Supplemental Training Oral Administration

Oral/Signed Administration All references to reading support during an oral administration also apply to signing during a signed administration. If conducting a signed administration to students who are deaf or hard of hearing, there is an Appendix with additional instructions. (reviewed later in this powerpoint.)

Oral/Signed Administration STAAR, STAAR Spanish, and STAAR Modified Reading (grades 3-8, English I, English II, English III) – Test questions and answer choices may be read aloud to a student. – Reading selections may NEVER be read aloud to a student. Required reference materials may ALWAYS be read to a student with an Oral Administration accommodation.

Oral/Signed Administration STAAR, and STAAR Modified Writing (grades 4, 7, English I, II, & III) – test questions, and answer choices may NEVER be read aloud to a student. Required reference materials may ALWAYS be read to a student with an Oral Administration accommodation.

Oral/Signed Administration STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR L and STAAR Modified Mathematics (grades 3-8, Algebra I, geometry, Algebra II) – Test questions and answer choices may be read aloud to a student. Science (grades 5 & 8, biology, chemistry, and physics ) – Test questions and answer choices may be read aloud to a student. Social Studies (grade 8, world geography, world history, and U.S. history) – Test questions and answer choices may be read aloud to a student.

Oral/Signed Administration Test Administrators should know… which level of reading support the student is eligible for. – Student choice (student asks for assistance) – No student choice (questions and answer choices read throughout the test) if the student can request a change in the level of reading support.

Oral/Signed Administration Ensure that students have the same test form. Test Administrators should have their own booklet with the same form number as the students. If test administrator reads at student request, it is acceptable to read over the student’s shoulder.

Oral/Signed Administration Test Administrators must be aware that they are viewing secure content and are therefore required to initial and sign an additional section of the Oath of Test Security for Test Administrators. Test Administrators must NOT respond to test questions, make notes, or discuss the content at any time. They should never write notes or calculations in a test booklet.

Oral/Signed Administration For reading tests and the reading section of English I, II, and III, the student must read the selection first. When students are finished reading the selection, the test administrator may read aloud each test question and then answer choices in the order they are presented. For writing tests, an oral administration is NEVER allowed for any part of the revising and editing passages. The writing prompts may be read aloud without request. Students not receiving oral admin must ask to have the prompt read aloud.

Oral/Signed Administration For mathematics, science, and social studies tests, the test administrator must read aloud the test questions and answer choices in the order they are presented. The test question must be read aloud prior to reading the answer choices.

Oral/Signed Administration The test administrator may read aloud any word, phrase, or sentence in the test questions and answer choices as many times as needed. At the end of the test, the test administrator may go back to reread a question and its answer choices at a student’s request.

Oral/Signed Administration To ensure that the test is administered accurately, the test administrator must be familiar with content-specific terms and symbols associated with the subject-area tests. The test administrator must never rephrase, clarify, or interpret any test content.

Oral/Signed Administration The test administrator must keep their voice inflection neutral, although words that are boldfaced, italicized, or printed in capital letters must be emphasized. Unauthorized verbal and nonverbal assistance may not be provided to students.

Oral/Signed Administration A student’s answer document must indicate that the student received an oral administration by marking “OA” under Type 2 in the Accommodations field on the student’s answer document.

Oral/Signed Administration The following guidelines are addressed to help test administrators read in a standardized manner. The examples shown reflect content assessed from various grade levels and subject areas. Not every type of test question is addressed; therefore, test administrators are allowed to generalize from these guidelines when reading other types of test questions.

Oral/Signed Administration: TYPE A When answer choices contain graphics (table, grid, diagram, map, cartoon, picture, etc) do not name or describe them. Instead say to the student, “Look at the answer choices and mark your answer.” If necessary, say, “Tell me whether you would like anything read aloud.”

Oral/Signed Administration: TYPE A At Travis Middle School, 61 eighth graders are members of the band, and 35 eighth graders are members of the math club. There re 24 eighth graders who are members of both groups. Which Venn diagram best represents this information?

Oral/Signed Administration: TYPE A If a student needs help reading this, point to the words and say, “This says oil, water, cork.” It is NOT allowable to point to the parts of the diagram that represent oil, water, and cork.

Oral/Signed Administration: TYPE B When reading aloud words, numbers, or symbols, be careful not to aid the student in interpreting or analyzing the information since the ability to interpret and analyze is part of what is being tested. It is acceptable to say, “Take a few minutes to look at the graph and tell me whether you would like anything read aloud. Tell me when you are ready to go on.”

Oral/Signed Administration: TYPE B If a students says, “I can’t read this,” point to the words and say, “This says grocery store.” It is NOT allowable to say, “This is the one of the parking lots,” because that would be interpreting the graph.

Oral/Signed Administration: TYPE B If a student needs help reading this, point to the words and say, “This says over one million.” It is NOT allowable to say, “The largest dot means over one million,” because that would be interpreting the key to the map.

Oral/Signed Administration: TYPE B If a student needs help reading this, point to the word and say, “This is phytoplankton.” It is NOT allowable to indicate that it is a producer.

Oral/Signed Administration: TYPE C When a test question contains a text box (formula, scale, excerpt, quote from the selection, or caption), you may read aloud the text in its enirety. Do not interpret or analyze any of the information.

Oral/Signed Administration: TYPE C

Oral/Signed Administration: TYPE D When content-specific terms and symbols appear in a test question or answer choices, read them in the same way the student hears them in daily instruction. This will ensure that the test is administered accurately.

Oral/Signed Administration: TYPE D

(This must be read aloud as.17 amperes)

Oral/Signed Administration: TYPE E When the content of a test question requires knowledge of place value, read the numbers as individual digits so as not to provide assistance in determining the answer.

Oral/Signed Administration: TYPE E

Instructions Specific to Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing w/o Oral Administration Accommodation Signing test admin directions is allowed. Test administration directions may be further clarified or interpreted as long as the substance of the directions is not changed. When a dictionary is a required part of standard test administration procedures, a sign language dictionary may be used.

Instructions Specific to Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing with Oral Administration Accommodation For students eligible for an oral/signed administration, it may be necessary for test content to be projected onto a screen. No photocopying of materials is allowed.

Oral/Signed Administration If a sign for a word or phrase exists, the TA should use the sign when it occurs in print. If a sign for a word or phrase has been locally developed and routinely used in instruction, the TA may use the sign when the word or phrase occurs in print. If there is no commonly accepted sign for a word or pharse and no local sign has been developed, the TA must determine if the word IS or IS NOT the concept being tested. If the word or phrase IS NOT the concept being assessed, the TA may use a responable equivalent. The TA has flexibility when signing. If the word or phrase IS the concept being assessed, the TA must fingerspell the word.

Oral/Signed Administration If the word or phrase IS NOT the concept being assessed, the TA may use a resonable equivalent. The TA has flexibility when signing. If the word or phrase IS the concept being assessed, the TA must fingerspell the word. It is not acceptable to create a new sign or use an equivalent to explain the vocabulary that is being assessed.

Oral/Signed Administration At the conclusion of your time administering an oral or signed administration, please be sure to sign the bottom portion of your oath acknowledging that you know you have seen secure material and are legally bound to confidentiality and security laws.