1. 2010-2011

2.  Reading, Grades 3-8 and high school  Mathematics, Grades 3-8 and high school  Science, Grades 4, 7, and high school  Social Studies, Grades 9 and 11  KELPA, All students receiving services

3. Why just two grades in history- government this year? These are the two cohorts that will eventually be held accountable for a history- government test. This year’s Grades 10 and 12 will not have to have a history- government assessment.

4. Do private/Catholic schools have to take state assessments? No. However, to be accredited the school must administer assessments as well as meet QPA requirements.

5.  Reading and Math—February 16 through April 13  Science—March 16 through May 6  KELPA—February 4 through April 29  Alternate—December 31 through April 13

6.  OTL Reading and Math—October 5 through January 21  OTL Science—October 5 through January 21  OTL History/Government (grades 9 and 11)— October 5 through January 21  Alternate—December 31 through April 13 (Students entering a new school on or after December 31 are exempt.)

7.  OTL Reading and Math—February 16 through April 13  OTL Science—March 16 through May 6  OTL History/Government (grades 9 and 11)—March 16 through May 13  KELPA—February 4 through April 29  Alternate—December 31 through April 13 (Students entering a new school on or after December 31 are exempt.)

8. Does the Alternate testing window beginning on December 31 mean I must have all indicators identified by December 31? Yes it does. If indicators aren’t chosen in a timely fashion, instruction can’t take place in a timely fashion.

9.  Test Order Types for 2010-2011  For General  For KAMM  For Alternate  For KELPA  Can be found in Examiner’s Manual, pages 7-9  Gives the code to use  Gives Description and Expected Use  Gives Special Notes or Instructions

10.  Reading, Math, Science, History-Government, and KELPA  Open September 1, 2010  Deadline fo submission one week prior to start of test  KELPA  Deadline for pre-slugging is January 7  Alternate  Deadline is December 31  Submit early to access indicators and tools at www.cete.us www.cete.us

11. When will the new ESOL Standards and the new KELPA be available? We will continue to use the current KELPA for the next 2 or three years. ESOL standards are still in development.

12. We have already done the KIDS TEST upload. Now it is being recommended that a student originally designated for General KCA take the KAMM KCA. What is the best procedure for making this change?  The best procedure for correcting this particular circumstance is to submit a new “corrected” TEST record with the correct test order type indicated. With a few exceptions, the last TEST record submitted will overwrite previously submitted records (i.e., KSDE and CETE uses the most recent TEST record submitted). Important however, sending up a record to correct a field by leaving it blank will not correct the record – a blank field will not overwrite a previously populated field.   What are the exceptions?   First exception, if the AYP school changes or two TEST records have been submitted for the same student with different AYP Schools, then a new test record will not correct the issue. It will take either an EXIT record (moved or never enrolled) or a CLEAR record.   Recommendation: consider the EXIT record first.  Second exception, the student was mistakenly registered for a content area incorrectly. This does not occur frequently and will usually be in combination with some other error, but could be corrected with a “C” record.   Caution: Once a wrong assessment has been administered, a reset will be necessary first, followed by a corrected TEST record and the student will have to sit for the correct assessment. Ask teachers and principals to make sure the ticket matches what they know about the student and not to proceed with an assessment until they are certain the ticket is.

13. If a high school SPED student takes the regular math assessment as a sophomore and doesn’t score proficient or above, can he take the KAMM assessment in math his junior year? As long as the IEP team has determined that the student should take the KAMM assessment as a junior, it is OK.

14. How many students can take the KAMM and Alternate Assessments? Choosing the most appropriate assessment for the student is a function of the IEP team. There is no limit to how many can be administered. The limitation is how many proficient KAMMs can be counted for accountability purposes.

15.  Length of window is “hard and fast” this year.  Plan to get all kids tested by deadline.  We will provide only one week for make-ups.  Call me early with kids who need SC codes.  Don’t forget to call if we can help with a problem.

16. Is the extra week for make-ups included in the test window, or is it in addition to the test window? It is not included. There will be a full week, but NO MORE, available beyond the end of the testing window.

