The 2007 Pennsylvania System of School
Assessment
HANDBOOK FOR ASSESSMENT
COORDINATORS AND
ADMINISTRATORS
Grades 3 – 8 and 11 Reading and
Mathematics
The state assessment is administered by the Division of Assessment, Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE),
333 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333 [(717) 787-4234, fax (717) 783-6642, TDD (717) 783-8445]. The
assessment contractor is Data Recognition Corporation (DRC). DRC can be reached by calling toll-free 1-800-451-7849,
by emailing pacustomerservice@datarecognitioncorp.com, or by faxing 1-763-268-3008 or 1-763-268-3031.
1
NEW THIS YEAR
DRC IS THE TEST CONTRACTOR FOR GRADE 3
The 2007 administration of the Reading & Mathematics PSSA marks DRC’s first year as the test contractor for Grade
3. All of the DRC-specific administration procedures for grade 3 will be the same as what are used for grades 4 – 8 and
11. Please note the following:
¾ The use of barcode labels, materials management forms, and packaging procedures for grade 3 will be identical to
the procedures used for grades 4 – 8 and 11.
¾ The Grade 3 assessment will continue to be presented in one test/answer booklet; however, the sections will
alternate between math and reading.
¾ The layout of the demographic pages for the Grade 3 booklets is slightly different than 4 – 8 and 11; this handbook
will highlight the differences.
PAsecureIDs ARE REQUIRED FOR ALL PUBLIC STUDENTS
All public school students are now required to have a Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) assigned
PAsecureID. For any student with a Student Precode Label, the PAsecureID is already included in the label’s
embedded student demographics. All students who will be tested using District/School Labels must have the
PAsecureID bubbled on page 2 of the answer booklet.
NOTE: Students enrolled in Intermediate Units (IU), Approved Private Schools (APS), Private Residential
Rehabilitative Institutions (PRRI), and other sites funded to educate public students are considered public school
students and will require a PAsecureID. These sites can contact each student’s district of residence to obtain the
PAsecureID, or email RA-PAsecureIDHelp@state.pa.us to request access to the PAsecureID website.
NEW PROCEDURES FOR CODING COURT/AGENCY PLACED STUDENTS
Students who are court or agency placed (not foster care) into a public school or alternative educational setting are
required to participate in the 2007 Reading and Mathematics PSSA if they have an IEP. Participation is optional for
court/agency placed students who do not have an IEP.
¾ YOU WILL NO LONGER REPORT NON-ASSESSED COURT/AGENCY PLACED STUDENTS ON THE
FRONT COVER OF THE ANSWER BOOKLET.
¾ Detailed instructions for identifying court/agency placed students are provided on page 9 of this handbook.
NEW AND UPDATED DEMOGRAPHICS
The demographics listed below have been updated and/or added to the answer booklets. A copy of the 2007
demographic pages can be found in Appendix E and detailed descriptions of the 2007 demographic items can be found
in Part I of this handbook.
¾
Enrollment status after October 1, 2005, but on or before October 1, 2006.
y This item has been expanded to capture previous school-year enrollment at both the district and school level.
¾ Exited IEP (within two years) status.
y This information is being collected in consideration of a pending USDE decision to allow the flexibility of
including these students in the IEP subgroup for AYP calculations.
¾ School Choice Provision placement.
y Reporting this data will assist PDE in quantifying student mobility as the result of School Choice Provision.
¾ English Language Learner (ELL) status.
y Enrollment of ELL students before or after March 31, 2006, has been added to clarify the “first year in a U.S.
school” items.
y Former ELL students and ELL students in their first or second year of monitoring has been added.
y Title III served (or Title III eligible, not served) ELL students can now be reported via the 2007 demographic
pages.
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I – GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR ALL COORDINATORS................................................. 4
1. ADMINISTRATION MANUALS ...............................................................................................................4
2. IMPORTANT GENERAL INFORMATION...............................................................................................4
3. TIMELINE ...................................................................................................................................................5
4. SCHEDULING THE ASSESSMENT..........................................................................................................5
5. MAKE-UP SESSIONS.................................................................................................................................6
6. STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN THE ASSESSMENT .............................................................................6
7. BARCODE LABELS ...................................................................................................................................9
8. PROCEDURES FOR COMPLETING ANSWER BOOKLETS................................................................11
9. DESCRIPTION OF ASSESSMENT MATERIALS ..................................................................................15
10. TEST SECURITY ....................................................................................................................................15
PART II – DISTRICT ASSESSMENT COORDINATOR RESPONSIBILITIES............................ 17
1. RECEIPT AND DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALS – SHIPMENT I ......................................................17
2. RECEIPT AND DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALS – SHIPMENT II .....................................................18
3. ORIENTATION OF SCHOOL ASSESSMENT COORDINATORS ........................................................18
4. PROCEDURES FOR ASSIGNING BOOKLETS USING THE SECURITY NUMBERS........................19
5. COLLECTING AND RETURNING ASSESSMENT MATERIALS........................................................19
PART III – SCHOOL ASSESSMENT COORDINATOR RESPONSIBILITIES............................. 20
1. RECEIPT OF MATERIALS – SHIPMENT I.............................................................................................20
2. RECEIPT OF MATERIALS – SHIPMENT II ...........................................................................................20
3. DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALS...........................................................................................................21
4. ORIENTATION OF ASSESSMENT ADMINISTRATORS.....................................................................21
5. DISTRIBUTING AND COLLECTING ASSESSMENT MATERIALS ...................................................22
6. PACKAGING MATERIALS FOR RETURN TO DISTRICT ASSESSMENT COORDINATOR...........23
PART IV – ASSESSMENT ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBILITIES ......................................... 24
1. PREPARE THE STUDENTS FOR THE ASSESSMENT .........................................................................24
2. PREPARE THE CLASSROOM PRIOR TO THE ASSESSMENT ...........................................................24
3. BE SURE ALL STUDENTS COMPLETE ALL TASKS TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY..............25
4. MANAGING DAMAGED ANSWER BOOKLETS .................................................................................25
5. RETURN OF ASSESSMENT MATERIALS ............................................................................................25
Appendix A
Sample Parent (Guardian) Flyer ................................................................................. 26
Appendix B
PSSA General Description of Scoring Guidelines...................................................... 28
Appendix C
PSSA Braille/Large Print Order Form........................................................................ 31
Appendix D
Additional Materials Request Form............................................................................ 33
Appendix E
Sample Demographic Pages ....................................................................................... 35
3
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
PART I – GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR ALL COORDINATORS
1. ADMINISTRATION MANUALS
District and school personnel (district assessment coordinators, school assessment coordinators, and assessment
administrators) who coordinate the assessment and who administer the assessment to the students should become
familiar with this handbook and the grade-specific Directions for Administration Manual. Look for the following
symbols on the left side of the pages throughout this handbook for information essential to proper administration.
This section has added importance.
This section contains new information.
This section contains information important to Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).
This information is recurring from past administrations and is essential for a successful
administration of the PSSA.
The school assessment coordinator fulfills the responsibilities of both the district and school assessment
coordinator as outlined in this handbook for schools in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, IUs, Approved Private
Schools, PRRIs, charter schools, nonpublic and private schools, and other special sites.
2. IMPORTANT GENERAL INFORMATION
All public school students enrolled in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 11 are required to participate in the 2007 Reading
and Mathematics PSSA. Participation by students in nonpublic and private schools is voluntary. The reading and
mathematics assessment should challenge all students with tasks requiring inferencing, problem-solving, and
concept identification. These tasks appear in formats that are strongly encouraged by experts in the reading and
mathematics fields. The instruments include tasks that require students to write their own responses to items, as
well as selected-response items.
¾ The Reading and Mathematics PSSA for grades 4, 6, and 7 is in its second year as an operational assessment.
Therefore, the scores for these students will be included with the results from grades 3, 5, 8, and 11 in the final
school and district AYP reporting for 2007 (AYP was calculated only from grades 3, 5, 8, and 11 in 2006).
¾ At the beginning of Section 1, mathematics, students are NOT permitted to use a calculator. For the remaining
mathematics sections of the assessment, students are permitted to use their own calculators or ones that the
school might provide.
¾ Dictionaries and thesauri are not permitted for use on any sections of the assessments. Note: Word-toword dictionaries that translate a native language to English (or English to a native language) without
definitions or pictures are allowed on the mathematics sections and the open-ended portions of the reading
sections.
¾ Students’ written responses to the open-ended (performance) tasks will be scored using item-specific rubrics
based on the General Description of Scoring Guidelines for each subject. Students may refer to these
guidelines as often as necessary when responding to the performance tasks. Copies of the General Description
of Scoring Guidelines for Reading and Mathematics are printed in Appendix B of this handbook.
¾ The Federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires the collection of specific student data at the time of
testing, including data for students who are not participating and students who are exempt from participation
due to special circumstances. With regard to student privacy and data accuracy, this information must be
reported by school personnel on pages 2 and 3 of the answer booklet after testing is complete.
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
4
3. TIMELINE
By February 12, 2007
By February 26, 2007
By February 26, 2007
March 12 – 23, 2007
March 28, 2007
Shipment I (Administrative materials delivered.)
Parent flyers* sent home.
Shipment II (Secure assessment materials delivered.)
Reading and Mathematics Assessment Window
Return shipment to DRC
*A copy of a sample parent (guardian) flyer can be found in Appendix A of this handbook. Districts/schools
are responsible for duplicating this document, or incorporating the information in a newsletter, and distributing
copies to parents (guardians).
4. SCHEDULING THE ASSESSMENT
It is important to establish an assessment schedule prior to testing. The first administration date should not be
scheduled before March 12, 2007. All assessments, including make-ups, must be completed by March 23, 2007.
The first week of the testing window should be used for administering the assessment. The second week should be
used for make-up sessions or as a backup if unusual circumstances do not allow testing in the first week.
It may be advisable to postpone the assessment if a large percentage of the school population is absent on any
selected day or days or if a disruption or event (such as a bomb threat, fire in the school, plumbing or heating
problems, death of a classmate, etc.) may have caused a level of distress that could result in students performing
below their capabilities. District personnel are urged to keep the best interests of the students in mind when making
the determination to reschedule assessment dates. Early use of the assessment window should eliminate most
scheduling problems.
