fall 2015 writing: stc training september 30, 2015

FALL 2015 WRITING:STC TRAININGSeptember 30, 2015

Disclaimer

This presentation is not meant to be the only document School Test Coordinators use in preparing for your school’s testing. It is designed to be a guide.

The Test Implementation Manual and the Examiner’s Manual should be read in their entirety prior to testing. Please also reference documents in the PearsonAccess

website as well as documents on the MCPS STC website. All guidelines established by the Virginia Department of

Education and Montgomery County Schools should be followed.

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STC Responsibilities

The STC is an official responsibility defined by the state in the Test Implementation Manual (page 4 of the Testing Implementation Manual). The STC is the liaison between the school and the Division Director

of Testing. The STC can choose to share duties, but this does not mean

responsibility for those duties is also shared. If the STC does decide to share responsibilities, they can only be

shared with people properly trained to carry them out. The STC must be the main point of contact in case of irregularities.

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NEW INFORMATION FOR FALL 2015

NEW

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New Information for Fall 2015

Several sections of the Testing Implementation Manual have been updated to include policy updates and to provide clarification or additional information. Please read it carefully.

Updates to Appendices C and D Appendix C—Guidelines for Testing Condition

Adjustments Available to all Students New Testing Accommodations

NEW

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New Testing Accommodations Specific Verbal Prompts to keep the student focused on

the test (page 77 of TIM) “Please continue with your test.” “Keep working.” “Keep going.” “Focus.” “Stay focused.”

Dry Erase Board (page 92 of TIM) Additional Markers, Highlighters, Colored Pens and/or

Pencils (page 92 of TIM)

NEW

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Written Directions to Accompany Oral Directions (page 76 of TIM)

Selection of Testing Accommodations for LEP Students Guidelines for the use of the Bilingual and English

dictionary accommodations (page 98 of TIM)

NOTE: An updated Accommodations Matrix is on the STC website.

Read sections 5.3.2 and 5.3.3 carefully

NEW

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TestNav will be available Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. DDOT must be notified if a school plans to administer

a test after 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday PearsonAccess will be unavailable weekly for

system maintenance and scheduled upgrades 10:00 p.m. Tuesday through 7:00 a.m. Wednesday and 10:00 p.m. Thursday through 7:00 a.m. Friday Pearson will notify DDOTs by e-mail if other times are

necessary

NEW

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

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Important Reminders for Fall 2015

Fall 2015 & Spring 2016 Writing test administrations are merged

Pre-ID labels are not available for any paper-pencil tests for the Fall Writing administration

When you create test sessions for Writing—Fall, and Spring—add the administration in front of the session name Fall—FA^ Spring—SP^NOTE: ^ = space

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All materials must be ordered separately Examiner’s Manuals Paper/pencil tests—no change Answer documents

A very small number of paper/pencil tests have been ordered (5) Schools must print the Supplement to the Examiner’s Manual

Authorization to Proceed (ATP) will not be completed until July No summary final reports until after the Spring administration is

totally completed No labels for student test cards until after the Spring

administration is totally completed

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Term graduate papers will not automatically be rescored. Any paper you that meet the guidelines for a

rescore will need to be submitted during the “Request to Rescore” process.

Testing Status 5—Refusal/Disruptive—has been removed. It has been replaced with: 50—Student Refusal/Disruptive 51—Parent Refusal

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Make arrangements for your staff to discuss with students prior to testing the consequences of students having for unauthorized use of: Cell phones Electronic devices Other unauthorized materials in the testing room

Two days of ISS Parents pick up device

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Please make arrangements for your staff to discuss with students the consequences of cheating.

Two days of OSS Student will receive a zero on the assessment Student cannot retake the SOL during the current

administration (high schools only)

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All writing tests should be administered online Exceptions:

Students who need to take the MC version of the test over multiple days

Students who require a large print or Braille form of the test A student with a documented medical condition that

prohibits him/her from taking an online form of the test Must have documentation from a physician

Students should have the opportunity to practice the using the SOL Practice Tools on the VDOE website.


