staar alternate 2 administration procedures & staar alternate 2 security & confidentiality...

STAAR Alternate 2 Administration Procedures & STAAR Alternate 2 Security & Confidentiality Sheldon ISDDecember 20141

DRAFT Texas Education Agency - Student Assessment Division2

State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®) Alternate 2 is:

•an assessment based on alternate academic standards designed for students with significant cognitive disabilities receiving special education services

•a standardized paper-based assessment (redesigned based on state legislation) administered individually to each eligible student

•an assessment with individual student responses transcribed into a TestNav online transcription form

STAAR Alternate 2 Overview

Eligibility and Participation Requirements


The admissions review and dismissal (ARD) committee determines whether a student with a significant cognitive disability is eligible to take STAAR Alternate 2 based on specific criteria.

Please review the Educator Guide for STAAR A and STAAR Alternate 2 for additional information on eligibility and participation requirements.

Assessment Window and Tested Subjects


The STAAR Alternate 2 testing window is February 9–27, 2015. Districts may choose when to administer each subject and grade-level test within the window. GOAL: complete testing by February 20th.

The test will be administered in the following grades and subjects:


STAAR ALTERNATE 2 IMPORTANT DATES9/22/2014 – 10/24/2014 Participation counts window

11/5/2014 – 2/27/2015• SDU submission window• Registration available

02/20/2015 Deadline to order additional materials

1/9/2015 Materials list posted online1/19/2015 Test session creation1/23/2015 Materials due in district2/2/2015 Proctor caching available

Up to 10 days before 2/9/2015 Preview window

2/9/2015 – 2/27/2015 STAAR Alternate 2 Assessment

2/10/2015Transfer date: students entering the district on February 10 or later do not have to be assessed

3/2/2015 – 3/3/2015• Data verification• Test administrators can continue

transcribing student responses

3/6/2015 Return nonscorable materials

5/20/2015 Grades 3 – 8 reports due in district

6/5/2015 EOC reports due in district

Materials

• Materials list posted online by: 1/9/2015

• Due in district by: 1/23/2015

• Deadline to order additional materials: 02/20/2015

• Return secure nonscorable materials to Pearson by: 3/6/2015


Test Security & Confidentiality


Test Security

STAAR Alternate 2 standardized test administration materials are considered secure.

Test security involves accounting for all secure materials and confidential student information before, during, and after the test administration.

Test administrators for the STAAR Alternate 2 assessment must be aware that they are viewing secure content and that discussing the content of the test at any time is strictly prohibited.

As a reminder of this obligation, STAAR Alternate 2 test administrators are required to sign a separate section of the test administrator’s oath. No person may discuss student responses or STAAR Alternate 2 scoring information during or after a test administration.


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Test Security

Ensure STAAR Alternate 2 Test Administrator Manuals, student booklets, and photocopies of stimuli from the student booklets remain in secure locked storage when not in use within the confines of the school building at all times.

Return the STAAR Alternate 2 Scoring Document to the testing coordinator after student performance is marked on the form. The CTC must keep the scoring document after the information is entered in TestNAV as it will be returned to Pearson.


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Test Security

The TA may not discuss, show, or share any secure test content in the STAAR Alternate 2 Test Administrator Manuals and student booklets, including but not limited to other test administrators, special education directors, school administrators, diagnosticians, parents, peers, or test coordinators.

Ensure that when testing has concluded that all secure materials have been accounted for and returned to the campus coordinator


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Confidentiality

Protecting all secure materials!

This requires compliance with, but is not limited to, the following guidelines:Before handling secure test materials, all testing personnel must undergo training and must sign the security oath affirming that they understand their obligations concerning the security and confidentiality of the state assessments.

All tests must be administered in strict accordance with the instructions contained in the test administration materials.


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Confidentiality

No person may reveal or discuss the contents of a test booklet or a test administrator manual before, during, or after a test administration unless specifically authorized to do so by the procedures outlined in the test administration materials.

Test administrators for the STAAR Alternate 2 assessment must be aware that they are viewing secure content and that discussing the content of the test at any time is strictly prohibited. As a reminder of this obligation, STAAR Alternate 2 test administrators are required to sign a separate section of the test administrator’s oath. No person may discuss student responses or STAAR Alternate 2 scoring information during or after a test administration.


Penalties for Violation of Security and Confidentiality of Assessments

Violation of security and confidentiality of any test required by Texas Education Code (TEC), Chapter 39, Subchapter B, shall be prohibited.