The reading and mathematics assessments consist of a total of six sections. Each section should be scheduled as
one assessment session. However, it is reasonable to combine multiple sections as a single session, as long as the
sections are administered in the sequence in which they are printed in the test booklets. In all cases, individual
assessment sections must be completed within one school day. The following chart outlines the assessment
schedule guidelines and estimated times for each section for each grade (“MC” refers to multiple-choice items and
“OE” refers to open-ended items). Any student requesting additional time should be allowed the extra time. See
page 6 and page 14 for more information concerning accommodations.
Administrative
(Pre & Post)
2
Reading
3
Mathematics
4
Reading
5
Mathematics
6
Reading
Grade Level
Administration
(Total)
Test
Section
&
Content
1
Mathematics
Student Testing
Suggested Times (In Minutes)
65 to 80
15 to 20
50 to 60
22 MC
2 OE
22 MC
2 OE
22 MC
2 OE
22 MC
2 OE
22 MC
2 OE
22 MC
2 OE
22 MC
2 OE
70 to 85
15 to 20
55 to 65
24 MC
1 OE
24 MC
2 OE
24 MC
2 OE
20 MC
2 OE
20 MC
2 OE
20 MC
2 OE
23 MC
2 OE
65 to 80
15 to 20
50 to 60
22 MC
2 OE
22 MC
2 OE
22 MC
2 OE
22 MC
2 OE
22 MC
2 OE
22 MC
2 OE
22 MC
2 OE
60 to 75
15 to 20
45 to 55
18 MC
2 OE
16 MC
2 OE
16 MC
2 OE
16 MC
2 OE
16 MC
2 OE
16 MC
2 OE
16 MC
2 OE
55 to 70
15 to 20
40 to 50
22 MC
1 OE
22 MC
1 OE
22 MC
1 OE
22 MC
1 OE
22 MC
1 OE
22 MC
1 OE
22 MC
1 OE
65 to 80
15 to 20
50 to 60
16 MC
1 OE
16 MC
2 OE
16 MC
2 OE
20 MC
2 OE
20 MC
2 OE
20 MC
2 OE
17 MC
2 OE
3
4
5
6
7
8
11
5
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
Schools must administer the sections in the sequence in which they are printed in the answer booklet.
Scheduled extended time can be provided, but this accommodation must be recorded on page 3 of the answer
booklet. Students may request an extended assessment period if they indicate that they have not completed the task.
Such requests should be granted if the assessment administrator finds the request to be educationally valid.
Not permitting ample time for students to complete the assessment may impact the students’ and schools’
performance. As a general guideline, however, when all students indicate that they have finished a session, that
session should be closed, and students should prepare for the next session or return to class. Students requiring time
beyond the majority of the student population may be allowed to continue immediately following the regularly
scheduled session in another setting. When such accommodations are made, school personnel must ensure that
students are monitored at all times to prevent sharing of information. Students should not be permitted to continue
a section of the assessment after a significant lapse of time from the original session. Any student granted an
extended assessment period must have this information gridded in his or her answer booklet on page 3.
5. MAKE-UP SESSIONS
If a student is absent during a testing session, he or she should resume or begin the assessment in the same section
as the rest of the testing population upon return. The section that was missed due to absence can be made up in a
separate session. For example, a student who is absent on a day in which the rest of the student population
completed section one, should start at section two (along with the rest of the student population) and continue with
the regularly scheduled sessions. During the scheduled make-up session, the student will go back to section one. If
multiple sections are missed, the make-up session must follow the order of the booklet.
6. STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN THE ASSESSMENT
All public school students enrolled in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 11 are to be included in the assessment, with only
a few very specific exceptions. Enrollment is defined as the grade level the student has attained on October 1,
2006. Because some students begin the school year at one grade level but acquire enough credits by the assessment
window to be considered in the next grade, the following PDE policy must be used as the guideline for determining
student participation in the reading and mathematic assessments. A student's status on October 1, 2006, not the
status at the time of the assessment window, is the status that should be recognized in determining the
student's participation in the reading and mathematics assessment. There is one exception to this policy to
ensure that an 11th grade student does not miss the assessment because of an accelerated advancement from grade
10 to grade 12. If a student was in 10th grade on October 1, 2006 and will be in 12th grade on October 1, 2007, he
or she should participate during the 2007 testing window. This exception to the policy ensures that these students
do not miss the Grade 11 reading and mathematics assessment entirely.
An answer booklet must be returned for every student enrolled in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 11, assessed or
non-assessed. Pages 1 and 2 of the answer booklet must be completed for all students without a precoded
label, assessed or non-assessed.
PARTICIPATION WITH ACCOMMODATIONS:
¾ All students with disabilities, except those participating in the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment
(PASA), must participate in the 2007 Reading and Mathematics PSSA. These students should be provided
with the same accommodations in the assessment environment as stipulated under Chapters 14 and 15 of 223
PA code regarding their instruction. If any student responds to the PASA, please refer to the “Procedures for
Non-Assessed Students” for additional procedures. For more information, log on to the PDE website at
www.pde.state.pa.us.
¾ Special accommodations for students with hearing loss include the use of sign language for the directions. For
technical assistance regarding students with hearing impairments, contact PaTTAN at 1-800-360-7282.
¾ Braille and large-print versions of the assessment will be available for students with visual impairments.
y
Students who use the Braille or large-print forms must have all of their answers (multiple-choice and open
ended) transcribed by school personnel into a scannable answer booklet (using a #2 pencil only).
Scannable answer booklets will be provided with the Braille or large-print versions for this purpose.
y
School personnel should not make corrections of student work. If a scannable answer booklet is not
provided, please use an answer booklet of the same form designation (Form 1) from the school’s
additional materials. Student responses in Braille or large-print forms that are not transcribed into
scannable answer booklets will not be scored. Braille and large-print forms can be securely destroyed by
the district assessment coordinator or returned to DRC for destruction.
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
6
y
To order Braille and large-print test and answer booklets, make a copy of the Pennsylvania System of
School Assessment (PSSA) Braille/Large Print Order Form found in Appendix C of this handbook.
Complete the form and send/fax it to PaTTAN at the address provided on the order form. You must
complete one order form for each student who requires a Braille or large print booklet.
PROCEDURES FOR NON-ASSESSED STUDENTS
For a non-assessed student, use the “Non-Assessed Students” grid on the cover of the answer booklet and darken
the bubble next to the reason the student did not participate. Please note that the “Non-Assessed Students” grid
appears on page 3 of the Grade 3 booklet. The non-assessed grid does not override student responses recorded in
the answer booklet. Only use the “Non-Assessed Students” grid if the answer booklet contains no student
responses.
Students not participating in the assessment must be coded under one or more of the following categories:
•
Student responds to the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA): If the student is excused
from the PSSA due to participation in the PASA, school personnel must indicate this on the cover of the
student’s PSSA answer booklet and provide an alternative learning environment for the student during the
assessment sessions.
Please review the following eligibility criteria for participation in the PASA. Students who meet all six of the
criteria that follow may be excused from the PSSA reading and mathematics assessment and must be
administered the PASA. All students must participate in either the PSSA or the PASA. The Pennsylvania
Department of Education is required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to monitor the
inclusion of students with disabilities in the statewide assessments.
Criteria for Participation in the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment
Criterion 1: The student is in grade 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 11; and
Criterion 2: The student has a very severe cognitive disability; and
Criterion 3: The student requires very intensive instruction to learn; and
Criterion 4: The student requires very extensive adaptations and supports in order to perform and/or
participate meaningfully and productively in the everyday life activities of integrated school,
home, community, and work environments; and
Criterion 5: The student requires very substantial modification of the general education curriculum; and
Criterion 6: The student’s participation in the general education curriculum differs very substantially in
form and/or substance from that of most other students (i.e., requires modified objectives,
materials, and/or activities).
Remember: If all six of the criteria listed above apply to the student, it would be appropriate for the IEP
team to consider assigning the student to the PASA.
PSSA records for students who are non-assessed because of participation in the PASA will not be included
when calculating the school’s participation rates; instead, only the student’s PASA record will count toward
the school’s participation rate. Additionally, students who attain proficiency through the PASA may count
toward the school’s AYP performance; however, Proficient PASA student records cannot exceed 1% of the
student population (all other PASA records, regardless of performance level, will be counted as Basic).
•
Student had a recent medical emergency: This applies only to rare circumstances in which a student cannot
take or finish taking the assessment during the entire testing window, including make-up dates, due to a
significant medical emergency. For example, this might include a situation in which a student is recovering
from a recent car accident. In these rare situations, the student has remained enrolled at the school, yet the
circumstances might prohibit him or her from participating in the assessment during the testing window.
School personnel must complete the “Non-Assessed Students” section on the front cover of the answer booklet
by marking “Student had a recent medical emergency.”
This non-assessed option allows schools to omit such students when calculating their participation rates. This
will ensure that schools whose averages might be affected by such situations will not be improperly identified
for improvement.
7
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
•
Student had an extended absence for the entire testing window: If the student is absent from school for an
extended period that continues beyond the assessment window (i.e., the date that materials must be returned to
DRC), school personnel must complete the “Non-Assessed Students” section on the front cover of the answer
booklet by marking “Student had an extended absence for the entire testing window.”
Schools must make every effort to ensure that all students who experience absences during the testing window
are able to participate in the assessments during make-up sessions. Students who are non-assessed due to an
extended absence will have a negative effect on the school’s participation rate and can potentially have a
negative impact on the school’s AYP status.
•
Student had a parental request for exclusion from the assessment: Section 4.4 of Chapter 4 provides for
the right of any parents or guardians to excuse their child from the state assessment if, upon inspection of the
testing materials, they find the assessment to be in conflict with their religious beliefs. This is the only basis for
a parent or guardian to excuse his or her child from the statewide assessments.
Beginning on February 26, 2007, the assessment will be available for review by parents and guardians. The
assessment must be reviewed on school district property. Districts must provide a convenient time for the
review. This may include an evening review time, if requested. Proper security and confidentiality of the
assessment must be maintained at all times throughout the review process. District personnel should be present
at all times. Parents and guardians must sign a locally prepared statement concerning the requirements of
assessment security and confidentiality. A copy of this should be locally maintained. (It is not necessary to
send this statement to the Pennsylvania Department of Education or DRC.) Parents and guardians may not
photocopy, write down, or in any other manner record any portion of the assessments, including directions.