17. We are a small district. I’m really confident that we can get done with no problems, so I’ve scheduled into that final week. What can go wrong? There are always problems—illness, technology issues, retesting due to testing improprieties. Remember these do not seem to be big issues or big risks until they happen to you, and then they become huge. These can happen in both large and small districts.

18. Last year I had a student who was sick the whole make-up week. We were at 5% not tested already, and this student put us over. We didn’t make AYP. What else could we have done? There is nothing you can do at this point. The window is closed and there are no exceptions. Your school will not make AYP because of participation. You should have kept in contact with KSDE and asked Cherie for an SC code when it looked as if this might be an issue.

19.  On or after December 31 for Alternate  On or after February 11 for Reading an Mathematics, both general and KAMM  On or after March 11 for both science, both general and KAMM  No “Need not Test” date for KELPA  No “Need not Test” date for History- Government

20. May I test these kids if I want to? I want to see how well they are doing. We don’t recommend it. If the score is in the system, there’s always the possibility that it could be mistakenly pulled and added to your building’s scores.

21. Why is there no “Need not Test” date for History-Government? History-government is only tested in Grades 9 and 11 because those are the only grades that will eventually be held accountable for high school OTL. There is no “Need not Test” date because this is not a cohort year.

22. A student with an IEP enrolls in my building on January 7. Is she required to participate in the Kansas Assessment? It depends on the type of assessment the student is eligible to receive. The newly enrolled student is exempt from testing if she is on an alternate assessment. If the student is taking a general assessment or a KAMM, she must take the assessments, but her score will not count toward AYP.

23.  SC-30—No effort on the part of the student  Document several tries  Will NOT be given for a complete paper  SC-33—Student refuses to be tested  Document several tries  No code—Parent refusal  Call me. We’ll figure out what to do about this.

24. I had a student last year who didn’t try on the first session, but did on the last two. She still scored as Approaches Standard. What should I do in that case? An SC-30 cannot be given in the case of a complete test. If she has finished, the score will have to stand. If you had called after the first session, you would have been advised to try again in the first part. If, after several attempts, you cannot get her to try on Part 1, you can call and get an SC-30, but never after the test is complete.

25.  SC-39—Other reason (does not count against the school)  SC-08—Catastrophic Illness (does not count against the school)  SC-29—Emotional Trauma (does count against the school) Please, folks, call me on these. Don’t try to test a student who shouldn’t be tested.

26.  Must be in a US school for the first time by one calendar year before the testing window begins  On or after 2/16/09 for reading and math  On or after 3/16/09 for science  These students need not take the reading assessment if they take the KELPA  These students must take math and science, but these are only counted for participation.  All these students must take KELPA  Call us if a student has a significant disability

27. I have a student from England. Can she take the reading assessment? Maybe. In the entrance/enrollment questions posed to a student, there are several questions about the language spoken in the home. If the response indicates a language other than English is spoken in the home, the student is administered a language diagnostic assessment. If the student qualifies as an English Learner (EL), the child will be placed in the English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program.

28.  Important to call KSDE (785.296.3996) when student begins a test and then moves.  Test is counted as complete if 1/3 of the test is finished (counted and graded).  Papers will be “Academic Warning” if you don’t call.  Do not ask students to start tests if they will be leaving before testing is complete.

29. By what date do I need to call about an incomplete paper? You should call Cherie when you have determined that there is no way for the student to complete the assessment by the end of the window. It should be no later than the last day of the one week allowed for make-up.

30.  Comprehensive reviews may not be conducted on the day of the testing session or between testing sessions.  It is recommended that testing be administered on consecutive days.  Even if it is not, reviews cannot be conducted between testing sessions.  Once you begin testing, reviews need to stop

31.  Schools may not require students to use any particular instructional strategy when testing. For example,  Teachers may not require students to use scratch paper.  Teachers may not require students to show work.  Teachers may not grade scratch paper.

