Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) Administrator Training

Agenda General Overview Important Information Monitoring Information Planning for the Assessment PASA Students and Exceptions to Participation Administering the Assessment PDE Policy – Test Security Before the Assessment – DRC Information During the Assessment – DRC Information After the Assessment – DRC Information

Grades 3 – 8 and Grade 11 Reading and Mathematics – DRC Grades 5, 8, & 11 Writing – DRC Grades 4, 8, & 11 Science – DRC Grade 12 Retest – DRC Reporting – The Grow Network Policy – PDE General Overview

New this year –Booklets do not need to be returned for PASA students –Student attributions will be at the district and school level

General Overview New this year –New return procedures for Answer Booklets –PIMS data was used to produce Student Precode Labels –PIMS must be used to correct data for student precode records –Science test is operational

General Overview Today’s Training Highlights –Do’s and Don’ts –Using Barcode Labels –Understanding Student Attributions –Accurate AYP reporting –Easier administration

Important Information DRC Contact Information –Our toll free number is: –Our fax number is: –Our is:

Important Information PDE contact information –Our phone number is: or 717–787–4234 –Our is:

Important Information Key Assessment Dates –February 11 to 22 – Grades 5, 8 & 11 Writing Final materials returned by February 27. –March 31 to April 11 – Grades 3 – 8 & 11 Reading and Mathematics Final materials returned by April 16. –April 28 to May 9 – Grades 4, 8 & 11 Science Materials returned no later than May 14.

Important Information Key Reporting Dates –May 12 to May 23, 2008 – Data Corrections 1 –June 20, 2008 – District Student Data Files posted to DRC’s Report Delivery System

Important Information Key Reporting and AYP Dates –June 23 to June 27, 2008 – Data Corrections 2 –July 1, 2008 – Pre-Appeals AYP files posted to DRC’s Report Delivery System. –July 1 to July 15, 2008 – AYP Appeals window

Important Information The 2008 AYP Performance and Participation Map will be posted at A district that has placed a student into an alternative educational setting inside or outside the district is responsible for ensuring the student’s participation in the assessment. A new option for reporting individual student PSSA performance will be available in June

Important Information The entity delivering the student’s education is responsible for ordering and receiving materials and administering the test. Know your district’s procedures for Home Schooled and Cyber Charter School students. CTE Coding

Monitoring PDE will be monitoring the PSSA administration procedures in March of 2008 Areas of review Test Security Forms tracking Test administration Use of accommodations for students with IEPs & 504 Plans and ELL students

Monitoring Selection Criteria Schools will be selected randomly PDE reserves the right to monitor schools in addition to those randomly selected, criteria may include: –Alleged violations that were not self reported –Follow up of previously documented issues –Suspicious assessment results

Monitoring On site visit format Visits will occur between 3/25/08 & 4/11/08 –Prior to first day of testing –During testing

Planning for the Assessment Testing Preparation DOs: Plan for testing rooms and times. Post PA General Description of Scoring Guidelines. Provide test administrators with –Training –Test manuals –Schedule

Planning for the Assessment Accommodations –NCLB requires that all children participate. –The 2008 Accommodations Guidelines for Students with IEPs and 504 Plans, Guidelines for ELLs, and All Students are available at –Order modified test formats (Braille, Large Print): Call All student responses must be transcribed into a regular scannable answer booklet.

Planning for the Assessment Parental Request to view the test. Order English/Spanish Mathematics tests. Schedule small group setting(s). Schedule extended time setting(s). Assign test administrators for breaks and movement to other setting(s). Plan for secure distribution & collection of materials after each session.

PASA Students PASA or PSSA is decided by the IEP team To be eligible to participate in PASA, students must… –Be in grade 3 through 8 or 11 by September 1 of the school year in which assessment is to be accomplished; and –Have significant cognitive disabilities; and –Require intensive instruction to learn; and –Require extensive adaptation and support to perform and meaningfully participate in the activities; and –Require substantial modifications of general education curriculum; and –Participate in general education curriculum in a substantially different way than most other students. MUST MEET ALL SIX CRITERIA Order PASA tests: call

Exceptions to Participation Participates in PASA for Math & Reading, Science Participates in school-provided alternate assessment for writing Voluntary participation in Reading and Writing for 1 st year ELL students Parental request for religious exclusion

District Assessment Coordinators Receive, Distribute, and Return Materials to DRC School Coordinator Test Administrator School Coordinator Test Administrator

Administering the Assessment DO: maintain calm & quiet. remove or cover all instructional materials. provide: –blank scratch paper –sharpened pencils –allowable highlighters. encourage students. return all test materials to secure location. DO NOT: allow unsupervised breaks. display visual cues, e.g. picture icons. provide pre-printed graphic organizers. allow pens/colored pencils; stray marks. prompt students. keep any test materials.

Administering the Assessment Avoid test fatigue: not more than 2.5 hrs. including breaks & administration time. Administer sections in sequence. Complete most of testing during 1 st week of window Allow 2 nd week for make-ups & unexpected occurrences.