Districts should contact the Division of Assessment for further guidance if a parent or guardian requests a
review immediately before the district’s scheduled administration such that it may be disruptive to students
and jeopardize the validity of the test administration.
After reviewing the test, parents and guardians must provide a written request addressed to the superintendent
or Chief Academic Officer to excuse their child based upon religious conflict. The parents and guardians do
not have to defend their religious beliefs, nor do they have to identify specific test content to which they object.
Simply stating that they are requesting exclusion based on religious grounds is sufficient.
Other interested citizens may ask to review the assessment at the Pennsylvania Department of Education or
other educational sites, if the request is made during times other than the assessment window. If the request is
unreasonable or problematic, the district should contact the Division of Assessment for further information.
If the student is excused from the state assessment due to parental or guardian request, school personnel must
complete the front cover of the answer booklet in the “Non-Assessed Students” section by marking “Student
had a parental request for exclusion from the assessment” and provide an alternative learning environment for
the student during the assessment.
Please be aware that students who do not participate in the assessments due to parental request will negatively
affect the school’s participation rate and can potentially have a negative impact on the school’s AYP status.
•
Other: Although there is no other apparent reason for student non-participation in the assessment, this
category is provided for the rare exception. The most notable rare exception is student refusal to participate at
the time of testing. Refusal represents a defiant act on the student’s part despite school personnel’s every effort
to obtain compliance. If you have exhausted all options and believe you have a case that fits into the “Other”
category, complete the “Non-Assessed Students” section on the front cover of the answer booklet by marking
“Other.”
DO NOT use “Other” to identify students who are non-assessed because of a court/agency placement or
an ELL status exemption (first year in U.S. schools).
Indicating that a student did not participate in the assessments due to “other” reasons will negatively affect the
school’s participation rate and can potentially have a negative impact on the school’s AYP status.
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
8
NON-ASSESSED COURT/AGENCY PLACED STUDENTS
•
Students who do not have an IEP and have been court or agency placed (not foster care) into a school or
alternative education environment are not required to participate in the assessment. These students CANNOT
be identified in the “Non-Assessed Students” grid on the front cover of the answer booklet. If the student does
not have a Student Precode Label, the reason for non-participation must be reported by darkening “Student is
court/agency placed (not foster care)” on Page 2 of the answer booklet, Item 5-option 1. If the student has a
Student Precode Label, the same item must be selected via DRC’s Student Precode System.
NON-ASSESSED FIRST-YEAR ELL STUDENTS (READING ONLY)
•
ELL students who are in their first year of enrollment in a U.S. school (i.e., enrolled after March 31, 2006) are
not required to participate in the reading sections of the assessment; they must take the mathematics sections.
These students also CANNOT be identified in the “Non-Assessed Students” grid. If the student does not have
a Student Precode Label, the reason for non-participation in the reading sections must be reported by
darkening “[Student is] ELL and enrolled in a U.S. school after March 31, 2006” on Page 2 of the answer
booklet, Item 6-option 1. If the student has a Student Precode Label, the same item must be selected via DRC’s
Student Precode System.
7. BARCODE LABELS
Student Precode Labels, District/School Labels, and Do Not Score Labels will be provided for use on the 2007
PSSA reading and mathematics answer booklets. The labels are intended to increase the accuracy of information
collected from the booklets. All enrolled students must have an answer booklet with a Student Precode Label or a
District/School Label returned to DRC.
DRC’s booklet receiving system is driven by barcodes. Barcodes help DRC identify and sort the documents you
send back for processing. The 4 types of barcodes are:
y
BLANK—DRC has preprinted a “blank” barcode on the cover of every answer booklet. A “blank”
barcode indicates that the document has not been used and should not be processed.
y
STUDENT PRECODE—Districts that utilized DRC’s Student Precode System will receive Student
Precode Labels. The labels contain barcodes that indicate the answer booklet should be processed and
scored for the student whose name is printed on the label. These labels eliminate the need to hand bubble
the student’s name, birth date, PAsecureID, and demographic items 1–7 on page 2 of the answer booklet.
Student Precode Labels are to assist with the assessment; they are NOT for accountability purposes.
If you receive a label for a student who is no longer enrolled, that label should be discarded.
y
DISTRICT/SCHOOL—If a student does not have a Student Precode Label, school personnel must use a
District/School Label and hand bubble all demographic information on pages 1 and 2 of the answer
booklet. These labels contain barcodes that indicate the document should be processed and scored for the
student whose information is bubbled on the booklet.
y
DO NOT SCORE—These labels contain a barcode that indicates the answer booklet should NOT be
processed. Answer booklets that have a Do Not Score Label will be handled as if they are blank.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING BARCODE LABELS
y
Before affixing any label to an answer booklet, check the label to ensure that the information is correct.
y
Schools should destroy any District/School Labels containing inaccurate information.
y
Schools should use DRC’s Student Precode System to make corrections to Student Precode Labels.
y
School personnel must affix the appropriate label to each answer booklet that will be used by a student.
y
Place the label in the box located in the lower left-hand corner on the cover of each student's answer
booklet.
y
Do not remove any label that has been affixed to an answer booklet; this will damage the booklet. Instead,
the label may be covered with another label of the appropriate type.
y
Do not write on the labels. Do not correct information on a label.
y
Do not use labels from another school. If you need more labels, contact a DRC Customer Service
Representative at 1-800-451-7849.
9
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
STUDENT PRECODE LABEL INSTRUCTIONS
Most testing sites will receive Student Precode Labels that are linked to individual student demographic
information and district/school information in the DRC Student Precode System. It is important that school
personnel make sure the readable information printed on the label is correct. If a Student Precode Label contains
inaccurate printed student information, notify the school assessment coordinator so the necessary corrections can
be made in the DRC Student Precode System.
•
It is essential for school assessment coordinators to verify that the student demographic information embedded
into the Student Precode Labels is correct. To accomplish this verification, the school assessment coordinator
must access the student list from DRC’s Student Precode System. Most inaccurate embedded student
demographic information can be corrected during Phase 3 of the Student Precode System (open from January 8
through May 1, 2007). Only school, grade, and class designations cannot be corrected during Phase 3. If
inaccuracies exist in any of these three fields, a District/School Label can be used in place of the Student
Precode Label.
•
Any student information changes or demographic changes made by writing on a Student Precode Label or by
bubbling page 1 or page 2 of the answer booklet WILL NOT make changes to the information embedded in the
Student Precode Label. All embedded Student Precode Label information will supersede any bubbling on
page 1 or page 2. Hand-bubbled information on pages 1 and 2 is only captured if a District/School Label is
affixed to the answer booklet.
•
If a Student Precode Label is destroyed, school personnel must use a District/School Label in its place and
bubble pages 1 and 2 of the answer booklet. If the student whose precode label was destroyed had score
attribution or Career-Technical Education (CTE) information embedded in the Student Precode Label, that
information must be re-entered through DRC’s online student data corrections system (open in May 2007).
DISTRICT/SCHOOL LABEL INSTRUCTIONS
All sites will receive District/School Labels that contain district and school specific information only.
District/School Labels must be used when Student Precode Labels are not used. When using District/School
Labels, school personnel must bubble pages 1 and 2 of the answer booklets and all applicable items on page 3.
•
District/School Labels are color coded to match the corresponding grade-level booklets. It is important to
match the color and grade on a District/School Label with the answer booklet. For example, the Grade 5
answer booklet is a green color, and all Grade 5 District/School Labels have a green line across the top of the
label.
•
If a Student Precode Label contains inaccurate information that cannot be corrected via the Student Precode
System, place a District/School Label over the Student Precode Label and bubble pages 1 and 2.
•
If a student is using a District/School Label and needs to have his or her score attributed to a site other than
what appears on the District/School Label, or if the student should have any Career-Technical Education
(CTE) information reported, school personnel must enter that information through Phase 3 of DRC’s Student
Precode System.
•
Do not use labels from another school. If you need more labels, contact a DRC Customer Service
Representative at 1-800-451-7849.
DO NOT SCORE LABEL INSTRUCTIONS
Do Not Score Labels are supplied for use on answer booklets that are defective and cannot be scored or answer
booklets that should not be scored. Always place the Do Not Score Label directly on top of the Student Precode
Label or District/School Label that was originally affixed to the answer booklet. Use the Do Not Score Labels
when the following has occurred:
•
A used answer booklet is torn, soiled, or defective. When a student has used a booklet and it becomes torn,
soiled, or is found to be defective (e.g., missing pages) the student’s responses must be transcribed into a new
booklet of the same form designation and a Do Not Score Label affixed to the defective booklet. If a student
becomes ill on an answer booklet, transcribe the responses into a new booklet, record the security number
found on the back of the soiled booklet, and securely destroy the soiled booklet. Make sure this information
is recorded on the Materials Accountability Form.
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
10
•
A student uses two booklets. Submit one booklet for scoring and return the other booklet with a Do Not Score
Label (the student’s responses must be transcribed from one booklet into the other).
•
A Student Precode Label (for a student who has withdrawn) or District/School Label is inadvertently affixed to
a blank/unused booklet (a blank/unused booklet does not have any bubbles marked or any student responses).
Affix a Do Not Score Label over the label.
•
A student has started or completed the test, but withdraws from school prior to the end of the testing window.
A Do Not Score Label should be affixed over the Student Precode Label or District/School Label only if the
student has been completely removed from the school’s enrollment on or before March 23, 2007.
Do not use Do Not Score Labels for the following types of booklets:
•
Blank/unused booklets—there is a preprinted “BLANK” barcode in the box located in the lower left-hand
corner on the cover of the answer booklet to indicate that the booklet is blank/unused.
•
Booklets for students who are designated as non-assessed and have been coded as such on page 1 of the answer
booklet. These booklets must have a Student Precode Label or District/School Label affixed to the front cover.
If you are unsure how to use a barcode label correctly, you are encouraged to contact DRC’s Pennsylvania
Customer Service Representatives at 1-800-451-7849 with any questions.
