1. Test Administrators

2. Big Picture Objectives
Test Administrators
Big Picture Objectives
Be aware of what’s new this year in the statewide assessment system
Understand the roles and responsibilities of test administrators
Understand how to use valid test administration practices
Learn where to find test administration resources and tools

3. Test Administration Resources: 2011–2012 Test Administration Manual
Test Administrators
Purpose: To ensure consistent statewide test administration and valid test results.
Test Administration Resources:
2011–2012 Test Administration Manual
Accommodations Manual
Best Practices Guide
Promising Testing Practices
Test Administration Manual contains test security and administration requirements for OAKS Online, Writing, ELPA , and Extended assessments.
Accommodations Manual contains accommodations tables for OAKS, Writing, and ELPA, as well as guidance on selecting and administering accommodations.
Best Practices Guide contains guidance on appropriate testing practices such as when to test
Promising Practices webpage contains tips on implementing various test administration and security requirements

4. Test Administrators
What’s new
OAKS Online
New Braille Interface of OAKS Online available for OAKS Reading, Math, Science, and Social Sciences
Paper-based Braille format no longer available for OAKS
Computer-based read-aloud available for OAKS Math, Science, and Social Sciences
Only 1 opportunity available per content area 11/8 – 1/10
More information about new Braille Interface is available in Part VIII of the Test Administration Manual, Appendix E of the OAKS Online TA User Guide, and at Braille interface accessible through Practice Test and Training Site on OAKS Portal
More information about the new computer-based read-aloud feature is available in the OAKS Online TA User Guide. This feature is also accessible through Practice Test and Training Site on OAKS Portal (

5. Test Administrators
What’s new (cont’d)
Writing Performance Assessment
Writing Assessment is available for students in Grade 11 only
This year’s 11th graders may use Writing Performance for Writing Essential Skills requirement
ELPA
ELPA Core and ELPA Speaking combined into single test
-Due to budgetary restrictions, Grade 4 and 7 writing assessments were eliminated for HS writing assessment restricted to Grade 11 only (the grade of accountability)
-More information about the ELPA test format is available in Appendix H of the Test Administration Manual and Appendix C of the OAKS Online TA User Guide. ELPA Practice test available on OAKS Portal

6. New Science and Reading Achievement Standards
Test Administrators
New Science and Reading Achievement Standards
Implementation of Science content standards
New science achievement standards will become operational in
Achievement Standards were reviewed by committee in July May be adopted by the Board as early as October 2011.
New Reading achievement standards will be operational in
Purpose of Achievement Standards:
-Oregon’s Assessment System relies on criterion-referenced interpretations of student performance data at the student, school, district and state level.
 -An important element of this system is the specification of academic achievement standards and clear descriptions of what students know and are able to do at each level of achievement.
-For science, the State Board adopted the new content standards in The State Board is expected to adopt new achievement standards in science at its October 2011 meeting.
-For reading, the State Board adopted the new content standards in early They will go into effect this year ( ).
-Achievement Standards:

7. When are Achievement Standards Revised?
Test Administrators
When are Achievement Standards Revised?
The review and revision of achievement standards follows Board approval of Academic Content Standards. During the interim,
Schools are provided an opportunity to implement new curricula
Students are provided opportunity to learn the new content
Assessments are re-designed to reflect the new content expectations
Test items are field tested at the appropriate grade

8. Who Is Involved in Achievement Standard Setting?
Test Administrators
Who Is Involved in Achievement Standard Setting?
 ODE establishes standard setting panels that include educators, parents, community/business representatives and higher education officials.
Panel members provide a consensus recommendation on achievement standards and edit the achievement level descriptors.
ODE invites public input on the proposed achievement standards prior to official adoption by the State Board of Education.
The panels receive training on: the adopted Science Content Standards, the “preliminary achievement level descriptors” that were previously adopted by the State Board, external indicators of student performance, showing how Oregon student achievement compares with other states and countries and how Oregon graduates perform in college, the “Bookmark” standard setting method that requires judgments of the difficulty of test items that students must master in order to be deemed proficient, and “impact data” that shows the percent of students expected to meet a given achievement standard
Panel review process:
panel members work individually to “bookmark” the test item that students who have mastered the grade-level content should be able to answer correctly two-thirds of the time.
 After this first round, the individual recommendations are averaged and fed back to the group, along with impact data and the cut scores proposed at other grades. Panel members then discuss any differences in where they placed their bookmarks and then revise their initial placements.
 Group data for the second round are reported and the same process is repeated for a third round of discussion. Typically panels converge to a consensus recommendation as a result of this procedure.
More information about Achievement Standards:

