy for audit purposes locally. The original shall be sent, by certified mail, to Stephen Kelley, Instructional Management Consultant. See Appendix K.


24

Alternate Assessments

All students are to be assessed. The IEP team determines appropriate assessment for students who cannot access the standardized assessment instrument from NCDPI. It is recommended that the IEP team follow recommendations from the NC Testing Program Assessment Options as closely as possible in determining the appropriate setting for each student.

Please note that at this time NCDPI does not provide standardized alternate assessments for students with disabilities or LEP students enrolled in Career and Technical Education courses. If called for by the student’s IEP or accommodation plan, these assessments should be developed by the student’s teacher so that they can reflect the specific objectives that the student is to cover.

Alternative Assessment Clarifying Statement Alternative assessments shall be created by the classroom teacher and will be comprised of only standards and agreed format determined by the school IEP team.

Alternate Assessments Enter in Thinkgate

Starting in 2013, teachers will record OCS student results in Thinkgate—much like entering a credential. The teacher of record will report either a T “True/Proficient” or a F “False/Not Yet Proficient” in Thinkgate for accountability purposes for the alternative assessment. LEAs are responsible for verifying and collecting alternative assessments, just like any other state assessment.

Another, equally important, reason for using the academic level of 0 is not for accountability, but to ensure that the student's individual record accurately reflects his or her course work

VII. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

25

Student Identification Numbers and Coding How important is it for the number on the student answer sheet to match the student's ID number? It is CRUCIAL that the number be exactly the PowerSchool number for that student. If these numbers do not match, the student will be rejected during import in Thinkgate.

How should I code students in the Occupational Course of Study? Use an academic level of 0 (fifth digit in course number) in the course number for students who have an accommodated curriculum, no matter in which course of study they are enrolled. Students who are in the Occupational Course of Study will receive a technical credit for the course.

Please note: Students who are in the Occupational Course of Study are not automatically enrolled in courses with an academic level of 0, nor are these students automatically assessed using alternate teacher-made assessments. The IEP guides the education for that particular student.

In PowerSchool, the data manager must create a local course tied to the state course code with an academic level of 0. The standard version of the course is tied to the state course code with an academic level of 2.

You will get two separate rosters for each course that uses this academic level. Students enrolled in the version with the academic level of 0 are assessed using an alternate assessment for that course if it is stated in the student's IEP. However, the student MUST be assessed. The IEP should specify what kind of assessment is appropriate a teacher-made assessment, some other standardized assessment, a portfolio, or other means.

Why aren’t my transitional courses coming up in Thinkgate? NCCER courses must have the appropriate local course name competed in PowerSchool. Example of local course name: “Masonry II (T)”

FAQ: Administration Shall students who have enrolled in a class after the beginning of the semester take the assessment? According to the CTE Statewide Assessment Administration Manual, all students enrolled in the class shall be assessed.

Do we need to use proctors? Please refer to the “Use of Proctors” section of the manual.

My state assessment is locked. I can’t preslug or give the assessment to my/our students. Check the following: 1) has the LEA IMC locked down the assessment using the assessment scheduler, 2) are anticipated grades entered, and 3) is the assessment enabled by the classroom administrator.

FAQ: Accountability Which courses will we need to report? Data will be collected for ALL high school CTE courses indicated in the current Status of Curriculum. The exact list of courses included may change from year-to-year as the curriculum is revised and new assessments are developed and validated. Field test data are collected to use in the study of reliability of assessment items but are not included in state results.

What happens if a misadministration is declared and the student needs articulation credit?

The student will need to be re-assessed. However, the score will need to reset so they do not become part of accountability data.

How long do we need to keep assessments and assessment results?

The LEA Instructional Management Coordinators shall NOT retain copies of the assessments in their archives. The assessments are archived at the Department of Public Instruction. All assessments should be appropriately destroyed after the 10-day make-up window has ended for the current year. All student data and records, including scan sheets, shall be held for seven years.

VII. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

26

Other CTE Courses CTE Advanced Studies LEAs shall develop a local plan to collect data which verifies a student is “Proficient” or “Not Yet Proficient” by collecting the state required (Research Paper, Product, Portfolio, and Presentation).

CTE Apprenticeships and Internships Proficiency is not reported for accountability purposes. However, LEAs shall develop and administer local teacher-made assessments.

Personal FAQ’s and Notes

27

Where can I get more information? Guidelines for Testing Students Identified as Limited English Proficient (September 2010). Raleigh, NC: NCDPI. This

guide can be downloaded at no charge from http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/accountability/policyoperations/lep/lepguide1011.pdf

Measures of Student Learning: NC’s Common Exams (March 2013). Raleigh, NC NCDPI. This publication can be downloaded at no chart from http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/effectiveness-model/measures/implementation-guide.pdf

NC Testing Students with Disabilities (August 2012). Raleigh, NC: NCDPI. This guide can be downloaded at no charge from http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/accountability/policyoperations/tswd1213.pdf

North Carolina Testing Program Assessment Options (July 2012). Raleigh, NC: NCDPI. This publication can be downloaded at no charge from http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/accountability/1213nctphsassess.pdf

North Carolina State Test Coordinator Handbook (July 2011) Raleigh, NC NCDPI. This guide can be downloaded free of charge from http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/docs/accountability/policyoperations/stchandbook1112.pdf

Testing Security: Protocol and Procedures for School Personnel (March 2004). Raleigh, NC: NCDPI. This guide can be downloaded at no charge from http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/accountability/testing/TestingSecurity.pdf

The Proctors Guide (August 2010) Raleigh, NC: NCDPI. This publication can be downloaded at no charge from http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/accountability/policyoperations/proctorsguide_05.pdf

28

APPENDICES

Note: All Appendices will be available (independently) on the IMC Moodle.

29

APPENDIX A STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTABILITY

Building Instructional Management Coordinator

30

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTABILITY Building Instructional Management Coordinator

Distribution to Building Level Coordinator I have read the guidelines for administration of CTE assessments in the Administration Manual and have familiarized myself with the NC Testing Code of Ethics. I understand that security of assessment materials (digital or paper) is my responsibility while the materials (online or paper-pencil) are in my supervision and/or possession. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Building Level Coordinator’s Signature Date Return to LEA Instructional Management Coordinator Paper-Pencil: All materials have been checked and returned. Online: Teacher dashboards have been disabled after assessment and cache has been cleared on computers (check Classroom Administrator Form). _________________________________________________________________________________________ Building Level Coordinator’s Signature Date _________________________________________________________________________________________ LEA Instructional Management Coordinator’s Signature Date

This form should be accompanied by the Building Assessment Inventory.