A person who engages in conduct prohibited by the Test Security Supplement may be subject to sanction of credentials.

Conduct that violates the security and confidentiality of a test is defined as any departure from the test administration procedures established in the test security supplement and other test administration materials (manuals).



Conduct of this nature may include, but is not limited to, the following acts and omissions:

► changing or altering a response or answer of an examinee to a secure test item ► providing, suggesting, or indicating a test question response to an examinee; ► aiding or assisting an examinee with a response or answer to a secure test item; ► identifying incorrect responses for students; ► solving questions in the test or scoring a student’s test either formally or informally; ► duplicating secure examination materials; viewing a test before, during, or after an assessment unless specifically authorized to do so; ► disclosing the contents of any portion of a secure test; ► failing to report to an appropriate authority that an individual has engaged in conduct outlined in the items listed above; ► fraudulently exempting or preventing a student from participating in the administration of a required state assessment; or ► encouraging or assisting an individual to engage in the conduct described in the items listed above.



Any person who violates, assists in the violation of, or solicits another to violate or assist in the violation of test security or confidentiality, as well as any person who fails to report such a violation is subject to the following penalties:

► placement of restrictions on the issuance, renewal, or holding of a Texas educator certificate, either indefinitely or for a set term; ► issuance of an inscribed or non-inscribed reprimand; ► suspension of a Texas educator certificate for a set term; or ► revocation or cancellation of a Texas educator certificate without opportunity for reapplication either for a set term or permanently.



Release or disclosure of confidential test content is a Class C misdemeanor and could result in criminal prosecution under TEC §39.0303, Section 552.352 of the Texas Government Code, and Section 37.10 of the Texas Penal Code. Further, 19 TAC §249.15 stipulates that the State Board for Educator Certification may take any of the above actions based on satisfactory evidence that an educator has failed to cooperate with TEA in an investigation.

In addition, any irregularities in test security or confidentiality may result in the invalidation of students’ assessments.


Test Administrator Oath


Test administrators must initial and sign the test administrator oath following training on test security and general testing procedures and before handling secure test materials.

Serious Irregularities


Serious irregularities constitute severe violations of test security and/or confidentiality and can result in the individual(s) responsible being referred to the TEA Educator Standards and Certification Legal Division for consideration of disciplinary action (including suspension or termination of educator certification credentials). Examples of serious violations involve, but are not limited to, the following:

■ tampering with student responses ■ falsifying STAAR Alternate 2 student scoring information ■ viewing secure test content without authorization ■ discussing secure test content, student responses, or student performance

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Procedural Irregularities


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Procedural irregularities are less severe, more common, and are typically the result of minor deviations in testing procedures. Eligibility ErrorIEP Implementation IssueImproper Accounting for Secure MaterialsMonitoring ErrorOther Procedural Errors

Reporting Testing Irregularities

Each person participating in the Texas student assessment program is responsible for reporting any violation or suspected violation of test security or confidentiality.

Campus staff must notify their campus or district testing coordinator if they witness an irregularity or suspect that one has occurred, and district coordinators must in turn notify TEA.

The district testing coordinator must contact the TEA Student Assessment Division immediately to report incidents involving alleged or suspected violations that fall under the category of a serious irregularity as soon as the district testing coordinator is made aware of the situation.

Testing personnel should contact TEA if they are unsure about whether an irregularity has occurred or if they are unclear regarding what constitutes a serious violation.


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Test Administration Procedures


Test Design


• Six clusters comprise a test form resulting in 24 scripted questions per test.

• The test materials will include a test administrator booklet and a student booklet for each subject.

• The test administrator booklet contains scripted questions and guidelines for how the test will be administered.

• The student booklet contains stimulus images and text for the presentation of test items and answer options.

• This design allows for standardization of the assessment and eliminates the need for teachers to prepare tasks or materials.

Who Can Administer STAAR Alternate 2?


The STAAR Alternate 2 test administrator:

•should be the student’s teacher for the subject being tested, and

•must have a high level of familiarity with the student so that testing accommodations can be prepared appropriately and the student’s typical response modes can be understood.

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Paraprofessionals


Certified and noncertified paraprofessionals who may serve as test administrators or test administrator assistants are:

•currently employed by the district, and

•routinely work with students in the classroom.

Paraprofessionals must be supervised by a certified professional on the same campus throughout the test administration, receive training and sign the test administrator oath.

Sheldon ISD’s does not allow paraprofessionals to serve in the role as the test administrator.

