LOCAL SCHOOL TRAINING Who is responsible for training? When will examiners be trained? How will examiners be trained? When will proctors/monitors be trained? How will proctors/monitors be trained? System/School TC or School Principal For all tests -At least one week prior to testing As a group For all – At the same time as the examiners In a group. Support Staff training: Who will be trained custodians, cafeteria staff etc..? When will support staff be trained? How will support staff be trained? What special training do examiners testing students with accommodations receive? How does the additional training help prevent irregularities? When necessary, support staff such as paraprofessionals, secretaries, etc. will be trained in security measures At the same time as examiners/ proctors/monitors As a group, with proctors/monitors/ examiners Special ed. Teachers are given additional specific training and information regarding accommodations and students they will be testing. Gives further guidance on correct procedures for oral accommodations, etc. DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALS
How are test materials counted and prepared? Who prepares testing rosters? How far in advance are testing rosters prepared? What are the procedures for students that may have different examiners throughout the test? What are the procedures for ensuring that students get the correct form/version of the test each day? The school test coordinator distributes test materials according to class rosters. Only the exact amount needed is distributed to an examiner. The school records clerk At least within the week prior. Pre-ID files are submitted to GADOE per state requirements, this is a preliminary test roster that excludes new enrollees after the Pre-ID submission date Teachers are given rosters for the students they will test. If a child has a different examiner, the child is told a day ahead of time. The examiners check the name on the test booklet and answer document as they distribute materials and check rosters. Students who require accommodations are assigned to spec. ed. Examiners who check their accommodations matrix to be sure the child is given the correct version of the test.
What are the check-in and check-out procedures? What information is required on the check-in and check-out form? How are the testing bins prepared? How do examiners get their materials each day? How are materials returned each day? Examiners must sign for the materials they receive and for the materials they return. The school TC checks the booklet form number and the names of students on the roster against booklets and answer documents returned. The booklet/topic form number, the examiner’s signature, and the date. The school test coordinator checks class rosters and places the exact amount of booklets/answer documents needed inside a box. Also, pencils and the examiner’s manual are placed in the box along with class rosters. They present themselves in the testing vault and check their materials out from the school TC. When the examiner is finished with testing for the day they bring their testing materials immediately to the test coordinator who verifies materials. TEST ADMINISTRATION
How do you ensure that examiners and proctors are not in the classroom with their own children or grandparents? How do you assure that students get their appropriate accommodations? How do you ensure that all instructional materials are removed from the wall prior to testing? What is your plan for examiners that may need assistance during testing? How do you plan to make sure that student answer documents and Check-out forms have the correct form number? The system TC prepares a schedule in advance of testing to assign teachers to different grade levels than those they teach. If a relative is on the roster of an examiner, the child is moved to another classroom for testing or the examiner/proctor is moved to another class. The system TC prepares an accommodation matrix for each day for each examiner listing the students they will test and the accommodations for that child. The system Sp. Ed. Director checks the roster and accommodations. The examiner has to sign the form to acknowledge they knew and administered the required accommodations. The school principal walks through each classroom two to three days prior to the test to be sure instructional materials have been removed or covered completely. They are to contact the school office by classroom Examiners are to remind students to place the form # on the answer document. As examiners/proctors monitor the room they are to check that students have placed the correct form number on the answer document. Before checking out tests school TC are to write the child’s name beside the form number on the roster and when examiners return materials, school TC are to verify materials.
How do you ensure that examiners and proctors walk around the testing area routinely? What things have the examiners and proctors been trained to look for while monitoring testing? Who is in charge of reporting and investigating testing irregularities? How examiners are trained on the proper procedures for “read aloud” accommodations? How are accommodations for students verified? During training examiners/proctors are trained on their duties. Monitors are also reminded to walk around testing sites. The system TC also monitors the building during testing to make sure administrators/monitors are monitoring. Cheating, sleeping, use of pencils only on some tests and pens on others, use of electronic devices (ie: calculators), making sure students are in the correct section of the test, checking for correct form numbers on answer documents, students marking in the correct section and question number, not using materials such as dictionaries, etc. All areas of security of testing materials. Examiners/proctors are to report any knowledge of irregularities to the school TC. The school TC reports to school principal and the system TC who makes the superintendent aware of the situation. If necessary, the system TC reports to the state. During the extra training for special ed. Examiners, the system/school TC reminds them not to use voice inflection, watch voice tone, how to read math problems and science tables, how many times to read, etc. Also, on GMEOG, examiners have a section in the manual with additional instructions for Read-alouds should be very few in number. By using the accommodations matrix, which the test examiner signs and dates, that the child received only the accommodations to which they are entitled and which they use on a regular basis. Changes can only be made by the school TC and confirmed by the Sp. Ed. Director.