31

APPENDIX B STATE ACCOUNTABILITY FORMS

Classroom Administrator Form Class Roster Summary Form

NC CTE Secure Assessment Irregularity Form

32

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTABILITY

Classroom Administrator Form

Course Name ____________________________________________________________ Course Number _____________ Teacher of Record ________________________________ School ____________________________________________ Number of Books ___________ Sequence of Books ______________________________ Date ______________________ Class Period: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Administrator ______________________________________________________ Pre: ☐ Mid-Term: ☐ Post: ☐ Proctor ___________________________________________________________

Check all that apply

Assessment Description Assessment Example(s)

☐ 1Alternative Assessment (Appendix K must be on file) Teacher-made OCS/ESL (Must Qualify) ☐ 2Credential Assessment (in lieu of state post-assessment) ASE/NCCER/Word & PowerPoint (Multi) ☐ Online State Standard ☐ Paper Pencil State Standard ☐ 1Performance Assessment Project Management—Rubric ☐ Third Party Online Assessment Project Lead the Way ☐ Portfolio (Paper/Project/Presentation) Advanced Studies ☐ Other (define):

2If credential is selected; it is the responsibility of the Building Level Coordinator to verify, with the LEA Instructional Management Coordinator, that local LEA policy accepts credentials in lieu of a CTE State Assessments. Please refer to state document “Credentials by Course.” Some credentials are multi-credential—meaning several credentials must be earned in order to satisfy the “in lieu of” requirement for technical attainment. Additionally, artifact(s) must be attached (copies of certificates or authentic computer printout listing students) as evidence of completion. 1Approved alternative assessments and rubric-based assessments must be attached to this form. Before Assessment:

I have read the guidelines for administration in the CTE Statewide Assessment Administration Manual and have familiarized myself with the NC Testing Code of Ethics. I understand that security of state assessment materials is my responsibility to keep secure (paper-pencil or online). Online: Verified and enabled correct assessment and test id Verified that the correct name of the student is showing on the Start test page __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Classroom Assessment Administrator’s Signature Date After Assessment:

Assessment procedures for the above-named assessment have been followed appropriately. Paper-Pencil: All materials have been checked and returned. Online: All student machines have had their cache cleared Teacher dashboards have been disabled after assessment ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Classroom Assessment Administrator’s Signature Date ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Building Level Coordinator’s Signature Date

33

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTABILITY Class Roster Summary Form

Course Name ____________________________________________________________ Course Number _____________ Teacher of Record ________________________________ School ____________________________________________ Number of Books ___________ Sequence of Books ______________________________ Date ______________________ Class Period: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Administrator ______________________________________________________ Pre: ☐ Mid-Term: ☐ Post: ☐ Proctor ___________________________________________________________

STUDENT NAME FORMAT ASSESSED

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1. xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxx xx/xx/xx 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. Make-ups are to be completed within the 5 day (semester) or 10 day (yearlong) assessment window. Exceptions: 1) students who have documentation in their IEPs or 504 plans stating they need multiple testing sessions over multiple days, 2) administration of final exams for courses with national curricula required to be held at designated times, and 3) rare cases in which special circumstances (e.g., family emergency or family relocation) may exist that preclude an individual student from being tested during a state testing window, including make-up dates. In the third exception, a Request to Test a Student outside the Testing Window would need to be completed.

34

NC CTE Secure Assessment Irregularity Form Part 1: Report of Possible Irregularity

Date ________________________________ School _______________________________________________________ Teacher’s Name _____________________________________________________________________________________ Course # ____________ Course Name ___________________________________________________________________ Specify student name(s) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I feel that I have witnessed an assessment irregularity during an assessment administration. This incident is described in detail in the section below. (Attach any pertinent documentation, if necessary.) Note: No one is to copy state secure assessment items.

__________________________________________________ _____________________________________________ Signature Date Signature Date Classroom Administrator/Proctor Principal Recommended process: Part 1 of the “NC Secure Assessment Irregularity Form” shall be filed with the LEA Instructional Management Coordinator the day of occurrence. The LEA Instructional Management Coordinator shall inform the State Instructional Management Consultant via Google Doc http://tinyurl.com/m8wbg3c of a possible misadministration. The LEA Instructional Management Coordinator, CTE Administrator, and Superintendent are to conduct an investigation to determine if the assessment irregularity should be declared a misadministration. The Instructional Management Coordinator completes part 2 of this form, which is signed by the LEA Instructional Management Coordinator, CTE Administrator, and Superintendent. If it is determined that a misadministration has not occurred, the LEA Instructional Management Coordinator keeps both parts of this form on file for six months following the assessment date. If it is determined that a misadministration has occurred, the LEA Instructional Management Coordinator submits both parts of the form within ten business days, via certified mail, to Stephen Kelley, Instructional Management Consultant, NCDPI-CTE, 6359 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-6359.

35

Instructional Management NC CTE Secure Assessment Irregularity Form Part 2: Follow-Up for Reported NC State Secure Assessment Irregularity

As the LEA Instructional Management Coordinator, CTE Administrator and Superintendent for _________________________________________ School System, we have reviewed the attached NC CTE Secure Assessment Irregularity Form (Part 1) with the appropriate school personnel, conducted an investigation, and the following has been determined: Documentation (Parts 1 and 2 of the NC CTE Secure Assessment Irregularity Form) must be retained by the LEA for six months following the assessment date. _____ The reported assessment irregularity is NOT a misadministration and no further action is needed.

Explain: __________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____ The reported assessment irregularity is NOT a misadministration, but further action is needed.

Explain: __________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____ The reported assessment irregularity is a misadministration. _____ Our school systems plans to reassess or has reassessed the student(s) involved on _____________________________. (Date) OR _____ Our school system will not reassess the student(s) because the student(s) has an IEP or Limited English proficiency plan

in accordance with state guidelines that documents the student was not to be assessed.