8. PROCEDURES FOR COMPLETING ANSWER BOOKLETS
STUDENTS WITH PRECODE LABELS
If a student is using a Student Precode Label, the information needed for pages 1 and 2 of the answer booklet is
embedded in the barcode on the label; therefore, these items should not be completed by hand. Items 8–12 on page
3 of the answer booklets need to be completed by school personnel for all assessed students, if applicable.
STUDENTS WITH DISTRICT/SCHOOL LABELS
Students with a District/School Label must have page 1 completed by hand. School personnel must also complete
items 1–7 and the “Birth Date” and “PAsecureID” grids on page 2 (applicable items on page 3 must also be
completed).
Following is the list of items that appear in the 2007 answer booklet on pages 2 and 3.
Item 1 Gender
Indicate whether the student is Male or Female.
Item 2 Ethnicity
Indicate the ethnicity with which the student most closely identifies. You must choose only ONE. If a
student should be counted in more than one racial category, choose Multi-Racial/Ethnic (two or more
races).
Item 3 Student’s current enrollment status initially started after October 1, 2006, for the following (mark
all that apply):
in the school of residence - Darken this bubble if the student’s current enrollment in this school started
after October 1, 2006.
To be considered enrolled in the school for a full academic year; a student must have been continuously
enrolled in the school from at least October 1, 2006, to the last day of the testing window. Scores for
students not enrolled in the school for the full academic year will not be included in the school’s AYP
calculation.
o in the district of residence - Darken this bubble if the student’s current enrollment in this district
started after October 1, 2006.
(The same rules described above for the school of residence apply to the district of residence bubble.)
Scores for students not enrolled in the district for the full academic year will not be included in the
district’s AYP calculation.
o as a Pennsylvania resident - Darken this bubble if the student became a Pennsylvania resident after
October 1, 2006.
o
11
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
School personnel should complete this item if the student moved to Pennsylvania after October 1, 2006. It
is possible that a student may have moved into your school or district from another Pennsylvania school,
but enrolled in the previous Pennsylvania school after October 1, 2006 and was not a Pennsylvania
resident prior to that date. School personnel are urged to check students’ records carefully.
Item 4 Student’s current enrollment status initially started after October 1, 2005, but on or before October
1, 2006 (mark all that apply):
o
in the school of residence - Darken this bubble if the student’s current enrollment in this school started
after October 1, 2005, but on or before October 1, 2006.
o
in the district of residence - Darken this bubble if the student’s current enrollment in this district
started after October 1, 2005, but on or before October 1, 2006.
The information from Item 4 is being collected to determine the amount of student mobility occurring
throughout the Commonwealth. The item does not apply to normal progress from school to school within a
district (i.e., school changes that occur in the course of regular advancement from one grade to the next).
This information is not for AYP calculations.
Item 5 Mark all of the following that apply:
o
Student is court/agency placed (not foster care) – Darken this bubble if the student has been court or
agency placed into a school or alternative education environment. This does not apply to foster care
placement.
If the student is court/agency placed (not foster care) and has an IEP, he/she is required to participate in
the assessment. Court/agency placed students (not foster care) who do not have an IEP are not required to
participate.
NEW FOR 2007: There is no longer a bubble in the “Non-Assessed Students” grid on the front cover of the
answer booklet (page 3 for the Grade 3 booklets) to identify court/agency placed students (without an IEP) who
did not participate in the assessment. School personnel only need to indicate “Student is court/agency placed
(not foster care)” in Item #5, unless the student is precoded, in which case this item must be selected via the
Student Precode System. When DRC receives a blank student booklet and the student is indicated as
court/agency placed (without an IEP), this is sufficient to identify the reason the student was non-assessed.
DO NOT MARK “OTHER” FOR THESE STUDENTS. Note: If it is indicated that the student has an IEP,
he/she cannot be excluded from the assessment.
o
Student has an IEP (not Gifted) - Darken this bubble if the student has an IEP, has a disability but is
not gifted.
It is recognized that some gifted students, while not having a diagnosed disability, have an IEP. The data
collected in response to this item are intended to identify ONLY those students with IEPs who have
disabilities. Therefore, if a gifted student has an IEP, but does NOT have a disability, DO NOT mark this
bubble.
o
Student exited an IEP program within the past 2 years - Darken this bubble if the student exited an IEP
program within the 2 years past the end of the assessment window (March 23, 2007).
This information is being collected in consideration of a pending USDE decision to allow the flexibility of
including these students in the IEP subgroup for AYP calculations.
o
Student participates in Title I program - Darken this bubble for all Title I students.
Title I students are not excluded from the PSSA.
o
Student receives Migrant Education Program services - Darken this bubble for all children identified
as receiving Migrant Education Program services by the Pennsylvania Department of Education,
Division of Student Services & Migrant Education.
This division of PDE is responsible for compiling and distributing an official list of students eligible for
Migrant Education Program services. Only personnel from the Pennsylvania Migrant Education Program
can identify students receiving these services. The official list is distributed to district superintendents and
school building principals. Please see the Migrant Education Program website at
www.migranted.state.pa.us for more information.
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
12
o
Student is a foreign exchange student - Darken this bubble for all foreign exchange students.
Foreign exchange students are required to take the reading and mathematic assessment; however, their
scores will not be attributed to the host family’s school of residence. Scores for foreign exchange students
will be attributed to the host family’s district of residence and the State only.
o
Student is classified as economically disadvantaged – Darken this bubble for all students who meet the
district’s economically disadvantaged criteria.
Students are commonly classified as economically disadvantaged if they qualify for free or reduced lunch;
however, other criteria used by the district may be substituted.
o
Student is enrolled because of School Choice Provision – Darken this bubble if the student is
attending your school because of School Choice Provision.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education will be using this data to gauge student mobility resulting
from School Choice Provision. This information is not for AYP calculations.
o
Student is home-schooled and assessed at parental request – Darken this bubble if a home-schooled
student is being assessed at your testing facility at parental request.
A home-schooled student is not to be considered as enrolled in a school program and the student’s scores
will not be included in the district or school results. However, provisions for their inclusion upon parental
request need to be made. As with all students, it is essential that any home-schooled student who takes the
assessment respond to all items.
Item 6 Student’s English Language Learner (ELL) status is as follows (indicate only one):
o
ELL and enrolled in a U.S. school after March 31, 2006 (previous enrollment in Puerto Rico is not
considered as enrollment in U.S. schools).
Participation is mandatory for the mathematics portion of the assessments and optional for the reading
portion of the assessments for students identified as English Language Learners who are in their first year
of enrollment in a U.S. school (i.e., enrolled after March 31, 2006). The scores for these students will not
be used to calculate AYP status, but their participation is used in the calculation of the Participation
Rate for AYP.
o
ELL and enrolled in a U.S. school on or before March 31, 2006.
All students identified as English Language Learners who have completed at least one year of enrollment
in a U.S. school must participate in the assessment.
o
Exited an ESL/bilingual program and in the first year of monitoring.
o
Exited an ESL/bilingual program and in the second year of monitoring.
o
Former English Language Learner and no longer monitored.
These three ELL demographic items have been included as a means for the Pennsylvania Department of
Education to monitor the progress of students who have exited ESL/bilingual programs and are in the
various stages of monitoring. Please check your students’ records carefully so the most accurate
information is reported. These demographic items will not be used in AYP calculations.
See the 2007 “Accommodations Guidelines” at www.pde.state.pa.us for additional information.
Item 7 Student is currently in ESL instruction and has the following Title III status (indicate only one):
Students who are English Language Learners (ELL) are eligible to receive supplemental instruction and/or
services funded by Title III. Districts/schools can apply for the Title III funding, which is a federallyfunded supplemental program that concentrates on delivering educational language instructional programs
and/or other services to students who have a primary language other than English. Districts may use Title
III funding for professional development; therefore, an ELL student (in an ESL instruction program) can
indirectly receive Title III funding via the instructor’s professional development. Students who fall into
this classification should be marked as “Title III served.” There are two categories for Title III students
o
Title III served
Mark this bubble when the ELL student is eligible for and receiving supplemental instruction and/or
services, directly or indirectly (as described above), through district/school Title III funded programs.
13
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
o
Title III not served
Mark this bubble when the ELL student is eligible for supplemental instruction and/or services through
district/school Title III funded programs, but is not currently receiving said services.
Note: One of the first two bubbles in Item 6 must be darkened in conjunction with either of the Title III
bubbles. Indicating that a student is Title III (served or not served) confirms that the student is ELL and in
ESL instruction.
Page 2, Birth Date and PAsecureID Grids
The Birth Date grid must be completed for all assessed students by darkening the appropriate month of the
student’s birth date, followed by writing the two-digit day and year in the boxes provided and darkening the
corresponding bubbles below.
If the student’s day of birth is a single-digit, please darken the zero in the left column of the “Day” grid and
place the single-digit day of birth in the right column of the “Day” grid.
The PAsecureID grid must be completed for all public school students by writing the student’s state-assigned, tendigit PAsecureID in the boxes provided and darkening the corresponding bubbles below.
If the district does not have a PAsecureID for a student, please follow the instructions below. Questions regarding
PAsecureID can be emailed to RA-PAsecureIDHelp@state.pa.us.
¾ If a student transferred from another district within the state, the district can access the PAsecureID
website to look up the student’s PAsecureID or have one assigned.
¾ If a student is new to the state or previously attended a private school, the district can access the
PAsecureID website and enter the student’s information to have a PAsecureID assigned.
Page 3, Accommodations Section
Items 8 – 12 in the Accommodations Section on page 3 must be completed for assessed students ONLY, if
applicable.
See the 2007 “Accommodations Guidelines” at www.pde.state.pa.us for additional information concerning
accommodations that are allowed.
Item 8
Student was absent without make-up for one of more sections of the following subjects - Darken the
appropriate bubble if a student was absent for any sections of either subject and was unable to make up
the incomplete section(s).
It is important to indicate if a student was absent without make-up, as failure to do so will result in the
student’s test being scored under the assumption that the student simply did not participate in all sections
of the assessment.
Item 9
Student was given the following change in test environment - Darken the bubbles next to all changes
to the normal testing environment that apply for this student.