Audio Test—The test is read by the computer to the student

Read Aloud Test—The test is read by a live person to the student

Audio and Read Aloud Tests Icons are on the PearsonAccess test session screen

next to the student’s form number Icons are on the student’s test ticket

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The School Affidavit (Appendix A) must be submitted to DDOT at the end of the testing window It must be signed by the Principal It must be signed by the STC It should be placed in the black plastic testing folder

in the appropriate folder

PRE-TEST ACTIVITIES

Pre-Test Activities

Carefully read and implement the Test Implementation Manual & the Examiner’s Manual exactly as they are written—You are responsible for the content in its entirety Resolve any questions you may have with Carol If you see any conflicts with today’s training, please

let Carol know

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Pre-Test Activities

When scheduling tests, plan your start time so students can finish testing prior to lunch or prior to the end of the school day

Have a plan in place to move students to an alternate test site for those individuals who go over the allocated amount of time in your schedule The alternate test site must meet the same test

security guidelines as the regular testing rooms Know who will move students from one location to

another—make sure they know correct procedures

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Pre-Test Activities

Scheduling the Administration Online Writing Window—October 19 through November 6—All Students

—Term Grads—Attempt 1—October 19 through October 30; Attempt 2—November 16 through December 11

Students who are absent the day of the test do not need to take an alternate form of the test—absences are not an issue for the short-paper component

Paper/Pencil Multiple Choice—Monday, October 19, or Tuesday, October 20 Short-Paper Component—Wednesday, October 21

Students who are absent or have an irregularity for the short-paper component must use the alternate form of the test—Paper/Pencil Only

Students must take both the MC portion of the test and Short-Paper component to receive a score

All students who are absent should be given the opportunity to take the component they missed prior to the end of the testing window

NOTE: Testing takes precedence over ALL other scheduled school activities

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Pre-Test Activities

Determine students to be tested All high schools

All students enrolled in English 11 for credit Students with IEP/504/ESL plans CANNOT be exempted from an EOC SOL

All students who previously passed English 11 but failed the SOL Writing assessment and need the verified credit to graduate—Term Grads – Scheduled to Graduate by August 31, 2016

All students in 12th grade who transferred in and need the Writing assessment for a verified credit

Others Students who have already left school and are

returning to take the EOC English Writing SOL assessment to earn a verified credit—Test Takers

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Pre-Test Activities

Determine students to be tested (continued) Students who are participating in a VAAP are accounted

for on another “side of the house” – Please do not put them into a test session, and do not mark their test complete

Clear any content on the walls that may help students on the SOL assessment, including overflow rooms

Arrange for hall monitors and a communication system for Test Examiners to let you know if there is an issue.

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Pre-Test Activities

Work with consulting teachers, 504 coordinators, and ESL teachers to determine which students have accommodations Determine the accommodation each student needs

VERIFY THE ACCOMMODATIONS Use the Accommodations Matrix on the STC website

Determine groups accordingly One-on-one testing Small group testing Included in the regular classroom

Pre-Test Activities

Determine the number of test examiners and proctors needed for testing

Train all test examiners and proctors Examiners and proctors must have the same

training All schools must use the Montgomery County SOL

Examiner Training PowerPoint Coming shortly…………………….. You may add school-specific information, but you cannot

remove information from it.

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Pre-Test Activities

Examiners and proctors who will be administering tests to students with accommodations must also be trained using the Montgomery County Accommodations (2013-2014) PowerPoint This PowerPoint will be updated shortly Included in the PowerPoint are several external

references that these examiners and proctors must also read and be familiar with

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Pre-Test Activities Prior to testing—Check computer stations to be sure

equipment is working and that each station has a working mouse Submit work orders asap to Technology for any computer

issues It is not the ITRTs’ job to check equipment

Be sure you have all required manipulatives for each part of the test

Put all School Division Personnel Test Security Agreements in the black plastic folder in the appropriate folder; you may want a copy for your records

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Pre-Test Activities

Set up your test sessions in PearsonAccess Audio tests in a separate test session

(recommendation) Form numbers will begin with a “9” (R9051) Proctor caching for audio tests is mandatory