Explain: __________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

In addition, the LEA must do ALL of the following when a misadministration is declared: ______ The assessment results must be declared non-valid. (date) ______ Score(s) of the student(s) involved in the misadministration must be deleted (reset) from the accountability data file (date) before accountability reports are generated. ______ The assessment administrator, principal, local school board, parent(s) or legal guardian(s), and student(s) must be (date) notified that the student(s) will have no assessment score(s). ______ The NC CTE Secure Assessment Irregularity Form must be filed with the Instructional Management Consultant at NCDPI. (date) The school system must document the date of reassessment. ______ When appropriate, a confidential description of the personnel action taken must be attached to the copy of the (date) Testing Irregularity Form filed with NCDPI.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________ LEA Instructional Management Coordinator Signature Date

________________________________________________________________________________________________________ CTE Administrator/Director Signature Date

________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Superintendent Signature Date

36

APPENDIX C STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTABILITY

CTE Teacher Accountability Form

37

CTE TEACHER ACCOUNTABILITY FORM

(Completed after Assessment Training)

CTE state secure assessments include: pre, mid-term (field), post, and 3rd party.

I have read the guidelines for administration of CTE assessments in the CTE Statewide Assessment

Administration Manual and have familiarized myself with the NC Testing Code of Ethics.

I understand that I either must have a proctor in my room, OR that I may switch classes with another teacher in another CTE area, OR that I may be involved in Arena Assessing.

I understand that if I serve as a Proctor, I am not to leave the room for any reason.

I understand that if I enter Credential(s) into the Thinkgate System, I must do so with accuracy.

I understand that I must enter “True” anticipated grades into Thinkgate in order to have a fair calculation

for reliability. (For pre-assessments please indicate an A)

I understand that I must use the local grading scale (determined by LEA) when students take pilot, field, or assessments with no state scale.

Student’s scaled exam scores must be accurately reported on the student’s report card. Exam score must match what will be posted to transcript.

I understand that I must follow all school system protocols, and if I do not; I am subject to administrative

action. ________________________________________________________________________________________ Classroom Teacher Signature Date ________________________________________________________________________________________ Building Level Coordinator’s Signature Date ________________________________________________________________________________________ LEA Instructional Management Coordinator’s Signature Date

38

APPENDIX D

MEDICAL WAIVER

Medical Waiver Process Medical Waiver Form

39

Process for Requesting CTE Assessment Exceptions Based on Significant Medical Emergencies and/or Conditions

There may be some rare circumstance in which a student cannot take a state assessment during the entire assessment window, including makeup dates, due to a significant medical emergency and/or condition. Examples include, but are not limited to, circumstances involving students who are:

(1) in the final stages of terminal or degenerative illnesses, (2) comatose, or (3) receiving extensive short-term medical treatment due to a medical emergency.

Under these circumstances, a school may request from the Division of CTE Support Services an assessment exception for the student. If a medical exception is granted, the student remains enrolled in the school during this period; however, the student does not take the assessment(s), and the school does not include the student when calculating participation rates.

Failure of a school to provide approved services is not grounds for medical exemptions. Principals may exempt children for grading purposes (HB 115C-228); however, for CTE State and Federal reporting purposes, they may not necessarily be exempted (HB 115C-174.1).

Failure to adhere to this process or include all requested information may result in the need to resubmit the request or may cause a delay in the response. Requests for consideration are to be submitted (receipted mail method) by the LEA superintendent or charter school director to Stephen Kelley, Instructional Management Consultant, CTE Support Services, 301 North Wilmington Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-2825. Thank you for your continued cooperation in adhering to these policies and procedures concerning requests for assessment exceptions based on significant medical emergencies and/or conditions. We appreciate your services and contributions to the education of children in North Carolina. Review the Career and Technical Education Medical Waiver Form. The form must be complete, accurate, and include all required signatures. The parent should be notified that such a request is being submitted and must give consent. Failure to adhere to this process may cause the request to be delayed, returned, or denied. Once a decision is made, NCDPI will reply (granted or denied) by mail. If granted, DPI will remove the child from the (2S1): Technical Skill Attainment of the Local Planning System. Medical Waiver Clarification Statement In the past, LEAs could list CTE courses along with academic courses in the medical waiver request to NCDPI's Accountability Department. Starting in 2012-2013, CTE began handling its own medical waiver requests. As such, all CTE medical waivers need to be sent in advance when possible to:


Career and Technical Education 6359 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-6359

In order for medical waivers to be considered they must be submitted within the CTE State Assessment Cutoffs window for each assessment cycle:

Summer: waiver to be received by the second Friday in August Fall: waiver to be received by the second Friday in February Spring: waiver to be received by the third Friday in June

Although WorkKeys is a collaborative effort between the local Accountability Office, CTE, and Student Services, please understand that WorkKeys currently falls under the authority of Accountability. Therefore, rules (http://www.act.org/stateservices/northcarolina/) and medical exemptions (http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/accountability/) must follow the procedures laid out from the NCDPI Department of Accountability. For more information contact your local Accountability Office.

40

Career and Technical Education Statewide Assessment Medical Waiver Form

A

First Name Click here to enter text. Last Name Click here to enter text. Pupil ID Click here to enter text. Grade Choose an item. LEA Name Click here to enter text. LEA Code Click here to enter text. School Name Click here to enter text. School Code Click here to enter text.

B

Course Number and Assessment Name for which the exemption is being requested: Course Number (text box)

Assessment Type (drop down menu)

Course Name (text box)

Schedule (drop down menu)

Click here to enter text. Choose an item. Click here to enter text. Choose an item. Click here to enter text. Choose an item. Click here to enter text. Choose an item. Click here to enter text. Choose an item. Click here to enter text. Choose an item. Click here to enter text. Choose an item. Click here to enter text. Choose an item. Click here to enter text. Choose an item. Click here to enter text. Choose an item.

C

Assessment Began: Click here to enter a date. Make-up Begin Date: Click here to enter a date.

Assessment Ended:

Click here to enter a date. Make-up End Date: Click here to enter a date.

D

IEP Yes ☐ No ☐ 504 Yes ☐ No ☐ If yes, attach a complete copy of the current DEC 4 IEP form (including present levels of performance, IEP goals, special education services, etc.) to this request. If the student has a behavioral concern, attach a copy of the Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP) as well as the Functional Behavioral Assessment.