This item must be completed for any student who took the test in a non-standard test environment. Note:
“Student-requested extended time” is an accommodation available to all students.
Item 10 Student used the following modified test format - Darken the bubbles next to any modified test formats
used by this student.
Item 11 Student used the following special arrangements/assistive devices - Darken the bubbles next to all
special arrangements and/or assistive devices used by this student during the assessments.
Student responses that have been written using an alternate writing device (e.g., typewriter, word
processor) or student responses recorded in a modified format (e.g., Braille, large-print answer booklet)
must be transcribed into a scannable answer booklet using a No. 2 pencil. Typewritten pages, separate
handwritten pages, or large-print answer booklets will not be processed for scoring. Responses must
be transcribed by school personnel exactly as the student has recorded. No corrections are allowed for
spelling, punctuation, or grammar.
For technical assistance regarding students with disabilities, contact the Pennsylvania Training and
Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN), Harrisburg office at 1-800-360-7282.
Item 12 Student used an accommodation for the following subject(s) – Darken the bubble next to the
subject(s) for which a student used the accommodation(s) identified in Item 10 and/or Item 11.
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
14
Page 3, Optional Field, Supplemental Data Field, and Local Student ID Grid
Note: The “Non-Assessed Students” grid appears in this section in the Grade 3 booklets ONLY.
¾ The Optional Field is provided to allow districts/schools the option to measure information specific to the
district/school. Each district/school may choose to gather information based on a specific need in the
district/school and would code this field accordingly. If the district/school is not interested in gathering
additional information, this field may be left blank.
¾ The Supplemental Data Field will only be used in the event that a determination is made that the demographic
information already contained in the answer booklets has overlooked an element that should be considered for
reporting requirements. This field should only be used if districts/schools are instructed to do so by DRC or
PDE.
¾ The Local Student ID Grid is provided to allow districts/schools the option to continue the use of the Local
Student ID.
9. DESCRIPTION OF ASSESSMENT MATERIALS
In each school’s original shipment of secure assessment materials (Shipment II), the grades 3 – 8 and 11 test and
answer booklets will be shrink-wrapped together and packaged in quantities of 17 with cover sheets indicating the
quantity and secure number range of each pack. The following materials will be provided:
a) Grade 3 Reading and Mathematics Booklet (one booklet that combines both the test and answer
documents)
b) Grades 4 – 8 and 11 Reading and Mathematics test and answer booklets
The test and answer booklets will be shrink-wrapped together by form designation (i.e., a Form 1 test
booklet will always be followed by a Form 1 answer booklet).
c) Student Precode and District/School Barcode Labels
Please refer to “Barcode Labels” on page 9 of this handbook for more information regarding these labels.
d) Directions for Administration Manual (separate manuals per grade)
e) Handbook for Assessment Coordinators and Administrators
Before testing, assessment administrators must be given a copy of the Directions for Administration
Manual and the Handbook for Assessment Coordinators and Administrators to allow them ample time to
study the specific directions for proper test administration and general assessment procedures.
10. TEST SECURITY
The assessment relies on the measurement of individual achievement. Any deviation from the assessment
procedures meant to ensure validity and security (group work, teacher coaching, pre-teaching or pre-release of the
performance or assessment items, use of old Pennsylvania assessments as preparation tools, etc.) is strictly
prohibited and will be considered a violation of test security. District/school personnel with access to the
assessment materials must not discuss, disseminate, or otherwise reveal the contents of the test to anyone. Any
action by a professional employee or commissioned officer that is willfully designed to divulge test questions,
falsify student scores, or compromise the integrity of the state assessment system will be subject to disciplinary
action under sections 1259–1267 of the School Code (24 P.S. Sections 12-1259-12-1267).
¾ Test Security Affidavit
y All school assessment coordinators will receive a Test Security Affidavit for their school. It is the
school assessment coordinator’s responsibility to disseminate the test security information as
appropriate and collect the school principal’s signature.
y The Test Security Affidavit will be included in Shipment II (School Administrative Materials) and
will be pre-printed for each participating school.
y The purpose of the affidavit is to ensure compliance to the established test security procedures. The
Test Security Affidavit serves as a tool for school assessment coordinators to document their school’s
understanding and acknowledgement of assessment security and accountability.
y The Test Security Affidavit for each participating school should be returned to the district assessment
coordinator (after the principal’s signature bar has been completed) along with the answer booklets.
Schools in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and other special sites that receive assessment materials directly,
should return the Test Security Affidavit directly to DRC.
15
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
¾ Secure Storage
y The grades 3 – 8 and 11 test and answer booklets must be kept in a predetermined, locked, secure
storage area at both the district and school levels. Secure materials must never be left unattended or in
open areas. Assessment administrators must not be given access to the test materials before the
administration day. Instead, assessment administrators should be given access to the secure test
materials on the morning of the test administration, allowing ample time for the administrators to
review the booklets before the assessment begins.
y The Handbook for Assessment Coordinators and Administrators and the Directions for Administration
Manual are not considered secure test materials and should be provided to assessment administrators prior
to the assessment for review.
y All testing materials must be returned immediately to the predetermined, locked, secure storage area after
testing is completed for the day. Materials must be kept secure after testing and prior to shipping to DRC.
¾ Returning/Destroying Secure Accommodated Materials
y Braille and large print test and answer booklets must be securely destroyed by the district or returned
to DRC. Braille/large print answer booklets returned to DRC will not be processed for scoring.
y Computer files from students who used a keyboarding accommodation must be permanently deleted.
The typed/word-processed output must be securely destroyed after it has been transcribed into an
answer booklet.
y Any audio versions of the assessment produced by your school or district for the administration of the
PSSA must be returned to DRC. Please place these in any box being returned to DRC.
The following important procedural Do’s and Don’ts for PSSA test administrators were published by PDE in
March 2006. This list contains guidelines which must be followed to ensure that the integrity of the test remains
above reproach.
Do Not…discuss, disseminate, or otherwise reveal the
contents of the test to anyone.
Do Not…keep, copy, reproduce, or use any test, test
item, any specific test content/prompt, or examinee
responses to any item or any section of a secured test in
any manner inconsistent with the instructions provided
by and through the Pennsylvania Department of
Education.
Do Not…leave students unattended with testing
materials or allow any student to leave the testing site
for any reason with test materials.
Do Not…possess any secure test materials at any time
other than during the actual administration of the test.
The administrators will be given their secure materials
the morning of the administration of the test and must
be counted and collected at the end of the test.
Do Not…coach or provide feedback in any way, which
includes answering any questions relating to the
contents of the test, before, during, or after the test.
Do Not…alter, influence, or interfere with a test
response in any way or instruct the student to do so.
Do Not…fill in any unanswered item or provide actual
answer to the students.
Do Not…allow students to look ahead to other
sections/prompts before being instructed to do so.
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
Do Not…define or clarify a word
Do Not…read any portion of the reading assessment and
the multiple choice and stimulus passages in the writing
assessment.
Do Not…return any test booklet to any student after it has
been turned in to the test administrator except in the
following cases:
1. Make up sessions for absences
2. Students going to another testing site for extended time
(Note: If, after the student returns the test booklet, it is
noticed that not all of the test items were answered, the
booklet can not be returned to the student to complete.)
Do…continually move around the testing site so as to
ensure the students are adhering to the instructions given.
Do…escort all students and carry all secure testing
materials to alternate testing sites for extended time, etc.
Do…collect all scratch paper or rough drafts to prompts
and return them to the test coordinator to be destroyed.
Do…attend the district’s annual orientation for the
administration of the test in order to be properly informed
of the procedures to follow, including securing of the test
materials, and the knowledge that the tests are confidential
and proprietary documents owned by the Pennsylvania
Department of Education.
16
PART II – DISTRICT ASSESSMENT COORDINATOR RESPONSIBILITIES
Please note: the school assessment coordinator fulfills the responsibilities of both the district and school assessment
coordinator in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Intermediate Units (IU), Approved Private Schools (APS), Private
Residential Rehabilitative Institutions (PRRI), charter schools, nonpublic and private schools, and other special
sites, as outlined below.
2007 District Assessment Coordinator’s Checklist
This checklist is for your personal use. It lists critical dates by which an activity should take place.
________
Receive the Shipment I (handbook and manuals)
February 12, 2007
________
Distribute Shipment I to school assessment coordinators
February 15, 2007
________
Distribute parent (guardian) flyers in newsletter or mail
February 26, 2007
________
Receive Shipment II
February 26, 2007
________
Distribute Shipment II to school assessment coordinators
February 28, 2007
________
Conduct orientation session for school assessment coordinators
March 2, 2007
________
Request additional materials (if needed)
March 6, 2007
________
Inventory assessment materials returned by schools
March 27, 2007
________
Return materials to DRC
March 28, 2007
________
Destroy handbooks, administration directions, and scratch paper in a secure location
March 28, 2007
1. RECEIPT AND DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALS – SHIPMENT I
Materials enclosed in Shipment I:
DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIVE MATERIALS
y
Copies of School Packing List(s)—one per school
y
School Box Range Sheet—indicates the number of boxes packaged for each school in the district
MANUALS
y
Handbook for Assessment Coordinators and Administrators—this manual
y
Directions for Administration Manual (separate manuals for grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 11)
School boxes are provided for each participating school; the boxes should be sent to the schools as soon as you
receive them. A copy of each school’s packing list is contained in the district administrative materials (Shipment I)
School assessment coordinators should be given ample time to distribute the Handbook for Assessment
Coordinators and Administrators and the Directions for Administration to assessment administrators, and to
schedule an orientation session within the two weeks prior to the assessment window.
A sample parent flyer has been included in Appendix A of this handbook to use as is or to revise to suit your
needs. This information should be distributed to the parent (or guardian) of each student enrolled in your school(s)
about three weeks prior to the assessment. You should supply all school assessment coordinators with enough
copies to meet their needs. Please note that the district or school is responsible for duplicating this flyer. Copies are
not provided, except for the sample in this handbook. If a district newsletter is regularly published, include the
information in the newsletter. However, if history indicates that parents (guardians) do not regularly read the
newsletter, direct mail may ensure delivery to the parent (or guardian).