9. Required Testing Environment
Test Administrators
Required Testing Environment
Trained test administrator
Quiet environment void of distractions
Only allowable resources made available to students upon request
Limited interaction with students
Read student directions
Administer accommodations appropriately
No coaching
-Test environment requirements are described on pp. 8 – 10 of the Test Administration Manual (
-Allowable resources are listed by content area in Appendices C – H of the Test Administration Manual.

10. Do’s and Don’ts Do’s Test Administrators
TAs must read the Test Administration Manual, receive annual test administration and security training, and sign an Assurance of Test Security form before administering state tests.
TAs may only provide students with allowable resources listed by content area in the Test Administration Manual.
TAs may only provide the restricted resource of printed test items to students for whom the district has identified individual student need.
TAs may only provide the version of allowable resources provided by ODE. These are posted online at
TAs must read verbatim the student directions provided in the Test Administration Manual.*
-TAs administering OAKS Extended or OAKS Online through the Braille Interface must receive additional training beyond test admin/security training. Additional training requirements are identified in Part VIII of the Test Administration Manual.
-Assurance of Test Security forms are located on pp. 20 – 23 of the Test Administration Manual and are posted online at
-Allowable resources are listed by content area in Appendices C – H of the Test Administration Manual.
-Printed test items are a restricted resource for OAKS Online Reading, Math, Science, and Social Sciences. Note: printed reading passages remain an allowable resource available to all students.
-Student directions for OAKS Online tests (all subjects) are in Appendix B of the Test Administration Manual. Student directions for Writing are in Appendix G, and student directions for ELPA are in Appendix H. ODE has provided paraphrased student log-in directions that TAs may read to students after students are familiar with the log-in process. These directions must still be read verbatim as provided in Appendix B of the Test Administration Manual. When using the paraphrased directions, TAs should remain attentive to the needs of individual students who are new to OAKS Online or who may continue to benefit from having the full log-in directions read to them at the start of each testing event.

11. Dos and Don’ts (cont) Don’ts
Test Administrators
Dos and Don’ts (cont)
Don’ts
TAs may not allow untrained aides, volunteers, or substitutes to assist with test administration.
TAs may not coach students (including requiring students to show their work).
Students may not access non-allowable resources such as textbooks, class notes, or cell phones during testing.
Students may not talk to or help other students during testing.
-These “don’ts” are considered testing improprieties and may result in test invalidations. Part IV – Test Security of the Test Administration Manual provides additional guidance on the requirements of a secure test environment and additional examples of both adult- and student-initiated testing improprieties.

12. Test Administrators
Promising Practices
TA reviews the Test Administration Manual before testing, focusing on test security and content-specific allowable resources and accommodations.
TA seeks clarification from STC on any rules that are unclear before administering tests
TA spaces students appropriately or provides visual barriers to prevent students from seeing others’ tests.
TA reads student directions verbatim and circulates through test environment to ensure proper testing conditions.
TA makes available but does not require students to use allowable resources.
-Even seasoned TAs should review as there may be changes from year to year
-Asking questions in advance is always better than using a practice that turns out to be an impropriety, resulting in the invalidation of tests

13. In a Nutshell TAs must receive training each year
Test Administrators
In a Nutshell
TAs must receive training each year
TAs enforce valid test environment for students
When in doubt about a particular testing practice, before testing begins:
Check the Manual
Check your training notes
Ask your School Test Coordinator
If all else fails, assume the answer is “no”

14. Test Administrators
Acorns for Storage
What 3 things must a test administrator do before administering a state test?
What are some examples of assistance to students that are not allowed?
What are some methods we can use to reduce test improprieties?
What is the role Test Administrators should have in closing the achievement gap?

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2/22/2019
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