Transitory Impairment Plan Yes ☐ No ☐ If yes, attach a copy of the current documentation.

Note: Schools may not request for exemption status if they fail to provide appropriate student services. Principal may exempt exam from local grading, however, for state and federal accountability purposes, the count may not be removed.

E

Onset of Emergency Date Click here to enter a date.

Projected Recovery Date Click here to enter a date.

F Days of instruction missed due to the medical emergency and/or condition Click here to enter text. Attach attendance record if applicable.

Is the student approved and receiving homebound instruction? Yes ☐ No ☐

Electronic version of this document may be downloaded on the CTE IMC PLC Moodle site.

41

G

Course Instruction: Explanation of how the significant medical emergency and/or condition affects the student on a daily basis, including time spent on instruction, the type of instruction taking place, and how the student’s condition impacts it. If applicable, include how this impairment affects the student cognitively.

This explanation should provide sufficient detail and documented data so the review committee can thoroughly understand the implications of the emergency and/or condition on the student’s learning. Supporting information and/or letters may be included but are not required. Notes from doctors and medical professionals should address and/or explain the impact of the condition on the student but should not provide assessment recommendation.

H

State Assessment(s): Explanation of why the student’s medical emergency and/or condition prevent participation in the respective assessment administration during the assessment window and the subsequent makeup period. If applicable, state conditions that prevent(s) the child from thinking cognitively and rationally.

Information should be provided that explicitly states why the assessment cannot be administered. It is the LEA responsibility to accommodate for student medical emergencies (including state assessments). A request for medical exemption should not be made because the assessment creates a burden or LEA/charter, or they believe that the student cannot pass the assessment.

REQUIRED SIGNATURES

Building Level Coordinator Signature Date

Principal Signature Date

LEA EC/Section 504 Coordinator (signature only required if section D is applicable) Signature Date

LEA CTE Director

Signature Date

LEA Instructional Management Coordinator Signature Date

LEA Superintendent Signature Date

If information is missing in the application, it may be delayed, returned, or denied.

In order for medical waivers to be considered for review they must be submitted within the appropriate assessment window.

Semester Cut Off Dates Summer: Second Friday in August Fall: Second Friday in February Spring: Third Friday in June

Send by certified mail to:



42

APPENDIX E ASSESSING OUTSIDE THE CTE ASSESSMENT WINDOW

Assessing Outside the CTE Assessment Window Process

Assessing Outside the CTE Assessment Form

43

Career and Technical School Request

Process for Requesting to Assess Outside the CTE Assessment Window Under the following circumstances, exceptions may be permitted to test a student outside the state-designated assessment window, including make-up dates:

1. Per (G.S. §115C-174.12(a), exceptions shall be permitted to accommodate a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 (29 U.S.C §794) Plan. Note: There is no waiver for the testing window for tests required by the state unless this is documented on the student’s IEP or Section 504 Plan or the test is nationally created/administered and not a state required exam.

2. Exceptions may be permitted in rare cases in which special circumstances (e.g., family emergency, family relocation) may exist that preclude an individual student from being tested during a state testing window, including makeup dates (i.e., before or after the testing window).

Under these circumstances, school principals may request to administer the assessment to the student outside the testing window. The Building Level Coordinator will work with the principal to request to administer the assessment to the student outside the testing window. The principal must complete and send the LEA CTE Director the Assessing Outside the CTE Assessment Window and Security Form for review. The LEA CTE Director will review the request and provide an e-mailed approval or denial response to the School Principal, Building Level Coordinator, and LEA IMC.

A Request to Test a Student Outside the Testing Window should not be used in place of a request for a medical exception. A medical exception should be requested when a student unable to test during the testing window, including makeup dates due to a significant medical emergency and /or condition (e.g., final stages of terminal or degenerative illness, comatose, receiving extensive short-term medical treatment). However, a request to test outside the testing window is appropriate in a situation where a student with a medical condition is expected to be able to take the assessment prior to or just after the designated testing window (e.g., surgery scheduled during the testing window).

44

Career and Technical Parent/Guardian Request

Assessing Outside the CTE Assessment Window and Security Form

My signature below indicates I have read and understand the following:

I am requesting an administration of one or more CTE assessments outside of the regular CTE Assessment window. I understand the school principal will submit this form request to the local Career and Technical Education CTE Director to be processed and under special circumstances with the Career and Technical Education Division, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI). I understand that state assessments may be administered outside of the assessment window only if approved by the LEA CTE Director and under special circumstances NCDPI and that submission of this request does not guarantee approval. I understand I will be notified when a decision has been made. All documentation should be filed in the Instructional Management Coordinators office with other CTE assessment documentation.

In order for NC CTE assessments to be valid, all assessment items must remain secure. Therefore, I agree that I will not discuss or diverge in any way to anyone assessment items or information on the CTE assessment(s) that will be administered outside of the assessment window if approved by the LEA CTE Director and under special circumstances the division of Career and Technical Education at NCDPI. Furthermore, I understand that discussing or diverging secure assessment information could be considered a misadministration of the assessment(s) resulting in: 1) NCDPI declaring score non-valid and 2) punitive actions by the LEA.

School Name: Student Name:

School Code: Student ID:

Assessment Name(s):

1. 4.

2. 5.

3. 6.

Dates of school testing window:

Date student is scheduled to return to school (if applicable)?

Intended date(s) of special administration:

Check Reason for Request: ☐Family Emergency ☐Accommodate IEP

☐Family Relocation ☐Accommodate Section 504 Plan

If Accommodation IEP or Section 504 Plan where checked, explain how this need is documented on the IEP/Section 504 Plan. (i.e. multiple testing session over multiple days).

Principal Signature: Principal email address:

CTE Building Level Coordinator Signature:

CTE Building Level email address:

Student Signature: Student email address:

Parent/Guardian Signature: Parent/Guardian email address:

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APPENDIX F REVIEW OF ACCOMMODATIONS USED DURING TESTING

Review of Accommodations Used During Testing Procedures

Review of Accommodations Form

46

Review of Accommodations Used During Testing Form Procedures

For whom does the Review of Accommodations Used During Testing form need to be completed?

