1. STAAR Test Coordinator Training
Testing Office

2. This training does NOT take the place of reading the appropriate manuals.
This training has been prepared by the District ISC offices. If any document is amended or revised for use in campus training, please indicate that on the bottom of the document.

3. 2017 DCCM 2017 District and Campus Coordinator Manual (DCCM)
Keep for the entire year!
Covers test administration activities that run from January through December 2017

4. District and Campus Coordinator Manual
Resources Webpage (DCCM O-7)
updated list of links to all online resources so hard-copy manual users are aware of extra information available online

5. Accessibility Features
Accessibility features may be provided to student based on their needs.
Available to any student who regularly benefits from the use of these during instruction.
A student can not be required to use them during testing.
Accessibility features are not considered testing accommodations.
Added this year bilingual dictionary (word-to-word translations; no definitions or examples) for mathematics, science, and social studies assessments.
A student may need to complete the test in a separate setting in order to eliminate distractions to other students and to ensure that the security and confidentiality of the test is maintained. (DCCM O-12)

6. 2017 District and Campus Coordinator Manual
Information about Accommodations Updated (DCCM O-13)
Designated Supports
Accommodations in Emergency Situations
Content Support and Language, Vocabulary Supports
Oral Administration
Considerations for Testing with Designated Supports

7. Considerations for Testing with Designated Supports
The use of designated supports may affect how students’ test sessions are conducted (e.g., extra time, oral administration); therefore, the guidelines below must be followed.
The test administrator:
must receive additional training.
read the Special Instructions/Considerations section of the applicable accommodation policy
be trained on specific guidelines attached to an approved accommodation request.
must receive additional training if providing students with an oral administration with oral administration guidelines.
The test administrator should discuss the accommodations with the students in advance of the test session to explain what materials or types of assistance will be available to them during the assessment.

8. TEA Testing Calendars 2016-2017
TEA Student Assessment Testing Calendar (current version Sept. 9, 2016)
DCCM Calendar of Events
District receives test administrator manuals
Districts receive combined shipment of test materials
Districts receive precoded materials
Test administrator training sessions
Test administrations
Districts receive standard and additional Reports

9. Calendar Update (fix in DCCM)
Summer administrations of STAAR EOC and TAKS moved to June 19–23, 2017
Same week as the STAAR grades 5 and 8 mathematics and reading retests
Report dates have shifted
June STAAR grades 5 and 8 mathematics and reading retest report date is July 7, 2017
June STAAR EOC report date is July 28, 2017
June TAKS report date is July 21, 2017

10. Updates To Test Calendar
The correct date for districts to notify parents/students for June EOC is August 4 (Not July 14).

11. Test Administration Windows and Make-up Testing
Campuses should follow the District Calendar posted on Google regarding testing dates. If a conflict arises, please contact the District Test Coordinator.
Campuses will offer make-up testing opportunities for all grades and subjects to students who are absent on regularly scheduled assessment days.

12. 2017 District and Campus Coordinator Manual
General security section
Campus Coordinator Checklists
Administration processes for campus coordinators
Materials control form

13. STAAR Test Session Time Limits
English I and English II assessments will have a five-hour time limit. All other assessments (STAAR & STAAR Spanish) will have a four-hour time limit.
The time period begins after the test administrator reads directions and tells students to begin working on their tests.
Test administrators must use a clock or timer.
Test administrators must communicate (orally or in writing) the amount of time left to test in one-hour intervals.
Students must record all responses by the end of the test session time period. (DCCM S-5)

14. Start and Stop Time Must be recorded on the seating chart.
Students must record all responses before the end of the time period.
They will not be given additional time to record their responses.
Once the time period has ended, test administrators will instruct any students still testing to put their pencils down and close their test booklets or to exit their online tests.
Stop time for the test session must be recorded on the seating chart.
Students may quietly read books or be allowed to leave the testing room. (DCCM S-5)

15. Late Arriving Students
Each student must be allowed the designated time available in which to take the test. Students who begin testing after others have started will have a later stop time.
Late-arriving students must be kept aware of the time they have left to test.
Have a room ready for late arriving students. (DCCM S-5)

16. Breaks
Test Administrator should document stop and restart times when breaks are given.
Breaks included in the time limit (not allowed to stop the time clock)
water breaks, bathroom breaks, snack breaks or short physical or mental breaks
Breaks NOT included in the time limit (required to stop and restart the time clock)
lunch, emergency situations that significantly interrupt testing, consolidation and movement of students to another testing area or medical breaks (DCCM S-6)

17. Time to Test: STAAR Grades 3-8
Specific to paper testing, online assessments are captured through the online platform.
Test Administrators will indicate in the Agency Use field
Directions for marking time-to-test will be located in test administrator manuals when they are posted.

18. Time - to- Test Grades 3-8 - New Slide
STAAR tests for grades 3–5 are designed to be completed within two hours.
For any student who does not complete a test within two hours (primary administrations only), indicate this by marking “0” in column A of the AGENCY USE field on the answer document. (For multiple-subject answer documents, use column A if the student needs more than two hours on the mathematics test and column B if the student needs more than two hours on the reading test.)
Slide added on (2/3/2017) with the publishing of the Test Administrator Manual

19. Time-to-Test Grades 6-8 - New Slide
STAAR tests for grades 6–8 are designed to be completed within three hours.
For any student who does not complete a test within three hours (primary administrations only), indicate this by marking “0” in column A of the AGENCY USE field on the answer document. (For multiple-subject answer documents, use column A if the student needs more than three hours on the mathematics or science test and column B if the student needs more than three hours on the reading or social studies test.)
Slide added on (2/3/2017) with the publishing of the Test Administrator Manual

20. Lunch
The testing time must be stopped for a lunch break and will restart when students resume taking the test.
Stop and restart times must be recorded on the seating chart.
Students must place their answer documents inside their test booklets so that all secure materials can be collected and placed in locked storage. If students are testing online, they must exit the test.
Students must be monitored by trained testing personnel and are not allowed to discuss any test content during lunch (DCCM S-6).