32. May I teach math during the testing window? Yes. You can teach math during the window and on assessment days and days in between testing sessions. Follow your regular plan (scope and sequence). Just don’t review or work on specific indicators directed at the state math assessment. When doing advance planning, if you notice some kind of chapter or unit review will be occurring on or around the state assessment, you should, if possible, complete it prior to the assessment or postpone it until after the assessment. Conducting formative assessments on, during, or a week or two prior to the testing window is not an appropriate use of formative assessments nor an appropriate testing practice.

33. May I say, “I like the way Dave is using the highlighter.” ?  Teachers may not direct or prompt students to use certain strategies at the beginning of the test session or during the test. It is appropriate to remind students about strategies the day before the assessment.   So, best practice, once the testing session begins is not to prompt the student or remind the student or hint about any strategy. Be aware that encouragement can be seen as inappropriate by observers. Encourage before and praise after, but during the assessment, keep comments directed on task, focus, and engagement.

34. You keep saying that we should test as closely as possible to classroom instruction. I have insisted on scratch paper and “show your work” all year! Why can’t I insist on that now?  Although instruction and assessment are closely related, they are not the same thing. During an assessment, we want to learn what the student can do without prompts or aids. What you do in instruction can be used in assessment, but, in the final analysis, the student must decide for himself what strategies and manipulatives he wants to use. That is part of the test.  The student can use scratch paper on the state assessment, but you cannot require it nor grade it. By definition, it is to be destroyed at the end of each testing session. A primary reason for destroying and for not grading scratch paper is that the test forms are secure. If a teacher keeps the scratch paper one could consider the form as compromised.  By the same token, the student can show his work, but you cannot require it or grade it. It is appropriate for you to say the day before the test, “Remember the strategies we have used throughout the year that work for you, including…..”  Also telling students you want them to do something is different from requiring it.

35.  Student data editor will close one week after the end of the testing window  January 28 for FALL OTL  April 20 for reading, math, and alternate  May 13 for science  May 20 for 9 th and 10 th OTL  May 6 for KELPA  SC Codes MUST be entered by that time.

36.  All indicators must be entered by December 31, 2010.  Students new to a school after December 31, 2010 need not be assessed.  CETE evidence labels must be used.  When choosing indicators for science, choose one each from the first four standards and the last indicators from any of the standards.

37.  Sign-off is on the first page of the printed evidence labels.  Administrators must sign off before testing to assure that  No functional activities are used  Indicators are aligned to activities  Only assessable activities are used

38. What happens if we miss the indicator deadline of December 31? If you see that you won’t make the deadline ahead of time, call Debbie Matthews. If it’s after December 31 and you realize you did not make the deadline, call, but there is no guarantee that you will be counted as participating.

39. How do I find out if high school students new to my district have been tested already? Submit the student on a TEST submission and it will populate the appropriate OTL report – or call the sending school and request testing records.

40.  Reminders  “All Students” includes all 9 th, 10 th, and 11 th grade students for whom a TEST record has been submitted.  “Priority Alert” is a report that displays priority students with no test type designated on a TEST record.  Local student IDs, when present, will be displayed.

41.  All test coordinators must be trained again this year.  If you were previously trained, join Mary’s fun refresher course for veterans.  If you haven’t been trained, Mary offers a course for rookies.  If you’ve missed the conference sessions, we will offer Live Meetings at dates to be announced later.  Test coordinators are responsible for local training of teachers and building test coordinators.

42.  State-trained monitors will monitor testing sessions in 5-10% of buildings.  We will again do a combination of volunteers and random selections.  The random sample will be a stratified sample— representative of small/large, rural/urban, elementary/middle/high, area of the state, etc.  Some of you were told last year that you are on the list this year.  Visits are not optional—but they are also definitely NOT painful!

43.  We promised last year to do a report that identified patterns of problems.  We weren’t able to do that.  There weren’t any problems!  In 79 visits--a couple of reminders—that’s it!!  What did we learn besides how well you are doing?  We learned about a couple of things we wanted to fix on the assessments.  We learned that sometimes you are testing students that you shouldn’t be testing.