The form is to be completed for all students who require testing accommodations based on needs documented in their: • Current Individualized Education Program (IEP),

Current Section 504 Plan, Current Limited English Proficient (LEP) Documentation, or Current Transitory Impairment (TI) Documentation.

For which tests does the Review of Accommodations Used During Testing form need to be completed?

One Review of Accommodations Used During Testing form must be completed for each state test for students who are required to receive testing accommodations.

State tests requiring a Review of Accommodations Used During Testing form include the Beginning-of-Grade 3 English Language Arts/Reading test, End-of-Grade tests, End-of-Course tests, NCEXTEND2 End-of-Grade tests, NCEXTEND2 End-of-Course tests, CTE assessments, and the ACCESS for ELLs test.

The Review of Accommodations Used During NCEXTEND1 Testing form must be completed for all NCEXTEND1 tests.

In addition, the Review of Accommodations Used During Testing form must be completed for any state field test or item tryout.

What is the process for the completion of the Review of Accommodations Used During Testing form?

The top of the form and the left-hand column of the form (i.e., student-identifying information, required testing accommodations, signature line) is to be completed at the student’s IEP/Section 504/LEP/TI team meeting where testing accommodations decisions are discussed and documented. All appropriate individuals must be present at this meeting.

The original form is kept with the student’s accommodations documentation.

A copy of the form is provided to the designated school employee to ensure the data is correctly entered into the

electronic accommodations management system being used by the school (CECAS, PowerSchool, third-party system).

A copy of the form is provided to the test administrator on testing day to be completed during the testing session.

The test administrator records the following information: o Whether or not testing accommodations are provided to the student, o Whether or not the student used the provided testing accommodations, as well as notes on how the

accommodations were used, and o Any other relevant comments or recommendations for the team/committee to discuss the following year

while making accommodations decisions. What happens with the Review of Accommodations Used During Testing form after testing?

The completed form is filed with the student’s accommodations documentation.

The form is reviewed by the team/committee during the next meeting where accommodations decisions are made

47

Review of Accommodations Used During Testing

Student Name Complete one form per test. Before testing, complete column 1. During/after

testing, complete the remainder of the form. Complete forms should be kept in the student’s IEP folder and/or Section 504/LEP/transitory impairment documentation to be accessible for future reference. NOTE: While the list below includes all state-approved accommodations, some do not apply to students identified solely as LEP. Testing accommodations should be consistent with the accommodation used routinely during classroom instruction and on similar classroom assessments.

Student ID Case Manager

Choose of the following plans (according to order of accommodations documentation)

☐ IEP ☐ 504 ☐ LEP

☐Regular Administration ☐Other Administration ☐ Transitory Impairment

Date of Plan Start Date: End Date: School:

Test ☐EOC ☐EOG ☐CTE Grade:

☐NCEXTEND2 ☐ACCESS for ELL Test Date: Subject/Subtest Test Administer:

To Be Completed Before Testing To Be Completed During/After Testing

Required Accommodations Documented on Student’s IEP/Section 504 Plan/Transitory Impairment Documentation

Was this accommodation

provided to the student during testing?

Describe the specific details of how this accommodation was provided to the student. Did the student use the accommodation? If yes, how did he/she

use it?

☐

Example:

Yes Test administrator read the entire test aloud. Student followed along while the test administrator read aloud.

Test Administrator Reads Test Aloud (In English) Specify ☐Read by Student Request ☐Read Everything ☐Other

☐ Braille Edition

☐ Large Print Edition

☐ One Test Item Per Page

☐ Assistive Technology Devices Specify:

☐ Braille writer/Slate and Stylus (and Braille Paper0

☐ Cranmer Abacus

☐ Dictation to a Scribe

☐ Interpreter/Transliterator Signs/Cues Test

☐ Magnification Device

☐ Word-to-Word Bilingual (English/Native Language) Dictionary/Electronic Translator (LEP Only)

☐ Student marks Answer in Test Book

☐ Student reads Test Aloud to Self

☐ Test Administrator Reads Test Aloud (In English) Specify: ☐Read by Student Request ☐Read Everything ☐Other

☐ Computer Reads Test Aloud – Student Controlled

☐ Multiple Testing Sessions Specify:

☐ Scheduled Extended Time Amount:

☐ Testing in a Separate Room Specify:

☐ Special NCDPI-Approved Accommodation(s) Specify:

Printed name of person completing this portion of form: Printed name of person completing this portion of form:

Signature of person completing this portion of form: Signature of person completing this portion of form:

Comments/considerations for next IEP/504/LEP/TI team meeting:

This form is available in electronic format at http://ncpublicschools.org/accountability/policies/accom.

48

APPENDIX G

NC TESTING CODE OF ETHICS

NC Testing Code of Ethics Introduction NC Testing Code of Ethics Rules

49

NC Testing Code of Ethics

Introduction In North Carolina, standardized testing is an integral part of the educational experience of all students. When properly administered and interpreted, test results provide an independent, uniform source of reliable and valid information, which enables:

students to know the extent to which they have mastered expected knowledge and skills and how they compare to others;

parents to know if their children are acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in a highly competitive job market;

teachers to know if their students have mastered grade-level knowledge and skills in the curriculum and, if not, what weaknesses need to be addressed;

community leaders and lawmakers to know if students in North Carolina schools are improving their performance over time and how the students compare with students from other states or the nation; and

citizens to assess the performance of the public schools. Testing should be conducted in a fair and ethical manner, which includes:

Security assuring adequate security of the testing materials before, during, and after testing and during scoring assuring student confidentiality

Preparation teaching the tested curriculum and test-preparation skills training staff in appropriate testing practices and procedures providing an appropriate atmosphere

Administration developing a local policy for the implementation of fair and ethical testing practices and for resolving questions

concerning those practices assuring that all students who should be tested are tested utilizing tests which are developmentally appropriate utilizing tests only for the purposes for which they were designed

Scoring, Analysis, and Reporting interpreting test results to the appropriate audience providing adequate data analyses to guide curriculum implementation and improvement

Because standardized tests provide only one valuable piece of information, such information should be used in conjunction with all other available information known about a student to assist in improving student learning. The administration of tests required by applicable statutes and the use of student data for personnel/program decisions shall comply with the NC Testing Code of Ethics (16 NCAC 6D .0306), which is printed on the next three pages.