17
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
2. RECEIPT AND DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALS – SHIPMENT II
Materials enclosed in Shipment II:
DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIVE MATERIALS
y
Materials Receipt Notice—upon receipt of these materials, complete the form and fax as instructed on the
notice
y
School Box Range Sheet—indicates the number of boxes packaged for each school in the district
y
Supplementary Information for Assessment Coordinators and Administrators
RETURN DOCUMENTS
y
DRC Return Shipment Labels for Answer Booklets
y
DRC Return Shipment Labels for Test Booklets and Unopened Packages
y
Return Instructions
Secure assessment materials are packaged by school in Shipment II.
¾ Instruct personnel who are responsible for receipt of the shipment to contact you as soon as possible
(frequently, the shipments are placed in the book storage area or the supply room without the assessment
coordinator’s knowledge). Boxes can be identified by a fluorescent label that reads “Test Materials
Enclosed: Open and Inventory Immediately.” If this shipment is not received by February 26, 2007, call a
DRC Pennsylvania Customer Service Representative at 1-800-451-7849.
¾ You may open the school boxes to inventory the contents, or you may assign this task to the school
assessment coordinator. If not inventoried centrally, the boxes should be distributed intact to schools,
allowing enough time for the school assessment coordinator to inventory the materials. The school
assessment coordinator should immediately open the boxes to determine if a sufficient quantity of
materials has been sent.
¾ If additional materials are necessary, the school assessment coordinator should request them from the
district assessment coordinator (except within special sites). The district assessment coordinator should
complete and send a separate Additional Materials Request Form (found in Appendix D of this handbook)
for each requesting school. School assessment coordinators who send Additional Materials Requests
directly to DRC should be aware that all additional materials are sent to the district level only. Fax the
form to the DRC Pennsylvania Customer Service Representative at 1-763-268-3008/3031. Requests for
additional materials must be completed by March 6, 2007, to allow time for your order to be delivered
prior to the first day of the testing window. Please note that materials ordered from DRC after 2:00 p.m.
CST will be shipped on the following business day.
3. ORIENTATION OF SCHOOL ASSESSMENT COORDINATORS
You should conduct an orientation session with school assessment coordinators prior to their meetings with
assessment administrators. Meet to review and/or discuss:
a) The assessment schedule.
b) Part I – General Guidelines for All Coordinators in this handbook (highlight student participation and the
requirements for completing pages 1–2 of the answer booklet for all enrolled students).
c) The use of Phase III of DRC’s Student Precode System to verify/update student demographics, add CTE
information, and enter score attribution information (if applicable).
d) Part III – School Assessment Coordinator Responsibilities in this handbook.
e) The distribution of parent (guardian) flyers including instructions for distribution to the students’ parents
(guardians).
f)
Procedures for distribution and collection of assessment materials.
g) Part I, Section 7 – Using Barcode Labels in this handbook (make sure there is awareness that every used
answer booklet must have a label applied to the front cover).
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
18
4. PROCEDURES FOR ASSIGNING BOOKLETS USING THE SECURITY NUMBERS
The answer booklets are packaged together with the test booklets in shrink-wrapped packages (Note: Grade 3
test/answer booklets are printed as one document and will be packaged as such). Each shrink-wrapped package has
a range sheet that identifies the quantity and the security range of booklets contained in that package. These range
sheets can be used to inventory the booklets without opening the packages. In most cases, the school assessment
coordinator will be responsible for assigning secure ranges of materials for assessment administrators. It is still
vital that district assessment coordinators understand the importance of assigning materials by security range and
encourage their school assessment coordinators to follow this method (see Part III, Section 5, “Distributing and
Collecting Assessment Materials”).
5. COLLECTING AND RETURNING ASSESSMENT MATERIALS
As soon as the assessments (including make-ups) are complete, all assessment materials are to be returned to the
district assessment coordinator by all school assessment coordinators. You must account for all assessment
materials from all participating schools. Once all materials have been received, return them to DRC. Please refer to
your Return Instructions memo for detailed information concerning DRC Return Shipment Label use and how to
schedule a pick up of materials.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR RETURNING SECURE MATERIALS
¾ Verify that school assessment coordinators have followed all packaging procedures as described in Part III
of this handbook.
¾ Check that box 1 of answer booklets from each school contains a signed Test Security Affidavit and a
completed Materials Accountability Form. These forms should remain in the first box of answer booklets
for each school.
¾ Seal the boxes.
¾ Affix the appropriate DRC RETURN SHIPMENT Label (Answer Booklets or Test Booklets and
Unopened Packages) to the top of each box according to its contents.
¾ Count the number of boxes to be returned.
¾ Complete the last line on the label, “Total Shipment: Box __ of __” (for example, Box 1 of 5, Box 2 of 5,
etc.).
¾ Schedule a pick-up with your return freight carrier (identified in your Return Instructions) to occur no
later than March 28, 2007.
¾ Keep boxes in a secure location until they are given to the freight carrier.
¾ Call DRC’s Pennsylvania Customer Service Representatives at 1-800-451-7849 if you have questions
about returning your materials or if you need additional Return Shipment labels.
19
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
PART III – SCHOOL ASSESSMENT COORDINATOR RESPONSIBILITIES
2007 School Assessment Coordinator’s Checklist
This checklist is for your personal use. It lists the critical dates by which an activity should have taken place.
________
Receive Shipment I
February 15, 2007
________
Inventory Shipment I
February 16, 2007
________
Read the Handbook for Assessment Coordinators and Administrators and the
Directions for Administration Manuals
Distribute the Handbook for Assessment Coordinators and Administrators and
Directions for Administration Manuals to appropriate personnel
________
Distribute parent flyers to parents (or guardians)
February 26, 2007
________
Receive Shipment II
February 28, 2007
________
Inventory Shipment II; request additional materials from the district assessment
coordinator (if needed)
March 6, 2007
________
Attend school assessment coordinator orientation
March 2, 2007
________
Conduct orientation sessions for assessment administrators
March 9, 2007
________
Assist and supervise assessment administrators on assessment dates
March 12 – 23, 2007
________
Package and return assessment materials to district assessment coordinator
March 23, 2007
________
February 21, 2007
February 21, 2007
1. RECEIPT OF MATERIALS – SHIPMENT I
Shipment I school box(es) will include the following materials:
MANUALS
y
Handbook for Assessment Coordinators and Administrators (1 per 30 students in each tested grade)
y
Directions for Administration Manuals (separate manuals per grade – 1 per 15 students for each tested grade)
¾ Inventory these materials immediately upon receipt. Please note that all of the materials listed above are
essential for the proper administration of the assessment and for packaging documents after the
assessment. It is advised that all assessment coordinators and school personnel (district- and school-level)
read and become familiar with the information contained within this handbook and the Directions for
Administration Manuals prior to receiving, inventorying, and distributing the assessment materials in
Shipment II.
¾ The district assessment coordinator should provide parent flyers for each student enrolled in your school.
The school assessment coordinator in the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh schools and other special sites is
responsible for duplicating and distributing the flyers (a sample parent [guardian] flyer is found in
Appendix A of this handbook).
2. RECEIPT OF MATERIALS – SHIPMENT II
Shipment II school box(es) will include the following materials:
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE MATERIALS
y
Test Security Affidavit
y
Materials Accountability Form
y
Security Checklist
y
Supplementary Information for Assessment Coordinators and Administrators
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
20
SCHOOL ASSESSMENT MATERIALS
y
Test booklets and answer booklets in shrink-wrapped packages of 17; a cover sheet will indicate the grade
level, quantity, and security range of the packaged booklets
y
Red stickers to seal pages of the test booklet for the mathematics, non-calculator items in Section 1
y
Rulers for grade 3, 4, 5, and 6 students to answer questions requiring them to measure
y
Student Precode Labels, District/School Labels, and Do Not Score Labels
y
Shrink-wrapped Spanish-translation test and answer booklets and Spanish-translation Directions for
Administration Manuals (per grade level, if applicable)
y
Test Security Affidavit
y
Materials Accountability Form
y
Security Checklist
Shipment II contains the secure assessment booklets (Test and answer booklets).
¾ Inventory the materials carefully and immediately upon receipt. If you have not received the materials by
February 28, 2007, contact your district assessment coordinator (special sites may contact DRC directly).
¾ If more materials are needed, contact the district assessment coordinator immediately. Special sites may
complete and send an Additional Materials Request Form (found in Appendix D of this handbook) directly
to DRC.
¾ Be sure to save the box(es) in which the materials were sent. They will be used to return the materials
after the assessments. (If a box is damaged, or if all materials do not fit into the original box(es), a box
similar in size and strength from the school may be substituted.)
¾ After inventorying Shipment II, store all materials in a predetermined, locked, secure storage area.
3. DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALS
Distribute this handbook and the appropriate grade-specific Directions for Administration Manuals to the
assessment administrators. This should be done as soon as the manuals are received to allow time for the
assessment administrators to study them prior to an orientation session (see Section 4, “Orientation of Assessment
Administrators”). Carefully read the Directions for Administration Manuals so that you are familiar with the
contents and able to answer questions that may arise.
The parent flyers should be sent to the participating students’ homes by February 26, 2007, per the instructions of
the district assessment coordinator. A sample copy of a parent flyer is in Appendix A of this handbook.
4. ORIENTATION OF ASSESSMENT ADMINISTRATORS
At least one week prior to the scheduled assessment dates, conduct an orientation session for assessment
administrators. Any teachers, counselors, administrators, or other qualified education personnel may act as
assessment administrators. In this session, please discuss the following topics:
a) Assessment Schedule—Be certain that assessment administrators know the assessment schedule.
b) Administration Preparation—Assessment administrators are to have received and studied the Handbook for
Assessment Coordinators and Administrators and the Directions for Administration Manuals prior to
orientation.
c) Students with Special Needs—Explain which students are to be included in the assessment and what special
accommodations may be provided for these students (see “Student Participation in the Assessment” in Part I of
this handbook).
d) Assessment Conditions—Impress upon assessment administrators the importance of good assessment
conditions (e.g., a comfortable, quiet room) and a positive approach to the assessment.
e) Use of calculators for the mathematics assessment—Explain that students cannot use calculators on the first
four items in Section 1.
f)
Use of personal data assistants, cell phones, dictionaries, thesauri, spell- or grammar-checkers—Make
sure all administrators are aware that the use of these items is not permitted on any section of the PSSA.