44. In other words— CONGRATULATIONS!!

45.  Here’s the process this year—  Volunteer by November 30 if you are interested.  We will complete the sample by January 1.  Monitors will be trained in January.  We will match monitors with buildings in January.  Monitors will phone you to get your testing schedule.  Make arrangements for visits with your monitor.  PLEASE, PLEASE notify them with any changes in your schedule.  Monitors will send reports to us.

46.  District test coordinators will keep documentation of all read-aloud and p/p accommodations used.  Monitors will check to make sure that students taking KAMM have an IEP standards-based measurable goal in the content area (reading and math).  Goals need to be content-specific and based on grade-level standards.  When the content area is either science or history/government, the goal in the IEP must be a reading goal.

47. Who are the state-trained monitors? KSDE staff and members from the Kansas Assessment Advisory Council will be trained and will have signed non-disclosure agreements with the State prior to visiting a school. There will be additional information concerning the logistics of this process at the beginning of the Spring semester. There will be no Fall OTL visits conducted this year.

48. As test coordinator, I am anticipating a monitor visit. Currently, I am suffering from a severe case of “FEAR of the VISIT.” Help! Relax, the visit will affirm your practices. If you have concerns about any practice of procedure in your district, give Cherie a call in advance, if there are any potential issues they can be addressed prior to your visit.

49.  All students are expected to be assessed with KCA.  If an individual student requires a paper/pencil accommodation, order the appropriate test order type via KIDS-TEST.  This accommodation must be routinely used in classroom instruction and assessment.

50.  Questions to ask about the child:  Has the student used the computer for formative assessments?  Does the student have barriers to using the computer in individual or group instructional settings that require alternative assignments when the class is using the computer?

51.  Student’s need for the paper/pencil accommodation must be documented on one of the following  ELL Plan  504 Plan  IEP  Student improvement plan

52.  Student improvement plans must include the following  Student name  Student grade  Building/district name  Evidence documenting the need for the paper/pencil accommodation

53.  Students mark their answers on the paper copy of the assessment.  No answer sheets may be generated by a district.  District or building-level personnel will work in pairs to enter student answer choices on KCA.

54.  Option 1: Individual student, KCA form with reader  Option 2: Individual student, KCA form, KCA voice  Option 3: Individual student, paper/pencil accommodation, reader  Option 4: Group (never more than 3), paper/pencil accommodation with reader  Option 5: Group (never more than 3), KCA with reader

55. Which options require SARs? None of these 5 options requires an SAR.

56.  Available for math, science, and reading questions and answers in Spring, 2010.  Scripts will not be available to readers until 24 hours before the assessment.  Districts must provide a brief training for readers. Staff development materials are posted on the KSDE Assessment page.  For Fall testing, call Dave. He will need student ID numbers to code students.

57. What kind of training do we need to provide for read-alouds this year? The Kansas State Department of Education provides three documents on its website for schools to use in training for read-alouds this year. The only specification is that read-aloud training must be provided. How the training is delivered is entirely up to the school/district.

58.  Available for $7.50 per computer.  Multiple students can use the same license as long as they use the same computer.  License must be requested and purchased for each computer.  License must be purchased only once. It will remain installed and can be used each year only with KCA software.

59.  Licenses can be requested via an SAR at CETE.  > Login  > Click NCLB  > Click Item # 4, Special Action Request  > See drop-down box for Request Type  > Choose voice license  Complete the form and submit  Contact person works with CETE to get software downloaded.

60.  See Test Order Types listed in Examiner’s Manual, pages 6-8.  This is the guide for ordering assessments, paper/pencil, and read-aloud.  If you have a circumstance (accommodation) not described here or in the accommodation list on the student data editor, call me.

61.  Schools must submit an EXIT record for any student who stops attending the school within two weeks of the student’s last day of enrollment.  Submit EXIT records immediately when students exit and are known not to be returning.  If a student is absent from school for ten days or more, submit an EXIT record if the student is not known to be returning.