21. Dictionary Policy
Dictionaries must be available to all students taking
STAAR reading tests at grades 6–8;
STAAR writing tests, including revising and editing, at grade 7;
STAAR English I and English II tests
The following types of dictionaries are allowable:
standard monolingual dictionaries in English or the language most appropriate for the student
dictionary/thesaurus combinations
bilingual dictionaries*
ESL dictionaries*
sign language dictionaries (DCCM S-7)

22. Calculator Policy
Calculators are required for the following STAAR assessments:
Grade 8 Mathematics & Algebra I - Graphing Calculator
Biology - Four function, Scientific or Graphing Capability
For handheld calculators, all memory must be cleared to factory default both before and after testing. Any programs or applications must be removed or disabled prior to testing.
Calculators are not permitted for students taking the STAAR grades 3–7 mathematics assessments or the STAAR grades 5 and 8 science assessments unless the student meets the eligibility criteria for an accommodation. (DCCM S-8)

23. Checklist for STAAR Administrations
Available for Campus Coordinator, Principal & Test Administrator
Good planning tool
Helpful to ensure you have thought about everything you need to train on and accomplish.
Link to this through the DCCM S-12 online or on DCCM webpage.

24. Specific Trainings to Remember
Accommodations Specific Training (if not already completed)
Test Security & Confidentiality
Test Procedures Training
Online Test Administrators
Oral Administration Administrators
Grade Level Test Specific Training

25. Seating Charts & Rosters
Start, stop and break times must be recorded on the seating chart.
Required for all test sessions and overflow sessions
District Seating Chart
TEA Seating Chart Grid
Rosters
Used as master list of students to test and check-in answer documents
Ensure that test administrators have accurate testing rosters that include updated information about accommodations

26. Honor Statements & Cell Phone Policy
In all EOC and TAKS assessments
District Telecommunication Letter
Send home for the 2017 assessment year

27. 2017 Test Administrator Manuals
Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, EOC
In print & online
Keep for entire 2017 assessment year!

28. Highlights of 2017 Test Administrator Manuals
Instructions are limited to test administrator duties.
Accessibility features are included.
Oaths of Security and Confidentiality that are applicable to all programs are included.
Information about Accommodations updated to include embedded supports (text-to-speech, language and vocabulary supports, and content supports)

29. Highlights of the 2017 Test Administrator Manuals
Number of test questions for STAAR grades 3–8 assessments reduced to meet HB 743 requirements
TEA will collect data during the March and May 2017 STAAR grades 3–8 administration (primary administrations only)
for students in grades 3–5 that take more than 2 hours to complete the test
for students in grades 6–8 that take more than 3 hours to complete the test

30. Highlights of the 2017 Test Administrator Manuals
Test Administration Directions
Table of Contents at the beginning of the Test Administration Directions section
Campuses must train teachers on:
Test Security & Confidentiality
Guide to the Test Administration Directions
as well as the appropriate type of specific directions (ie. paper test SAY directions, online SAY directions, oral administrations, and accommodations)

31. Highlights of the 2017 Test Administrator Manuals
Guide to the Test Administration Directions
Contains general information about using the scripts all test administrators must read
Contains general important information about using the SAY scripts.
includes specific information about accommodations and oral administration that must be read by the test administrator prior to the administration of the test

32. Highlights of the 2017 Test Administrator Manuals
Guide to the Test Administration Directions
Describes special considerations for English language learners
Includes specific information about accommodations and oral administration that must be read by the test administrator prior to the administration of the test

33. Highlights of the 2017 Test Administration Manuals
Use of tutorials is expected for students testing online
Online scripts combined and condensed
Revised to include directions for students receiving text-to-speech, content supports, and/or language and vocabulary supports

34. Additional Manuals and Resources for the Student Assessment Program

35. Homebound Testing
•Before leaving your assigned campus on testing day, verify that you have all necessary testing materials, correct administrator manual, etc. with the campus testing coordinator (CTC).
•Exchange "best access" contact numbers with CTC in case of urgent/emergency circumstances that may occur while you are in the home.
A phone call to the CTC should only be made when testing materials have been collected, and the student is not testing. Non-emergency cell phone/texting or usage of any kind by the testing administrator is not permitted during any part of the testing session(s).

36. Homebound Testing
•Remind the student that their cell phone should be turned OFF, and they are not allowed to have their cell phone or any other unauthorized electronic communication device on "their person" during the STAAR test.
•If something occurs and the student is unable to test, the STAAR Documentation Form for Homebound Students will need to be signed by the parent and returned to the CTC. ONLY the CTC can bubble "other" or "absent" on the actual test score code.

37. Homebound Testing
•Never leave the testing area unsupervised. If you need to take a restroom break while in the home, collect the materials, and take them with you.
No student is allowed to take the STAAR test without a testing administrator in the room, and no student is allowed to be left unattended at any time.

38. Homebound Testing
•Do not bring in your personal laptop computers to use at any time during the testing session.
• All other arrangements are made at the campus.