Test Administrator Assistants


The test administrator assistant can provide assistance including:

•manipulating materials during the testing session,

•translating or signing information for the student, and

•managing student behavior.

All test administrator assistants:

•must be trained in test security and administration procedures prior to the assessment, and

•must sign the test administrator’s oath of test security and confidentiality.

Test Administrator Responsibilities


Include:

•maintaining security of test materials while in their possession,

•preparing test materials for each administration,

•implementing the test administration processes and procedures stated in the manuals,

•reporting any suspected violation of test security to the campus coordinator,

•transcribing student responses into TestNav, and

•preparing test materials for return to the campus coordinator at the conclusion of test administrations

Test administrators may preview the test immediately upon their receipt in district and on through the testing window. Accommodations should be prepared during the preview period but may also be prepared during the testing window.

Testing materials should be checked out during the preview period only when needed by the test administrator to become familiar with the test and prepare for accommodations. At the end of each day, all materials, including photocopied pages from the student booklet, must be returned to the campus testing coordinator. Education Agency - Student Assessment Division

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Once test administrators have been trained on security and confidentiality and have signed an oath of test security, they need to preview the STAAR Alternate 2 test materials to become familiar with the test and to prepare for any necessary accommodations.

These materials are considered secure and the campus coordinator must check them out to the test administrator using the STAAR Alternate 2 Materials Preview Control Form.

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The test administrator should use the preview period to:

•Preview the “Guidelines for STAAR Alternate 2 Test Administrator Instructions” and “Scoring” sections of the test administrator manual to become familiar with the policy for presenting and scoring questions.

•Practice reading the script and following the presentation instructions for actual questions while maintaining the secure contents of the assessments.

•Review the “Scoring Instructions” for actual questions and plan teacher assistance for specific questions.

•Preview the student booklet to plan and prepare accommodations for any student that may need an accommodation according to the guidelines outlined in the “Accommodations” section.

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The accommodations must:

•maintain the integrity of the assessment,

•avoid leading to or providing the student a direct answer,

•be used routinely in instruction,

•reflect the student’s learning styles, and

•allow a student to respond using a mode that is appropriate for the student

Plan and Prepare Accommodations

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Accommodations Information


• Accommodations must be determined and prepared BEFORE the test session begins on Monday, February 9, 2015

• The test administrator must present the accommodations uniformly so that the correct answer is not emphasized over the other answer choices.

• Routinely used accommodations for positioning and behavioral supports can be provided for any student to ensure that the student can physically access the stimuli provided and maintain focus throughout the testing session.

• It is appropriate to add language that encourages the student to stay on task.

• It is not appropriate to add language about the content of the question.

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Response Modes

The student may respond using his or her primary mode of communication, or any other mode of communication appropriate at the time of testing.

The critical issue is not how the student responds but that the student clearly communicates the preferred answer choice to the test administrator. Any response modes will be deemed acceptable responses for the communicated directive and will not need to be predetermined by the TA.

Student response modes may be verbal, physical, or visual.

See pages T 22-23 for more examples


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Photocopying Guidelines

The student booklet cannot be disassembled The district must maintain test security and confidentiality when

photocopying the student booklet. Photocopying must be done within the district by a test administrator or

test administrator assistant who has signed the “Oath of Test Security and Confidentiality for Test Administrator.” This includes signing the additional section on the oath for test administrators who are authorized to view secure state assessments.

If a math test is photocopied but not enlarged, the copier must be set to copy at 100% and the scaling option set to “no scaling” or “zero” to ensure that graphics results in the intended measurements.

The memory on the copier must be cleared. All photocopied pages of the test questions, for both Stimulus A

and B, need to be returned with nonscorable shipment after testing.

Any accompany pictures, objects, textured materials, or instructional tools do not need to be returned.

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Administer the Assessment

All assessments must be administered within the testing window. Individual student administrations may be started or stopped at any time within the testing window.

The test does not have to be given in one session if the student is not able to maintain stamina or focus.

Test items must be administered in the order they appear in the student booklet.

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The test is designed in clusters of four items that build on one another and assess a targeted essence statement. If the test is not to be administered in one session, TEA recommends that the test be stopped between clusters. At no time may a student go back to previously answered items, including after an administration has been stopped and resumed for an emergency.

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Each test is individually administered.

Students are not expected to read, write, or manipulate the test booklet.

The test administrator is given directions to present the item, specifically what to direct the student to, and what to communicate to the student.