Read aloud in a separate test session—mandatory

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Pre-Test Activities

Testing tickets can be printed only 24 hours prior to the test session—Print test tickets and proctor authorization tickets for read alouds Monday testing is the exception—tickets may be printed on Friday

One day prior to testing—Walk through testing rooms (including overflow rooms) to be sure content and strategy-related materials have been removed/covered

Work with school administration to establish the school climate during testing Testing is important and students who are not testing should be

cognizant of the need to be quiet Teachers should not scare students into taking the test seriously

Preparation is the best way to build a student’s confidence in the weeks prior to testing

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DURING TESTING

During Testing

Have a contingency plan in place Inclement weather Technology issues Other unforeseen events

Proctor cache the appropriate test session(s) the day before the test (Friday if a Monday test)

Conduct secure check out & check in of test materials—Test Examiners count in front of STC & STC count in front of Test Examiner

Start the test session(s) the morning of the test

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During Testing

Monitor testing Activities of Test Examiners & Proctors—Be

available to answer questions and resolve problems as they arise

Students PearsonAccess

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During Testing

Move students to makeup test sessions and stop all test sessions at the end of the day

Be sure all test accommodations are followed according to the guidelines in Appendix C of the Testing Implementation Manual If you have a choice between recorded test sessions

or proctors, I highly encourage using proctors In some instances, you may want to use proctors

and record the test session

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During Testing

Contact Carol—in all instances—if you have an issue (230-3638 or 257-0354—back in service ) Computer issues—During testing I immediately

take issues to Kenny and Greg Occasionally computer issues become irregularity issues

Testing issues—In the case of a possible irregularity, call Carol immediately; an irregularity needs to be entered into SSWS by 5:00 on the date of the occurrence

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AFTER TESTING

After Testing

Mark student tests complete—you may need to contact me for this right in Pearson For students who are:

Absent—A student must have every opportunity to make up a test—Mark the test complete only after the test window is over

Medical Emergency Refusal/Disruptive (New Codes) Student cheats—An irregularity must be completed and

the situation investigated. Student already passed the test Substitute test taken

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TEST SECURITY TOPICS

Test Security

Test Security PowerPoint in Moodle The Virginia Department of Education requires all

school division personnel who may have access to the test in any way be familiar with, read, and sign the School Division Test Security Agreement

This means everyone

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Test Security

Specific Points from the School Division Personnel Test Security Agreement Security before, during, and after testing is of the utmost

importance Teachers/schools cannot require or put undue pressure

on students to use a particular testing strategy during testing—this includes providing incentives Points 2 and 10 on the School Division Personnel Test Security

Agreement address this If you have an idea that you would like to ask me about, send

me an e-mail with the specific details

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Test Security

Montgomery County does not use non-MCPS employees as Test Examiners or Proctors; they may not come in contact with the test in any way Student teachers Interns Volunteers Substitutes

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Test Security

Test tickets for online testing can only be printed the day prior to the test session Monday testing is the exception—you may print

test tickets on Friday Test tickets must be kept in a secure, locked

storage at all times when they are not in use in an actual testing session

Test Security

Test materials must be maintained in a secure, locked area with extremely limited access (i.e., STC, STC Assistant) before, during, and after testing Paper/pencil tests Test tickets for online testing Test tickets may be shredded as soon as the test session is

over Tests materials must be checked out the day of the test

and returned as soon as possible after testing Each examiner is responsible for checking out and

checking in his/her own test tickets.

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Test Security

Examiners must always count and sign for test tickets in front of the STC and vice versa upon check in

Once the Test Examiner picks up test materials, they are never to be left unattended unless they are locked in a secure room with limited access

Students, Test Examiners, and Proctors may not have access to personal electronic devices Cell phones, i-pods, etc. Test Examiner/Proctor Exception: If your school asks the Test

Examiner or Proctor to use his/her cell phone as a means of communication with the STC Left in the student’s locker Put the device in the front of the room in a baggie with the student’s name

on the baggie (turned off)