How do you verify that testing protocols are followed in the testing site? How do you handle late arrivals on testing days? How do you handle emergencies during testing? What are the school guidelines on staff members being in the building after hours while the tests are in the building? By having examiners, principals, school TC, proctors and others sign acknowledging they have been given training and been made aware of protocols. Then by monitoring the test sites. Each person must also sign a role responsibility sheet from the state’s Student Assessment Handbook. Depending on how late the student arrives they are to wait in the office until the first section of the test is over then they may begin the second section of their test when the second section time begins. When time expires for the second section and other students have finished testing, the school TC can move that child to another room and finish their testing of the first section. If the student arrives extremely late, they will have to make up the test later. Students taking ELA must take the sections in order due to the nature of the test. Examiners are instructed that if there is an emergency to contact the office and if required to leave the room have students place their answer documents in the test booklet and leave the books in the classroom locking the door on the way out. If a child is ill, they are removed from the classroom. If time is needed to clean the room, the examiner will have students place answer documents in test booklets, the examiner will collect all testing materials and move the class to the art room and resume testing. The examiner is to note the time they had to stop the test and when they began again and stop the test when the allotted time per the manual has ended. Staff members who must be in the building after hours should not have access to the copier room vault. Administrators will discourage staff from staying late while tests are on site. Staff who remain late on campus must sign out when they leave and must not have access to the copier room vault, which is locked at all times..
TESTING How do you ensure that all test cleanup is done in a with teachers not cleaning up their own students’ tests? How do you ensure that materials are returned promptly upon the completion of testing each day? How do you ensure test security while in route from school to system? How do you maintain testing confidentiality before, during and after testing? Examiners are required to sit down with the school TC in the testing vault and clean up the documents of the students they tested. By clean up, we mean stray erasures not changing answers. Examiners can give students a chance to do this once testing is complete and booklets have been taken up. Examiners are to bring materials directly to the testing vault after testing is completed and check in with the school TC. If this were needed, the system TC up testing materials from the school and transports them to the system office. Examiners/proctors/monitors are informed during training and must sign that they are aware what to do and what not to do. They are trained on test security which includes not discussing test items at any time with anyone. COMMUNICATING TEST INFORMATION AND TESTING RESULTS
How are parent/students notified of results? How do you ensure that test results are in the permanent record in a timely manner? What information is provided to parents prior to testing? What are the procedures for (high school & middle school) students that return to school to test? How are students returning to test notified of procedures? Once results are received, the school mails individual student score reports to parents. Once results are received, the principal makes sure the clerical staff immediately files the results in the permanent record and attaches score report labels. A notice is sent to parents a week before the test to make them aware of the upcoming test. Also, parents are reminded to make sure students receive enough rest the night before testing. N/A N/A
How are parents/students notified of remediation and retest opportunities? How are parents/students notified of possible variance/waiver (high school) eligibility or retention appeals (elementary and middle school)? How are test results used in the school to guide planning and instruction? The school principal prepares a letter that is sent to parents of students who are on the PL1 (retest) rosters. For the school principal holds meetings with parents and teachers once final results are in for retesters in 3rd and 5th grades. If parents are not satisfied with the decision of the school, they can appeal to the superintendent. The superintendent will check with the school principal and possibly hold another meeting with the parent and school principal before rendering a decision. During planning for the CLIP and needs assessment, the school academic staff reviews the results and determines professional development that may be needed to improve instruction. During academic staff meetings, staff look at results for weak areas and decide which strategies can be implemented to improve achievement.