Consider Timing Options

STAAR Alternate 2 is an untimed assessment and may take as long as necessary to be completed within the testing window. Some timing options include

•administering the assessment at a time that is most appropriate for an individual student

•allowing breaks, as necessary

•administering the test over several days with several sessions per day

•administering the test over several days, one session each day


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To present is to introduce the stimuli with needed accommodations.

Options may include•pairing with like tactile symbols or objects; •highlighting, coloring, or enlarging; or•pointing and gesturing.

To direct is to focus the student on certain parts of the stimulus.

Options may include•alerting orally or through sign;•pointing to, highlighting or covering up sections until addressed; or •guiding the student’s hand to specific places in the stimuli.


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To communicate is to relay the bolded text exactly as written.

Options may include•stating, signing, or translating into another language, •providing in written form, or •pairing with tactile or picture symbols.


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Repeating the Presentation Instructions

Students can be directed back to the stimulus any time if the student loses focus.

Students can be provided verbal encouragement to stay focused.

Students can request to have information repeated but not defined or paraphrased.

If the student is distracted during the presentation, the test administrator can repeat sections of the presentation instructions without a student request up until the answer choices and “find” statement are given.

Reading passages can be reread as needed before the answer choices and “find” statement have been given.

Once the answer choices and “find” statement are given, the test administrator must wait for the student to respond without repeating any part of the instructions or gesturing back to any stimulus images.


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If no response is given after a reasonable wait time, the answer choices and “find” statement can be repeated once.

Once an answer is given, the test administrator must follow the scoring instructions to determine how to proceed.

The order in which the last two bullets for the answer choices and “find” statement in the presentation instructions are communicated to the student can be reversed from the order listed in the presentation instructions.

After the student responds incorrectly, the teacher assistance has been applied, and the initial presentation is being replicated, the “find” statement and answer choice presentation order can be switched from that provided in the initial presentation.


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Presenting Reading Passages

Test administrators have the option of starting a reading passage over and repeating the text from earlier questions in a cluster if they feel that the student needs to hear the previous sections of the passage before finding what is requested.

To accomplish this, the test administrator canturn back to previous questions in the cluster and read the sections for the student from the test administrator manual without the student looking at the text, orphotocopy previous sections of the text to combine with the next section of the passage as the student proceeds through the cluster.


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Returning to Previous Questions

Although the reading passages can be read or photocopied to be used in presenting other questions in the cluster, no other information from previous items can be used during the test administration.

Students cannot request to go back to previous test questions in the student booklet and change their answer after the question has been scored and the student has moved on to the next item.


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ScoringAn asterisk (*) next to a section on the stimulus image or a boxed answer choice indicates the correct answer.

In most cases, the asterisk is located on the upper left hand corner for boxed answer choices. The asterisk only appears in the test administrator instructions.

When answer choices are boxed with an asterisk placed outside the box, the student receives credit for touching or identifying anything in the box.

When more than one correct answer is possible, asterisks appear in all viable options.

When the asterisk is next to a detail inside a boxed answer choice, the student must find the place next to the asterisk for a correct answer.

The “Student Action” section of the Scoring Instructions describes exactly what the student must find for a correct answer.


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Scoring

The test administrator must refer to the scoring instructions for each question to determine how to proceed once the student has responded to the “find” statement.

Each question has a unique set of scoring instructions.

During testing, the test administrator should not place the test administrator instructions in the student’s line of sight because the correct answer is indicated.

Additionally, other students in the room during testing cannot be exposed to the content of the test questions.


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Scoring Instructions for Question 1


Specific instructions are given for EXACTLY what the student must find to get credit for the question.

If an incorrect response is given, the TA is directed to remove the stimulus, wait at least 5 seconds, and then repeat the initial presentation instructions for reduced credit.

No extra assistance is allowed, because the answer is provided and modeled during the presentation

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If the student is not able to find the correct answer after the initial presentation, the test administrator must select one of the provided allowable teacher assists before repeating the presentation instructions. Providing an assist after an incorrect response is not optional since the student still has an opportunity to receive points.

The allowable teacher assists were written to address various learning modalities of students. The test administrator can choose only one assist; therefore, the assist that is chosen should be one that the test administrator feels would be most helpful to the student and was not provided as an accommodation during the initial presentation.


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Scoring Instructions for Question 3 Test administrators can only provide an assist that is specifically listed

on the individual question. Test administrators cannot assume that an assist used on one question will be available for another question.