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Test Security

STCs must train examiners/proctors and have them sign Test Security Agreements; in addition to examiners & proctors include the following people in your training: Homebound teachers Anyone who scribes for a student Anyone who proofs the transcription onto the

computer/answer document Anyone having access to the secure test room, thus

the test

Test Security

Test Examiners and Proctors are responsible for monitoring students Test examiners must be in the same room with

students—not standing in the doorway, not in the connecting room next door

If Test Examiners and Proctors are properly monitoring the testing room, cheating should not be an issue

My motto is “Off seat, on feet;” Test Examiners and Proctors should circulate through the room unobtrusively

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Test Security

Test Examiners and Proctors should not be: Reading Grading papers Using electronic devices (except to contact you) Working/playing on the computer Talking to a friend

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Test Security Once students enter the testing room, all instruction, test

review, and discussion of instructional strategies stops Test Examiners and Proctors must not use the student’s

mouse or keyboard to navigate the test at any time If the computer freezes, move the student away from the

computer before you try to troubleshoot the problem Test Examiners and Proctors must not prompt students in

any way, even at the end of the test Test Examiners and Proctors must not read the test items,

create an answer key, copy test items, take notes about test items, record student responses, or discuss test items

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Test Security

Breaks— Students are to be monitored at all times when they are

on a break whether it be a planned break or unplanned break. Students must not be allowed to talk to other students Students must not be allowed to have access to any curricular

content or testing strategies Only one student may go to the restroom at a time, and the

student must be walked down the hall to and from the restroom

If another student is in the restroom, an adult must stand inside the restroom to ensure the two students do not discuss the test

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Test Security

All test materials must be accounted for before students leave the testing room

Test security procedures must be followed when moving students to another location Test materials must be collected from the student The student must be escorted from one location to the

other to ensure no communication with another student takes place, and the student is not exposed to curricular content or testing strategies

The adult must carry the test materials and give them back to the student only when s/he is settled and ready to begin testing

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Test Security

VDOE Test Security PowerPoint Please use Moodle for now

CODING

Coding

Correct coding is essential Mistakes can significantly impact Accreditation ratings Name, grade, birth date, sex, ethnicity, disability, and

LEP status are loaded directly from PowerSchool Disadvantaged data is based on data from Nutrition I run a query to input SOA Transfer & AYP status

If you have a student transfer in after the upload was completed, be sure you code the student correctly E-Mail me if necessary—or look on the STC website

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Coding

All accommodations used during testing must be coded—not just the accommodations that are alerted If they are not coded, it appears that the division is

not in compliance with the student’s IEP/504/ESL plan

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TROUBLESHOOTING

Troubleshooting

Do not bypass Carol as the primary point of contact (230-3638 or 257-0354) in all situations. Never call the Virginia Department of Education or Pearson unless

directed to do so by Carol Please report all irregularities—failing to report an

irregularity is generally far more serious than the irregularity itself

Java historically has a major update in October Be sure TestNav works on all the computers you will use for testing Be sure you can proctor cache from your computer Submit a work order as soon as possible Always click “Later” when it requests to update or block Java

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Troubleshooting

Homebound students are expected to test Please be sure homebound students have a schedule in

your school’s PowerSchool You are responsible for making sure they test in each of

the tested areas in their appropriate grade level See the homebound testing guidelines

Students who transfer out of your school in the testing window: Remove them from any test sessions Remove any test and group assignments for any test(s)

they did not take at your school

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MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS

Miscellaneous

Testing logins for Novell are confidential—students are not to log into the computer using the testing login

A term grad for this test administration is defined as a student who plans to graduate by August 31, 2016

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Handling Irregularities

STCs must contact DDOT immediately The irregularity must be completed in SSWS

Please use the student’s legal name Remember that the Student Testing Identifier (STI)

begins with 101… not the MCPS number The test form must be included The name of the test session must be included

References

Test Implementation Manual Examiner’s Manual PearsonAccess Webpage—

www.pearsonaccess.com/va Virginia Department of Education Practice Items—

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/english/2010/online_writing/index.shtml#writingpractice

STC Webpage—http://www.mcps.org/departments/curriculum_pages/testing/s_t_c/

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fall 2015 writing: stc training september 30, 2015

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