50

16 NCAC 6D .0306

.0306 TESTING CODE OF ETHICS (a) This Rule shall apply to all public school employees who are involved in the state testing program. (b) The superintendent or superintendent’s designee shall develop local policies and procedures to ensure maximum

test security in coordination with the policies and procedures developed by the test publisher. The principal shall ensure test security within the school building. (1) The principal shall store test materials in a secure, locked area. The principal shall allow test materials to be

distributed immediately prior to the test administration. Before each test administration, the building level test coordinator shall accurately count and distribute test materials. Immediately after each test administration, the building level test coordinator shall collect, count, and return all test materials to the secure, locked storage area.

(2) “Access” to test materials by school personnel means handling the materials but does not include reviewing tests or analyzing test items. The superintendent or superintendent’s designee shall designate the personnel who are authorized to have access to test materials

(3) Persons who have access to secure test materials shall not use those materials for personal gain. (4) No person may copy, reproduce, or paraphrase in any manner or for any reason the test materials without the

express written consent of the test publisher. (5) The superintendent or superintendent’s designee shall instruct personnel who are responsible for the testing

program in testing administration procedures. This instruction shall include test administrations that require procedural modifications and shall emphasize the need to follow the directions outlined by the test publisher.

(6) Any person who learns of any breach of security, loss of materials, failure to account for materials, or any other deviation from required security procedures shall immediately report that information to the principal, building level test coordinator, school system test coordinator, and state level test coordinator.

(c) Preparation for testing. (1) The superintendent shall ensure that school system test coordinators:

(A) secure necessary materials (B) plan and implement training for building level test coordinators, test administrators, and proctors; (C) ensure that each building level test coordinator and test administrator is trained in the implementation of

procedural modifications used during test administrations; and (D) in conjunction with program administrators, ensure that the need for test modifications is documented and

that modifications are limited to the specific need. (2) The principal shall ensure that the building level test coordinators:

(A) maintain test security and accountability of test materials; (B) identify and train personnel, proctors, and backup personnel for test administrations; and (C) encourage a positive atmosphere for testing.

(3) Test administrators shall be school personnel who have professional training in education and the state testing program.

(4) Teachers shall provide instruction that meets or exceeds the standard course of study to meet the needs of the specific students in the class. Teachers may help students improve test-taking skills by: (A) helping students become familiar with test formats using curricular content; (B) teaching students test-taking strategies and providing practice sessions (C) helping students learn ways of preparing to take tests; and (D) using resource materials such as test questions from test item banks, testlets, and linking documents in

instruction and test preparation. (d) Test administration.

(1) The superintendent or superintendent’s designee shall: (A) assure that each school establishes procedures to ensure that all test administrators comply with test

publisher guidelines; (B) inform the local board of education of any breach of this code of ethics; and (C) inform building level administrators of their responsibilities.

(2) The principal shall: (A) assure that school personnel know the content of state and local testing policies; (B) implement the school system’s testing policies and procedures and establish any needed school policies

and procedures to assure that all eligible students are tested fairly; (C) assign trained proctors to test administrations; and (D) report all testing irregularities to the school system test coordinator.

(3) Test administrators shall: (A) administer tests according to the directions in the administration manual and any subsequent updates

developed by the test publisher; (B) administer tests to all eligible students;

51

(C) report all testing irregularities to the school system test coordinator; and (D) provide a positive test-taking climate.

(4) Proctors shall serve as additional monitors to help the test administrator assure that testing occurs fairly. (e) Scoring. The school system test coordinator shall:

(1) ensure that each test is scored according to the procedures and guidelines defined for the test by the test publisher;

(2) maintain quality control during the entire scoring process, which consists of handling and editing documents, scanning answer documents, and producing electronic files and reports. Quality control shall address at a minimum accuracy and scoring consistency.

(3) Maintain security of tests and data files at all times, including: (A) protecting the confidentiality of students at all times when publicizing test results; and (B) maintaining test security of answer keys and item-specific scoring rubrics.

(f) Analysis and reporting. Educators shall use test scores appropriately. This means that the educator recognizes that a test score is only one piece of information and must be interpreted together with other scores and indicators. Test data help educators understand educational patterns and practices. The superintendent shall ensure that school personnel analyze and report test data ethically and within the limitations described in this paragraph. (1) Educators shall release test scores to students, parents, legal guardians, teachers, and the media with

interpretive materials as needed. (2) Staff development relating to testing must enable personnel to respond knowledgeably to questions related to

testing, including the tests, scores, scoring procedures, and other interpretive materials. (3) Items and associated materials on a secure test shall not be in the public domain. Only items that are within the

public domain may be used for item analysis. (4) Educators shall maintain the confidentiality of individual students. Publicizing test scores that contain the

names of individual students is unethical. (5) Data analysis of test scores for decision-making purposes shall be based upon:

(A) dissagregation of data based upon student demographics and other collected variables; (B) examination of grading practices in relation to test scores; and (C) examination of growth trends and goal summary reports for state-mandated tests.

(g) Unethical testing practices include, but are not limited to, the following practices: (1) encouraging students to be absent the day of testing; (2) encouraging students not to do their best because of the purposes of the test; (3) using secure test items or modified secure test items for instruction; (4) changing student responses at any time (5) interpreting, explaining, or paraphrasing the test directions or the test items; (6) reclassifying students solely for the purpose of avoiding state testing (7) not testing all eligible students (8) failing to provide needed modifications during testing, if available; (9) modifying scoring programs including answer keys, equating files, and lookup tables; (10) modifying student records solely for the purpose of raising test scores; (11) using a single test score to make individual decisions; and (12) misleading the public concerning the results and interpretations of test data.

(h) In the event of a violation of this Rule, the SBE may, in accordance with the contested case provisions of Chapter 150B of the General Statutes, impose any one or more of the following sanctions: (1) withhold ABCs incentive awards from individuals or from all eligible staff in a school; (2) file a civil action against the person or persons responsible for the violation for

copyright infringement or for any other available cause of action; (3) seek criminal prosecution of the person or persons responsible for the violation; and (4) in accordance with the provisions of 16 NCAC 6C.0312, suspend or revoke the

professional license of the person or persons responsible for the violation.