PDE Policy – Test Security The assessments rely on the measurement of individual achievement. Any deviation from assessment procedures is strictly prohibited and will be considered a violation of test security. School administrators, teachers and any other education personnel who are involved in the assessment program must maintain the security of all assessment materials at all times. Because the assessment must remain secure, teachers/Test Administrators should not have assessment materials in their possession at any time other than during the actual assessment administration.

PDE Policy – Test Security Maintain test security: –Refer to PDE security and click on PSSA Test Security Procedure

Before the Assessment Read the manuals Inventory/account for all materials Order Additional Materials

Make sure to include your District Code along with your District Name. Make sure to include your School Code along with your School Name. Indicate the quantity you need. Additional Material Request form is located in the Handbook for Assessment Coordinators and Administrators

Before the Assessment Schedule the assessments Prepare administrators Use the Student Precode System

During the Assessment Barcode Labels Answer booklets returned to DRC for processing must have a label attached. The only answer booklets that should NOT have labels attached are booklets that are unused and COMPLETELY blank. Whether a Student Precode or a District/School Label is used, page 3 needs to be filled out for any student using an accommodation.

During the Assessment STUDENT PRECODE LABELS Student Precode Labels contain district/school information, individual student demographic information, as well as CTE or student attribution information.

During the Assessment DO NOT SCORE LABELS All sites will receive Do Not Score Labels for answer booklets that should not be scored. Do Not Score Labels for Reading and Mathematics are grade specific

During the Assessment DISTRICT/SCHOOL LABELS District/School Labels contain district and school specific information only. These labels should be used when Student Precode Labels are not used.

During the Assessment Bubbling the answer booklets Grade 3 marking done by Test Administrators PASA students English Language Learners –Use March 23, 2007, for calculating first year in U.S. school

During the Assessment Non Assessed Students Student had a recent medical emergency. Student had an extended absence for the entire testing window.* Student had a parental request for exclusion from the assessment.* Other* * These will negatively affect AYP participation rates

During the Assessment Administration Do’s and Don’ts All students must use a No. 2 pencil. Use of highlighters. Sections must be administered in order. Do not allow extended breaks during a section. If a student goes home ill.

During the Assessment Administration Do’s and Don’ts Be Prepared Provide Encouragement Keep classroom distractions to a minimum Do not provide or permit the use of PDAs, dictionaries, thesauri, spell- or grammar- checkers, or any device that can transmit information to another device on any sections of assessments.

During the Assessment Distribution and collection procedures Security Numbers Security Checklist Security numbers are located below the barcode are on the back of every secure booklet shipped by DRC. This barcode is the scannable version of the security number.

Mr. Gillin Mr. Schiller3/22 3/16 Destroyed due to illness 2008

During the Assessment Unusual Circumstances Test Administrators may encounter situations not covered in the manuals. The Test Administrator, along with the School and District Coordinator, should use their best professional judgment on how to handle each situation keeping test security and integrity in mind. One example is when a student becomes ill on a test. These tests should be destroyed and NOT returned to DRC. Make sure to note on the Materials Accountability Form that the document was destroyed due to student illness. QUESTIONS? CALL

After the Assessment Materials Accountability Form

After the Assessment Test Security Affidavit

After the Assessment Return Instructions – Writing Test Administrators School Assessment Coordinators District Assessment Coordinators DRC Return Shipping Label UPS Unused booklets and unopened packages Used booklets

After the Assessment Return Instructions – Math & Reading and Science Test Administrators School Assessment Coordinators District Assessment Coordinators DRC Return Shipping Label Answer Booklets DRC Return Shipping Label Test Booklets Unopened Packs Test booklets and unopened packages All Answer Booklets UPS

After the Assessment Return Instructions General Be organized Have clear communications and define a plan for returning scorable materials early Schedule your final pick up early

For the Writing and Science assessments, place one UPS- RS label on the top of each box to be returned to DRC. If you do not have a regularly scheduled UPS pick-up or delivery, call UPS at (866) to arrange a pick up. For Mathematics and Reading, place one UPS-RS label on the top of each box of Answer Booklets to be returned to DRC. After the Assessment Material Pick Up

Special Note Keep a copy of the UPS-RS tracking number or the airbill from the carrier returning your PSSA materials. Often DRC has questions about a district’s assessment materials, so we make follow-up phone calls after the testing window has closed. It is important to return these calls as soon as possible in order ensure fast and accurate reporting.

Student Precode System The DRC Student Precode System will be available until April 18, –All changes to demographic information MUST be made using the Pennsylvania Information Management System (PIMS) during a February/March upload window. –All student attribution information MUST be entered in the DRC Student Precode System.

PA CUSTOMER SERVICE Data Recognition Corporation understands the intricacies involved with large scale assessments like the PSSA. Our customer service representatives are always ready and willing to help with any questions or problems. Our number is Or us at

Pennsylvania Department of Education To contact someone from the Pennsylvania Department of Education – (717) Or (717)