62.  If a student is exited through KIDS and returns before 10 school days have lapsed, resubmit the EXIT record with a code “99.”  If a student transfers to a different school within the same district, sending an EXIT record is required to guard against unresolved exits on the Dropout/Graduation Summary Report.

63.  If an EXIT record was accidentally submitted for a student who did not actually leave, submit an EXIT record with the same State Student Identifier, AYP School, and Exit Date with a code of “99” in field D28 to undo the previous EXIT record.  When exited students re-enter (> 2 weeks), be sure to update school and district entry dates.

64. How can I best learn about the KIDS system and how it affects and supports my job?  The best method is to enroll in the DQC Program for staff in Assessments and Accountability. Review documents and information on the KIDS web page is also helpful.

66. Alabama June 11Advisory Colorado June 11Advisory Connecticut June 8Governing Delaware June 11Advisory Georgia June 15Advisory Hawaii June 11Governing Idaho June 9Governing Iowa June 10Advisory Kansas June 11Governing Kentucky June 11Advisory Maine June 11Governing Michigan June 11Governing Missouri June 1Governing Montana June 11Governing Nevada June 8Governing New Hampshire June 11Advisory New Jersey June 14Advisory New Mexico June 10Governing North Carolina June 10Governing North Dakota June 11Advisory Ohio June 8Advisory Oklahoma June 14Advisory Oregon June 10Governing Pennsylvania June 11Advisory South Carolina June 11Advisory South Dakota June 11Advisory Utah June 9Governing Vermont June 11Governing Washington June 10Governing West Virginia June 14Governing Wisconsin June 9Governing Total 31 States

67. States belonging to the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium will develop formative and summative assessments that emphasize deep knowledge of core concepts and that include problem solving, analysis, synthesis, and critical thinking. The Consortium will build a system from the ground up that will support consistent, fair, and well-informed decision making. To do this, we must ensure that students have opportunity to learn and educators have a shared understanding of the goals. By combining formative assessment, curriculum supports, and a summative adaptive test that strategically uses constructed- response items and performance assessments, we will create a learning-centered system that can truly move education forward.

68. The Consortium’s summative assessment will be a better measure of student growth than that available in most states today, because it will measure a fuller spectrum of student ability to inform decisions about progress and effectiveness. In addition, the system will support greater coherence among curriculum, instruction, and assessment, thus providing more valid assessments of learning, progress, and effectiveness than is available in many states today.

69. 1. Kansas plans to rely still on CETE for state-wide test administration and instructional reports. 2. Kansas plans to retain its current testing window and accommodations policy. 3. Kansas will have an assessment written to measure Common Core Standards ready in 2015. 4. Kansas plans to benefit from the collective expertise and experience of members of the SBAC to design an instructionally sensitive test that is fair for all students. 5. Kansas is not relying on the SBAC to develop its SPED assessments. 6. WestEd is currently working with Kansas to develop a “transition plan” for instruction and accountability (WestEd also serves as the project manager for SABC). Once completed, the transition plan will be reviewed by the KSBOE. KSDE is seeking input from districts regarding transition to the Common Core Standards

71. Iowa Kansas Michigan Mississippi Missouri New Jersey North Carolina Oklahoma Utah West Virginia Wisconsin

72.  University of Kansas  Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation  Center for Research Methods and Data Analysis  Center for Research on Learning  Psychology and Research in Education Department  Special Education Department  AbleLink Technologies  The ARC  The Center for Literacy and Disability Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill  Edvantia

73.  Learning maps  Dynamic assessment  Inclusion of instructionally relevant tasks  Instructionally embedded and stand-alone versions  Advanced feedback and reporting systems (including growth modeling)  Technology platform  Universal design  Evidence centered design including cognitive labs  Scaffolding  Development of over 14,000 tasks/items  Professional development

74. 1. Management and governance 2. Extend standards and create PLDs 3. Development and validation of learning maps 4. Creation of instructionally relevant item types 5. Item development 6. Assessment development 7. Standard setting

75. 8. Technology development 9. Professional Development 10. Formative evaluation 11. Instructional consequences 12. Summative evaluation 13. Family engagement and dissemination