History Note: Authority G.S. 115C-12(9)c.; 115C-81(b)(4); Eff. November 1, 1997; Amended Eff. August 1, 2000.

52

APPENDIX H Instructions to Students

Paper and Pencil Assessments

53

Instructions to Students- Paper and Pencil Assessment

Read the information in BOLD to the students. Follow the instructions in italics. Do not paraphrase; read instructions exactly as written.

Say: (Before assessing period begins) Turn off all cell phones.

Distribute clean scratch paper to all students.

Say: You will need two sharpened No. 2 pencils. If you need pencils, raise your hand.

Distribute pencils to students who need them.

Say: You are receiving an answer sheet for the assessment. Do not write on the answer sheet until I tell you to do so.

Distribute pre-coded answer sheets.

Say: If you have not received an answer sheet already printed with your name and Test ID number, please raise your hand.

Give students who did not get a pre-coded answer sheet a blank answer sheet. Instruct them to write their names in the blank space near the margin of the answer sheet so as not to hold the rest of the class up. After assessing is completed, go back and bubble in the information.

Say: You are receiving an assessment booklet. Do not open the assessment booklet until I tell you to do so.

Say: Enter the Form ID on the bubble sheet.

Distribute the assessment booklets. When students have the materials they will need, begin the remaining instructions.

Pre- Assessment

Mid-Term Assessment

Post- Assessment

Say:

Today you are going to take the North Carolina CTE Pre-Assessment for ______________________ (name of course).

Say:

Today you are going to take the North Carolina CTE Mid-Term Assessment for ___________________ (name of course).

Say:

Today you are going to take the North Carolina CTE Post-Assessment for ______________________ (name of course).

Say: This North Carolina CTE Assessment has machine-scorable questions to:

Pre- Assessment

Mid-Term Assessment

Post- Assessment

Say:

measure what you currently know about this course.

Say:

measure your mastery of the concepts you learned thus far in this course.

Say:

measure your mastery of the concepts you learned in this course.

54

Instructions to Students- Paper-Pencil Assessment- continued

Say: There are several important things to remember when taking this assessment:

1) Read the question and all answer choices for each question.

2) Fill in the circle with the letter of the correct answer.

3) Be sure that the number on the answer sheet matches the assessment question number.

4) Choose only one answer for each question.

5) You should attempt:

Pre-Assessment: ONLY the questions you know on the assessment. -----OR----- Mid-Term/Post-Assessment: ALL questions on the assessment.

6) If you change your mind, erase your answer completely. Make no stray marks on the answer sheet.

Say: (DO NOT READ IF YOUR LEA ALLOWS MARKING IN ASSESSMENT BOOKLETS): Do not write in the assessment booklet.

Say: (READ IF YOUR LEA DOES ALLOW MARKING IN ASSESSMENT BOOKLETS): Write your name on the assessment book and you may write in your assessment book or use scratch paper to make notes or work problems.

Say: Remember to mark your answers on the scan form using a No. 2 pencil only.

Use scratch paper to make notes or work problems. If you need more paper, raise your hand. Read each item carefully and select the best answer.

If you finish before time is called, you may wish to review some questions.

Pause:

Say: You may begin.

Circulate around the room as you monitor the assessment process. Respond as shown if someone asks you a question about an assessment item.

Say: I'm sorry; I cannot answer questions about specific items. Please read the question and do the best you can.

Continue to circulate around the room as you monitor the assessment process. Call time when the examination period concludes.

Say: Please stop your work. Close your assessment booklet. Check over your answer sheet to be sure bubbles are darkened and erasures complete.

Collect the answer sheets, assessment booklets, and scratch paper.

Say: You have completed the Career and Technical Education assessment. Thank you for your cooperation.

55

APPENDIX I Instructions to Students

Online

56

Instructions to Students- Online Assessment

Read the information in BOLD to the students. Follow the instructions in italics. Do not paraphrase; read instructions exactly as written.

Note: Before beginning the assessment session, the assessment administrator must have ensured that each student computer will display the assessment site. Each student should be seated at his or her assigned computer and instructed NOT to START until I tell you to do so.

Say: (Before assessment period begins) After you are seated, check to make sure that your computer is turned on. If not, turn it on. Do not use the computer until instructed.

Say: (Before assessment period begins) Turn off all cell phones.

Distribute clean scratch paper and pencils (1 per student) to all students. Check that all computers are on.

Say: Open the Thinkgate™ Assessment Site URL as displayed.

Check that all computers to ensure they are at the correct site.

Say: Enter the Test ID as displayed and your Student ID. Click the Sign In button. Do not start the assessment until I tell you to do so.

Check that all computers to ensure that the correct name of the student is showing on the Start test page.

When all the students are on the Start Test page, begin the remaining instructions.

Pre- Assessment

Mid-Term Assessment

Post- Assessment

Say:

Today you are going to take the North Carolina CTE Pre-Assessment Online Assessment for ______________________ (name of course).

Say:

Today you are going to take the North Carolina CTE Mid-Term Assessment Online Assessment for ___________________ (name of course).

Say:

Today you are going to take the North Carolina CTE Post-Assessment Online Assessment for ______________________ (name of course).

Say: Please do not use the computer until I tell you to do so.

Say: This North Carolina CTE Assessment has computer generated questions to:

Pre-

Assessment Mid-Term

Assessment Post-

Assessment

Say:

measure what you currently know about this course.

Say:

measure your mastery of the concepts you learned thus far in this course.

Say:

measure your mastery of the concepts you learned in this course.

57

Instructions to Students- Online Assessment- continued SAY: There are several important things to remember when taking this assessment:

1) Read the question and all answer choices for each question.

2) Choose only one answer for each question.

3) You should attempt:


4) If there is a computer or an electrical problem, stop and raise your hand.

5) After you have completed all the questions, you must click the Finish button to have your assessment graded. Once the Finished button is clicked, you will not be able to return to this assessment.

SAY: Before you begin, you must clear your work area of any materials except for a pencil and clean scratch paper. If you do not have a pencil or scratch paper, raise your hand and I will provide one for you.

The assessment administrator pauses for students to clear their desks and to distribute pencils or paper to students who raise their hands. When ready, the assessment administrator continues reading.