21
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
g) Permitted Help during the Assessment—Explain that only original copies of the Pennsylvania Reading and
Mathematics Assessment General Description of Scoring Guidelines may be displayed in the PSSA testing
room. Appendix B of this handbook contains copies of the scoring guidelines, which may be duplicated for
distribution to the students for use during the assessment.
h) Special Instructions—Remind the administrators that all students must use a No. 2 Pencil when responding to
the assessment. Additionally, student name and demographic data must be coded using a No. 2 pencil.
i)
Barcode Labels—Emphasize the important aspects of barcode label use (see “Barcode Labels” on page 9 of
this handbook).
j)
Make-up sessions—Clarify the make-up assessment procedures you have devised (see “Make-up Sessions” on
page 6 of this handbook for complete instructions).
k) Scratch Paper—Remind assessment administrators that scratch paper may be provided to students for use
during the assessment. All scratch paper must be removed from the answer booklets when the assessment is
complete.
l)
Security—Emphasize that the test and answer booklets must be kept secure at all times prior to and during the
assessment, and that completed booklets must be kept confidential.
5. DISTRIBUTING AND COLLECTING ASSESSMENT MATERIALS
¾ You may break open the shrink-wrapped packs to assemble proper packs for each assessment administrator;
however, these packs must be secured in a locked area. Shrink-wrapped packs should only be opened at the
school level and should not be opened until school personnel are ready to affix barcode labels, no more than
one week prior to the start of the testing window. The test and answer booklets have been spiraled in a
predetermined sequence in each shrink-wrapped pack. The spiraling process ensures an equal distribution
opportunity for each form within a classroom. Under no circumstances should you arrange the booklets by
form designation prior to distribution.
¾ On the days of the assessment, ask the assessment administrators to come to the office to receive the test and
answer booklets needed for that day’s assessment, or deliver them to the respective assessment sites. Distribute
the correct test and answer booklets to each administrator as recorded on your Security Checklist. The booklets
should be distributed to the assessment administrators early enough on the days of the assessment to give them
ample time to review the booklets prior to testing. In addition, each assessment administrator should be given
at least one extra test and answer booklet to use as a sample, as the Directions for Administration Manual will
instruct the administrators to use sample booklets for demonstration. Do not distribute any assessment
materials until the day of each session, except for the Handbook for Assessment Coordinators and
Administrators and the Directions for Administration Manuals.
¾ The Security Checklist (example below) should be used as a tool to help account for the secure materials as
they are distributed to the assessment administrators and to monitor the materials as they are returned by the
assessment administrators. Account for any difference between the number of materials distributed and the
number returned by noting the reason on the Security Checklist. Any discrepancies that are not resolved before
the materials are returned to the district assessment coordinator must be noted on the Materials Accountability
Form; the Security Checklist should not be returned to DRC. No one is permitted to retain any test or answer
booklets for any reason after all testing and make-ups are complete.
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
22
6. PACKAGING
MATERIALS
FOR
RETURN
TO
DISTRICT
ASSESSMENT
COORDINATOR
a) Verify that all responses for participating students using accommodations have been properly transcribed into
scannable answer booklets.
b) Remove all rough drafts and scratch paper from the test and answer booklets. These materials will not be
processed or used for scoring.
c) Place all answer booklets (including booklets for non-assessed students) in the boxes that you saved from
DRC’s original shipment. Grade 3 test/answer booklets are considered answer booklets for DRC processing
and must be included in your box(es) of answer booklets.
d) Box all test booklets and unopened packs of shrink-wrapped materials separately from the answer
booklets in the remaining boxes that you saved from DRC’s original shipment.
Note: DRC does not require that the assessment booklets are stacked by class, grade, or school within the
district boxes, only that the answer booklets are boxed separately from the test booklets.
e) Include the signed Test Security Affidavit and the completed Materials Accountability Form in the first box of
materials.
f) Return all assessment materials to your district assessment coordinator.
g) Do not return the Handbook for Assessment Coordinators and Administrators, the Directions for
Administration Manuals, and scratch paper. Please follow instructions from your district assessment
coordinator for the secure destruction of these materials. This procedure is part of test security.
23
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
PART IV – ASSESSMENT ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBILITIES
1. PREPARE THE STUDENTS FOR THE ASSESSMENT
Inform students of the scheduled assessment sessions in advance, perhaps at the time the informational flyers
(provided by your school assessment coordinator) are sent to the parents (guardians). Explain to the students why
they are being given the assessment and how the results will be used. Usually, students can sense the importance
the assessment administrator places on the assessment and their performance may be affected accordingly.
Students should realize that doing their best is important to them as well as to the future of the school and its
programs. They may also be informed that their parents (guardians) and teachers will be receiving the results.
However, no assessment situation should be unduly stressful for students.
Inform students of the following:
•
They are permitted to use scratch paper.
•
They are not permitted to use pre-printed graphic organizers; however, they may create their own on the
scratch paper at the time of testing.
•
They are not permitted to use personal data assistants, dictionaries, cell phones, thesauri, or spell- or grammarcheckers when responding to any sections of the assessments.
Note: ELL students are permitted to use word-to-word dictionaries that translate native language to English
or English to native language on the mathematics sections and the open-ended portions of the reading
sections.
•
They should have at least two sharpened No. 2 pencils with good erasers.
•
They are not permitted to use ink pens.
•
They may use their own calculators (or school supplied, if applicable) for most of the mathematics assessment.
Note: The transmitting function (if applicable) must be turned-off on any calculator used on the mathematics
assessment.
2. PREPARE THE CLASSROOM PRIOR TO THE ASSESSMENT
Good organization of assessment materials and well-executed procedures will make the administration proceed
smoothly.
During the assessment sessions, keep disturbances to a minimum. One way to do this is to put a sign on the door(s)
to the classroom to indicate that an assessment session is taking place. A quiet, calm atmosphere is essential for
concentration on the task. Extra pencils should be available to the students. Do not permit students to sharpen
pencils during the assessment sessions.
Remove or cover all classroom instructional materials that may affect the validity of the PSSA. For example,
posters about math rules or times tables should be covered or removed from the room on the assessment days. The
Pennsylvania Reading Assessment General Description of Scoring Guidelines and the Pennsylvania Mathematics
Assessment General Description of Scoring Guidelines may be displayed in the classroom. For more information,
log on to the PDE website at www.pde.state.pa.us.
DO NOT:
•
display vocabulary words and/or definitions
•
display examples of problems or answers
•
display instructions on how to use a calculator
•
display tips on how to write responses and/or solve problems
•
display illustrations or drawings of geometric shapes, algebraic equations, graphs, or number lines
With the exception of Grade 3, each student will have one test booklet and one answer booklet; the Grade 3
assessment is presented in one combined test and answer booklet. In addition, all students will receive one red
sticker, and one ruler will be supplied for each student in grades 3, 4, 5, and 6.
¾ Answer booklets contain space for recording answers to the multiple-choice and open-ended questions.
Each student must use the same test booklet and answer booklet for all sections of the assessments. For
grades 4-8 and 11, there are different forms of the test booklets that are spiraled together with the answer
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
24
booklets. It is imperative that students are provided a test booklet and an answer booklet with the
same form designation. For example, if you give a student a Form 3 test booklet, you must give that
student a Form 3 answer booklet. Failure to ensure that students have the same form of the test booklet and
answer booklet may adversely affect the district and school results.
¾ There are two types of items: multiple-choice items and open-ended items. Open-ended items are written
to take about ten minutes to complete and are scored with item-specific scoring rubrics. Each item-specific
scoring rubric reflects the descriptions of the score points outlined in the subject-specific general
description of scoring guidelines.
¾ At the beginning of Section 1 of the mathematics assessment, students are NOT permitted to use a
calculator. Students will use the red stickers to seal the cover page through page 4 of the test booklets upon
completion of the mathematics, non-calculator items. For the remaining mathematics sections of the
assessment, students are permitted to use their own calculators or ones that the school might provide.
3. BE SURE ALL STUDENTS COMPLETE ALL TASKS TO THE BEST OF THEIR
ABILITY
Not all students will finish the assessment sections at the same time; use the flexibility of the time limits to the
students’ advantage. Students should not feel rushed while they are taking any assessment section, and no student
should be penalized because he or she works slowly. It is equally important, however, that a student not be given
an opportunity to waste time. Students should close their booklets when they have finished the section of the
assessment in which they had been working. Students who finish early may sit quietly or read for pleasure until all
students have finished. Students with special requirements and/or abilities (i.e., physical, visual, auditory, or
learning disabilities as defined by their IEP or service contracts) and students who just work slowly may require an
extended assessment session. Special assessment situations should be arranged for these students. When all of your
students have indicated that they have finished an assessment section, you may end the section and begin the next
section or return to regular classroom activities.
When allowing extended assessment sessions for a portion of the student population:
•
Do not allow the students to attend a lunch period with other students if the lunch period occurs between the
original session and the extended session.
•
Do not allow the students to attend gym, etc. between the original session and the extended session.
•
Do not allow any overnight extensions.
•
Do not allow the students to return to an unfinished section after indicating they have completed that section.
•
Do not allow the extended session to be administered without monitoring. It is the responsibility of a test
administrator to monitor any extended sessions.
4. MANAGING DAMAGED ANSWER BOOKLETS
If a student receives an answer booklet with damaged or missing pages, please replace the booklet with an answer
booklet of the same form designation and allow the student to continue working. If the student has already begun
one or more sections of the assessment, he or she should continue working in the new booklet at the point where
the defect was discovered and use the new booklet for the remainder of the assessment. After the assessment has
been completed, school personnel must transcribe all of the student’s responses into the undamaged answer
booklet. Do not insert pages from one answer booklet into another. Multiple documents and loose pages
returned for one student will not be scored.
Write “DEFECTIVE” on the damaged answer booklet. Apply a Do Not Score Label on the answer booklet and
return it with your school’s answer booklets.