The allowable teacher assist will specify if the student must perform the action (Have the student think about the sides of the shapes.) or if the student or test administrator can perform the assist (Trace the outline of each shape.). If not specifically stated, the action can be performed by the student or the test administrator.

The direction to highlight can be performed by the test administrator or the student. Make sure that the method used to highlight does not interfere with the stimulus information on the back of the page.

If the student gives incorrect information when asked to perform the assist, the test administrator can correct the student so that the student receives a correct assist before the presentation instructions are repeated


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If the student is not able to provide the correct answer after the initial presentation, the initial presentation instructions must be repeated.

No other assistance can be provided, because the student must apply the information on his or her own to answer the question.


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Recording Student Responses

A STAAR ALT 2 scoring document is provided in your non-secure manual.

You will use this document to record the student’s score for each question and applied accommodations for the entire test. You will mark A, B or C on the scoring document according to the scoring instructions.

TEA requires the use of the document to ensure that the student responses have been captured correctly.

Once you mark on this form it becomes SECURE! This document must be turned in to your CTC and it will be returned to Pearson.


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Transcribe Student Responses into TestNav

Students taking the STAAR Alternate 2 administration communicate answers directly to the test administrator. The test administrator records the student’s responses on the STAAR Alternate 2 Scoring Document based on scoring information provided for each item.


The procedures for entering scores in TESTNAV will be covered in January

Return Test Materials to the Campus Coordinator

After each test session, the test administrator must return all test materials to the campus coordinator. As appropriate, test materials will be redistributed before the next test session.

Return the following materials to your campus coordinator:STAAR Alternate 2 Test Administrator Manuals, student booklets, STAAR Alternate 2 Scoring Documents, photocopies of secure test materials, if needed.

Any accompanying pictures, objects, textured materials, or instructional tools do not need to be returned.

Your campus coordinator will verify that you have returned all test materials assigned to you, as recorded on the STAAR Alternate 2 Materials Control Form, and will then initial the “In” box. Your signed oath of test security and confidentiality will be retained by your campus coordinator for five years.


Materials that will be returned to PEARSON….


•student test booklets grouped by grade for grades 3–8

•student test booklets grouped by course for EOC assessments

•Secure Alternate 2 scoring documents

•secure Alternate 2 test administrator manuals

•photocopies of secure test materials, if any were created

This information is not in your PowerPointPrepare the Testing EnvironmentTest administrators must prepare the environment for the administration of STAAR Alternate 2. STAAR Alternate 2 is administered to students in a one-on-one setting. Test sessions must be conducted under the best possible conditions with minimal distractions and in a setting that is arranged in the most appropriate way for individual students. Some options include:■ administering the test in a separate location,■ providing adaptive or special furniture, and■ providing special acoustics.To support test security and standard assessment practices, STAAR Alternate 2 administrations require that■ no element of the testing room environment should hinder any student’s performance,■ a “Testing—Do Not Disturb” sign should be posted outside the testing room,■ bulletin boards and instructional displays that could aid students during testing must be covered or removed,■ clocks (either analog or digital) in the testing room do not have to be covered or removed,■ all desks used for testing must be cleared of books and other materials not required for the test, and■ test administrators must prevent students who are not part of the current testing session from viewing another student’s test administration.The test administrator will determine the most appropriate seating arrangement based on individual student needs.


January Meeting

Agenda•Assigning tests during the assessment window•Procedures for entering scores into the online transcription form in TestNav•Deadlines for testing and entering scores in TESTNAV•Additional procedural items

Before the January meeting:Read the non-secure portion of the STAAR ALT 2 ManualRead the Educator’s Guide to STAAR ALTHave the list of accommodations for each of your students.


Resources


• Educator Guide for STAAR A and STAAR Alternate 2

• User’s Guide for the Texas Assessment Management System

• 2015 District and Campus Coordinator Manual

• STAAR Alternate 2 Test Administrator Manuals

• STAAR Alternate 2 Sample Items

• STAAR Alternate 2 Administration Participation Collection (broadcast e-mail)

• STAAR Alternate 2 Medical Exception Eligibility Requirements

• STAAR Alternate 2 No Authentic Academic Response Eligibility Requirements

• Texas Education Agency: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/special-ed/staaralt/

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/special-ed/staaralt/

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/special-ed/staaralt/

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns….

Angel Lozano District Testing CoordinatorOffice: 281-727-1304 or 1303Cell: 832-833-5942

Bobbye McCain, Ed.D.Coordinator of Special ProgramsOffice 281-727-2041Cell 281-468-4032