SAY: If you need more blank paper during the assessment, raise your hand and I will give you more paper.

SAY: This is a multiple-choice assessment in which all of the assessment questions will appear on the computer screen.

SAY: There are several important things to remember while answering questions:

1. This is a one-question-per-screen assessment.

2. You may have to scroll down to see all of the answer choices.

3. Choose the best answer from the answer choices provided.

4. You should attempt:


5. If you change your mind, you can change your answer by pressing the PREVIOUS button to go back to prior questions.

6. If you skip a question during the assessment, click the Show Unanswered button. This will display the unanswered questions.

7. You can receive assistance if you need help with the operation of the computer.

8. You CANNOT use other software installed on your computer.

9. You CANNOT use other Web sites or other Internet resources during this assessment.

10. If you move the mouse pointer outside of the assessment question window, your assessment session will be suspended.

SAY: Are there any questions?

58

Instructions to Students- Online Assessment- continued

The assessment administrator must pause to respond to questions

SAY: You may begin by clicking the START button.

Circulate around the room as you monitor the assessment process. Respond as shown if a student asks you a question about an assessment item.

SAY: I’m sorry; I cannot answer questions about specific items. Please read the question and do the best you can.

PROCEDURE AT END OF ASSESSMENT SESSION:

SAY: This is the end of the assessment session. Stop working and click the FINISH button and SUBMIT your final answer choices. I will now collect your assessment materials.

Collect scratch paper and pencils. Check to see that all students have clicked the FINISH button. The students’ scores will be on the test dashboard.

SAY: You have completed the Career and Technical Education (Pre) | (Mid-Term) | (Post) assessment. Thank you for your cooperation.

To maintain a secure assessment environment, the Classroom Administrator is required to clear the cache from all computers. For information on how to clear your browser, visit http://preview.tinyurl.com/56xpm2

Choose One

59

APPENDIX J

Contingency Plan for CTE Assessments

Online

60

CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR CTE ONLINE ASSESSMENTS Before Assessment Day Inform students that they will be taking the assessment online as planned, but they will also be recording their answers on a paper answer sheet (Plain Paper – Student Form or Halo) in case their assessment will not submit for scoring.

Check your answer sheets. Make sure the student name in on the top.

On Assessment Day Plan A - Online Assessment working

1. Distribute answer sheets. They should leave the Form ID blank. The teacher will fill that in after they have finished the assessment, if needed.

2. Have students log in to the assessment site. 3. Read the online instructions as usual, adding that students should also record their answers on the answer sheet

as they work through the assessment. 4. Monitor the assessment on your dashboard. Refresh dashboard and make sure that all students have a start

time and a form number. a. If students get locked out, unlock and continue the assessment. b. If students complete the assessment and has trouble submitting for scoring. Select their name on the

dashboard by checking the block beside their name and suspend their assessment. Make sure the student’s browser is closed. The select their name again on the dashboard and continue their assessment. You may have to refresh the dashboard both times to see the change.

c. Have the student log back into the assessment site and FINISH their assessment again. d. If this does not work, have the student check the answers on their answer sheet and turn it in.

5. Print a copy of your dashboard indicating the form of the assessment for each student. This will ensure that the assessments are scored using the proper key.

6. Record the Form ID number in the correct boxes on the answer sheet after the assessment. 7. Prepare a NC CTE Secure Assessment Irregularity Form describing any problems you had with Thinkgate during

your assessment session. 8. Submit assessment answer sheets and the printed copy of your dashboard to your building level assessment

coordinator whether or not they need to be scanned and scored.

Plan B - Online Assessment Not-Working Have students enter the classroom and log in to the state assessment site.

If state site is Not Working - Wait 20 minutes and Retry.

If retry is not working - Wait 20 minutes and Retry again.

If after the third try and students can’t log in to the state assessment site. A new assessment session must be scheduled.

61

APPENDIX K

LEP/Alternative Assessment Verification Form

62

Career and Technical Education Statewide Assessment

LEP/Alternative Assessment Verification Form

A

Student Full Name Student ID:

LEA Name: Course Name:

LEA Number: Course Number:

School Name: Period:

School Number: Teacher of Record Name:

B

An LEP student qualifies for an alternate assessment if he/she meets both of these criteria:

Check Yes or No LEP/Alternative Assessment Criteria:

☐ Yes ☐ No 1. Is enrolled in a U.S. school for two years or less, and

☐ Yes ☐ No 2. Scores below Level 4.0 on the most recent reading subtest of the W-APT

(WIDA- ACESS Placement Test) or the ACCESS for ELLs® English language proficiency assessment.

C

The above named student (Section A) is an LEP student who qualifies for an alternate assessment based on his/her performance on an English proficiency exam and the amount of time he/she has been in US schools. He/she can be given an alternate assessment in a CTE course if it is determined that this assessment is in his/her best interest of the student. Furthermore, I understand that if this student does not receive an alternate assessment, he/she is to receive the standardized assessment.

D LEP students who receive accommodations in the regular testing program are to receive the same accommodations for CTE assessments.

My signature serves as verification that above named student, in Section A, is eligible for an alternative CTE assessment. _______________________________________________________________________________________

LEP School Contact (Coordinator) Date

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Building Level Coordinator’s Signature Date

_______________________________________________________________________________________

LEA Instructional Management Coordinator’s Signature Date

The Building Level IMC will print and have the LEP Contact (Coordinator) complete the LEP Alternative Assessment Verification Form and send to the LEA IMC. The LEA IMC will make and keep a copy for audit purposes locally. The original shall be sent by certified mail to:



63

APPENDIX L

Statewide Assessment Printing via Third Party Accountability Agreement

64

Career and Technical Education Statewide Assessment Printing via Third Party

Accountability Agreement

Academic Year:

LEA Name:

LEA IMC:

LEA CTE Director:

Vendor Name:

Vendor Contact Number:

Vendor agrees to the following statements:

1. Security of statewide assessment materials is our responsibility while the materials are on our premises.

2. Staff/employees are not to review assessment items nor discuss them with anyone.

3. Accepts responsibility for the process of printing the CTE Assessments for our LEA and maintaining the secure integrity of the assessments.

Signature and Title of Vendor Employee Date

LEA IMC Signature Date

career and technical education -...

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