1. PSAT 8/9 Training

2. Agenda What is PSAT 8/9? The College Readiness Pathway Basics
Coordinating the ReadiStep Program
Before the Test
On Test Day
After the Test

3. What is PSAT 8/9?

4. What is PSAT 8/9?
Flexible middle grades assessment that provides early feedback
Measures skills students need to be on track for college success
Provides tools to address skill gaps and improve curriculum
Supports transition to high school and high school course planning
Offers tools for early college and career exploration
Notes: The College Board’s proven college readiness approach puts the right tools and the right information into the hands of educators, providing insightful, grade-appropriate benchmarks and feedback from middle school through high school…. PSAT 8/9 plays a critical role in identifying the skills students need to develop as they transition to high school. It also helps educators make early interventions at critical points in a student’s school career.

5. A Pathway to Performance
College and Career Readiness Expectations for All Students
Three integrated assessments – one powerful tool
The College Board’s College and Career Readiness Pathway is a series of integrated diagnostic assessments that measures college and career readiness from the eighth through the 12th grades
PSAT 8/9
PSAT 10
SAT
Talking Points:
The foundation of the College Readiness Pathway, three integrated assessments, provides an effective measure of growth/ progress over time, provides diagnostic information, and ultimately a college entrance credential
ReadiStep provides early feedback in the middle grades – a baseline for understanding where students are
PSAT qualifies students for National Merit, prepares them for the SAT, promotes college planning and opens access to AP – through the AP Potential diagnostic tool – an opportunity to continue to build on the impressive growth in AP over the past five years.
And the SAT is the ultimate measure of college and career readiness, a respected college entrance credential and access to scholarship dollars
Intervening Early
Identifying Opportunity
Providing College Access

6. PSAT 8/9: The First Step Designed to work with PSAT and SAT to
Offers feedback as students transition into high school
Designed to work with PSAT and SAT to
Measure a progression of skills
Support skill interventions from middle school through high school
Consistent content and format, and reporting
Same content areas: reading, writing and mathematics
Same skill categories at a grade-appropriate level
Aligned to Common Core, state standards and NAEP standards
Progression of benchmarks at each level

7. PSAT 8/9 Assessment Basics
Content:
Three multiple-choice sections: reading, writing and math
No essay or student-produced response questions
Administration:
Easy-to-administer paper-and-pencil test
Given in school, during the school day
Test date: Oct. 14, 2015
Section
Timing
Number of Questions
Critical Reading
55 Minutes
42 Questions
Writing Skills
30 Minutes
40 Questions
Mathematics
60 Minutes
40 calculator, 20 non-calculator)
38 Questions
Total
2 hours 45 minutes of testing
120 Questions

8. Skill Categories Measured
Critical Reading
Determining the Meaning of Words
Author’s Craft
Reasoning & Inference
Organization & Ideas
Mathematics
Content Skills
Number & Operations
Algebra & Functions
Geometry & Measurement
Data, Statistics & Probability
Writing
Grammatical Relationships between Words
Words & Phrases Used to Modify or Compare
Phrases & Clauses
Correctly Formed Sentences
Relationships of Sentences & Paragraphs
Process Skills
Problem Solving
Representation
Reasoning
Connections
Communication

9. Before the Test
PSAT 8/9 Implementation

10. Know Your PSAT 8/9 School Code
CMS—449130
CTMS—449456
GMS—449721
HMS—449262
OPTIONAL CODE
AVID Students—Code 11

11. Informing Staff, Students & Parents
Select and train testing staff
One testing assistant is needed in each testing room.
Testing assistants may be teachers or members of the administrative, secretarial or clerical staff.
Ensure that staff review the Supervisor’s Manual prior to test day.
Notify staff, students, and parents about PSAT 8/9
Flyers, presentations, and other support materials are available at or GCISD College Entrance and Readiness exams websites located under Assessment and Accountability
Inform students that this is a timed test.
Remind students to bring a calculator on test day unless you are providing one for each student.

12. Informing Staff Select and train testing staff
One testing assistant is needed in each testing room.
Testing assistants may be teachers or members of the administrative, secretarial or clerical staff.
Ensure that staff review the Supervisor’s Manual prior to test day.
The WORD-for-WORD instructions begin on page 14 of the Supervisor’s Manual.
One student at a time out of the classroom.
No mechanical pencils – see manual
There is no excuse for not reading the training manual ahead of time.

13. Setting Up the Testing Rooms
Classroom arrangement
All students must face the same direction.
All chairs must be placed directly behind those in the preceding row.
There should be unimpeded access to every student for effective monitoring.
There should be a large wall clock that is clearly visible to all students.
Have your last class help you re-arrange your desks, the evening before testing, Oct. 13.

14. On Test Day
PAST 8/9 Implementation

15. On Test Day—Materials Distribution
Materials may be picked up beginning at ______________ in ___________.
When you come to get your materials, you will count that you have 25 tests and answer documents.
When you return your test materials, I will count that you are returning 25 tests and answer documents.

16. Testing Procedures Admission to the testing room
Seat students to ensure they work independently. You should be able to monitor all students from any location in the room.
Students should not leave testing room without permission.
COLLECT ALL CELL PHONES!
Distribution of test materials
Hand a test book to each student, one at a time, along each row.
Have students write their name on the test book cover.
Distribute an answer sheet to each student.
Create a seating chart and record absences.
Timing of the assessment
Allow 20 minutes for students to complete registration information. Most students should have labels – those that do not will have to bubble.
Adhere to the timing for each test section.

17. Testing Procedures Calculators
For the math calculator section, students who have large or raised displays should be seated separately from other test- takers.
Ensure that only test books, answer sheets, pencils and erasers are on students’ desks during the test. Any other items are prohibited

18. After the Test Collecting and counting answer sheets
Collect answer sheets from each student individually. Do not have them passed to you.
Make sure students do not put their answer sheets inside the test books.
Count answer sheets and verify that you have one for each student.
Collecting and counting test books
After accounting for the answer sheets, collect the test books from students individually in the same order in which you distributed them.
Count used test books and verify that you have one for each student.
Protecting test materials after the test
When all test materials have been accounted for, place them where they will not be accessible to the students.
Keep test books in secure storage until score reports arrive in December.