5. RETURN OF ASSESSMENT MATERIALS
Be sure to return all materials, including used and unused test and answer booklets, this handbook, the Directions
for Administration Manuals, and scratch paper to the school assessment coordinator. All assessment materials
should be returned as soon as possible on each day of the assessment.
Reminder: All used answer booklets returned to DRC must have a barcode label (District/School, Student
Precode, or Do Not Score) affixed to the front cover of the answer booklet.
25
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
Appendix A
Sample Parent (Guardian) Flyer
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
26
Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA)
Frequently Asked Questions Reading and
Mathematics Assessment
Grades 3 - 8 and 11— March 2007
Information for Parents or Guardians
What is the PSSA designed to do?
The PSSA is designed to provide information about the quality
of schools to parents, school districts, and the general public.
Who is participating in the assessment?
Students in grades 3 - 8 and 11 in all 501 school districts will
take the reading and mathematics assessments. Since the
assessments are designed to help determine the quality of the
school programs, all students are to be included in the
assessments, except for a few students who meet specific
criteria. Nonpublic and private schools may participate on a
voluntary basis.
How long are the assessments and when will they occur?
The reading and mathematics assessments will take
approximately six hours. The assessments will be scheduled
by the school district to take place during the testing window
of March 12 through March 23, 2007. Your school district
should inform you about the assessment schedule.
What will the assessments include?
Each student will answer three sets of items for each of the
reading and mathematics assessments. Examples of the types
of items that appear in the assessment are provided in Item
Scoring Samplers available on PDE's website at:
www.pde.state.pa.us. The samplers contain multiple-choice
questions, open-ended questions, scoring guidelines, and
sample responses.
What will be assessed in reading?
The reading assessment addresses two elements of the reading
process. Students will indicate (1) comprehension and reading
skills and (2) analysis and interpretation of fictional and
nonfictional text by answering multiple-choice questions
where the correct answer is chosen from four presented
options, and by answering open-ended questions that require
students to write their responses.
What will be assessed in mathematics?
Through the use of both multiple-choice items and open-ended
items, the mathematics assessment addresses the five major
Reporting Categories. The proportion of items devoted to each
Reporting Category varies by grade level. In addition, as a part
of the assessment of Reporting Category A, Numbers and
Operations, students will respond to a special section of items
in which the use of a calculator is not permitted. The openended performance tasks require the students to show all of
their mathematical work (calculations, graphs, drawings, etc.)
and to explain in writing how they solved the problems.
27
Who decided what the assessments should
measure?
Groups of educators from all levels of education in
Pennsylvania chose the areas of knowledge on which
the assessments are based. The groups included
teachers, supervisors, curriculum directors, and
college specialists. They also reviewed, edited, and
approved the test items.
Who will administer the assessments?
Each school chooses the person(s) who will
administer the assessments. In most cases, these are
the students’ teachers, who are often helped by the
principal or guidance counselor.
How will the written responses be scored?
The written responses for reading and mathematics
items will be scored by evaluators trained in applying
a pre-determined scoring system. In reading and
mathematics, scores will be based on content only.
Spelling and punctuation are not included as part of
the scoring process.
How will the results be reported?
Reports for reading and mathematics will be sent to
the school districts for distribution to parents,
teachers, and guidance counselors and/or principals.
The state will not receive any reports with individual
names included.
Results will be reported by school for curricular and
planning purposes. School districts will publish the
PSSA testing results for each school. The state will
also release school-by-school assessment data.
Can parents (guardians) see the assessments?
Once the assessments arrive at the school, parents
(guardians) may review the assessments by making
arrangements with the school assessment coordinator.
Confidentiality agreements must be signed, and no
copies of the assessments or notes about items will be
permitted to leave the school. If, after reviewing the
assessments, parents do not want their child to
participate in the mathematics or reading assessments
due to a conflict with their religious beliefs, they may
write to the school district superintendent prior to the
beginning of the assessments to excuse their child
from the assessments.
DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849
Appendix B
PSSA General Description of Scoring
Guidelines
Reading
Mathematics
28
PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
PSSA
Pennsylvania Reading Assessment General Description of Scoring Guidelines
3 Points
•
•
The response provides a complete answer to the task, e.g., a statement that offers a
correct answer as well as text-based support.
The response provides specific, appropriate and accurate details (e.g., naming,
describing, explaining, or comparing) or examples.
2 Points
•
•
The response provides a partial answer to the task, e.g., indicates some awareness of
the task and at least one text-based detail.
The response attempts to provide sufficient, appropriate details (e.g., naming,
describing, explaining, or comparing) or examples; may contain minor inaccuracies.
1 Point
•
•
The response provides an incomplete answer to the task, e.g., indicating either a
misunderstanding of the task or no text-based details.
The response provides insufficient or inappropriate details or examples that have a
major effect on accuracy.
0 Points
•
•
The response provides insufficient material for scoring.
The response is inaccurate in all aspects.
Categories within zero reported separately:
BLK (blank) ...No response or written refusal to respond or too brief to determine response
OT ...................Off task/topic
LOE.................Response in a language other than English
IL.....................Illegible
This document is available on the PDE website.
29
PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
PSSA
General Description of Mathematics Scoring Guidelines
4–
The response demonstrates a thorough understanding of the mathematical concepts
and procedures required by the task.
The response provides correct answer(s) with clear and complete mathematical
procedures shown and a correct explanation, as required by the task. Response may
contain a minor “blemish” (e.g., missing $) or omission in work or explanation that does
not detract from demonstrating a thorough understanding.
3–
The response demonstrates a general understanding of the mathematical concepts
and procedures required by the task.
The response and explanation (as required by the task) are mostly complete and correct.
The response may have minor errors or omissions that do not detract from demonstrating
a general understanding.
2–
The response demonstrates a partial understanding of the mathematical concepts
and procedures required by the task.
The response is somewhat correct with partial understanding of the required
mathematical concepts and/or procedures demonstrated and/or explained. The response
may contain some work that is incomplete or unclear.
1–
The response demonstrates a minimal understanding of the mathematical concepts
and procedures required by the task.
0–
The response has no correct answer and insufficient evidence to demonstrate any
understanding of the mathematical concepts and procedures required by the task
for that grade level.
Response may show only information copied from the question.
Special Categories within zero reported separately:
BLK (blank) ............Blank, entirely erased, or written refusal to respond
OT ...........................Off task
IL.............................Illegible
LOE.........................Response in a language other than English
This document is available on the PDE website.
30
Appendix C
PSSA Braille/Large Print Order Form
31
PENNSYLVANIA SYSTEM OF SCHOOL ASSESSMENT (PSSA)
BRAILLE / LARGE PRINT ORDER FORM
(Please type or print)
DATE:
TEACHER / ADMN. REQUESTING:
PHONE NUMBER:
SCHOOL DISTRICT:
SCHOOL NAME:
STUDENT NAME:
GRADE LEVEL:
Please check one:
Check assessment needed:
_________ BRAILLE
_____ WRITING
Test Date: ____________
_____ MATH
Test Date: ____________
_____ READING
Test Date: ____________
_____ SCIENCE
Test Date: ____________
SHIPPING INFORMATION
ATTENTION:
SCHOOL / FACILITY:
ADDRESS: (street or RD # - NO PO Box)
CITY / STATE / ZIP:
Return this order form to:
________ LARGE PRINT
PaTTAN – Production Services
6340 Flank Drive
Harrisburg, PA 17112-2793
Fax: 717-657-5999
32
Appendix D
Additional Materials Request Form
33
2007 Grades 3 – 8 & 11 Reading and Mathematics PSSA
Additional Materials Request Form
Test Dates: March 12, 2007 to March 23, 2007
Complete Sections 1 and indicate the quantity of additional materials needed in Section 2.
SECTION 1
Person Requesting:_______________________________________________ Today’s Date:_____________________
Phone: _________________________________________________________ Date Needed:_____________________
District Code (AUN): _______________________________ District Name: _________________________________
School Code (AUN): ________________________________ School Name: __________________________________
Shipping Address: __________________________________
__________________________________
SECTION 2
Quantity: Description:
Quantity: Spanish-translation Materials:
Grade 3 Test/Answer Booklets
Grade 3 Spanish Test/Answer Booklets
Grade 4 Test and Answer Booklets
Grade 4 Spanish Test and Answer Booklets
Grade 5 Test and Answer Booklets
Grade 5 Spanish Test and Answer Booklets
Grade 6 Test and Answer Booklets
Grade 6 Spanish Test and Answer Booklets
Grade 7 Test and Answer Booklets
Grade 7 Spanish Test and Answer Booklets
Grade 8 Test and Answer Booklets
Grade 8 Spanish Test and Answer Booklets
Grade 11 Test and Answer Booklets
Grade 11 Spanish Test and Answer Booklets
Grade 3 Directions for Administration Manual
Gr. 3 Spanish Directions for Administration Manual
Grade 4 Directions for Administration Manual
Gr. 4 Spanish Directions for Administration Manual
Grade 5 Directions for Administration Manual
Gr. 5 Spanish Directions for Administration Manual
Grade 6 Directions for Administration Manual
Gr. 6 Spanish Directions for Administration Manual
Grade 7 Directions for Administration Manual
Gr. 7 Spanish Directions for Administration Manual
Grade 8 Directions for Administration Manual
Gr. 8 Spanish Directions for Administration Manual
Grade 11 Directions for Administration Manual
Gr. 11 Spanish Directions for Administration Manual
2007 Handbook for Assessment Coordinators and Administrators
Supplementary Information for Assessment Coordinators and Administrators
District/School Labels
Do Not Score Labels
Return Instructions
DRC Return Labels for Answer Booklets
DRC Return Labels for Test Booklets and Unopened Packages
Red Stickers (sheets of 32)
Grade 3 Rulers (packs of 25)
Grade 4 Rulers (packs of 25)
Grade 5 and 6 Rulers (packs of 25)
FAX this form to the DRC Pennsylvania Customer Service Representative at
1-763-268-3007 or 1-763-268-3008 by March 6, 2007.
34
Appendix E
Sample Demographic Pages
35
36
37
38
39
2007 Reading and Mathematics
Handbook for Assessment Coordinators and Administrators
Copyright ©2007 by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the written permission of the Department. 40