MASSACHUSETTS SUPPLEMENT
ACCESS for ELLs Test Administration Manual
January 2016
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Principals must follow the instructions below, in addition to those contained in the ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Test Administration Manuals (TAMs).
Note that instructions in this document supersede the instructions in the TAMs.
MASSACHUSETTS
ACCESS 2.0 Administration Dates (2015-2016)
Before
Testing
During
Testing
After Testing
Description
Test Materials Ordering
Test Setup
Districts Receive Test Material
Additional Test Material Window
Test Window
Districts Pack Completed Test Material
Districts Ship Completed Test Material to DRC
All Test Material Received at DRC
Pre-Reporting Data Validation Window
Schools Receive Reports - Printed and Online
Start Date
10/26/2015
12/9/2015
1/4/2016
1/4/2016
1/7/2015
1/11/2016
1/11/2016
2/19/2016
3/30/2016
5/20/2016
End Date
11/13/2015
2/10/2016
1/4/2016
2/3/2016
2/10/2016
2/11/2016
2/12/2016
2/19/2016
4/8/2016
5/20/2016
CONTACT INFORMATION
Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education
Participation Requirements and
Policy Questions:
Student Assessment Services
8:45 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Mon.Fri.
access@doe.mass.edu
781-338-3625
www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/access
WIDA Client Services
DRC Customer Service
ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Training Modules,
Test Administration Procedures, and
W-APT Screening
WIDA-AMS,
Materials Ordering, and
INSIGHT & TSM Technology
866-276-7735
help@wida.us
855-787-9615
WIDA@datarecognitioncorp.com
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Part I Protocols for Massachusetts Principals
1. Ordering Additional Test Materials
Please conduct a complete inventory of test materials as soon as they arrive. Additional materials may be ordered until February 3.
2. Policy on Testing Time
 The computer-based ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 test for grades 1–12 is designed to be completed in one session for each of the following areas:
o Listening (up to 40 minutes),
o Reading (up to 35 minutes),
o Writing (up to 65 minutes, depending on the student’s English proficiency), and
o Speaking (up to 30 minutes).
 The paper-based ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 test for grades 1–12 is designed to be completed in one session for each of the following areas:
o Listening (25–40 minutes),
o Reading (35–60 minutes),
o Writing (35–65 minutes, depending on the student’s English proficiency), and
o Speaking (15-35 minutes).
 The Kindergarten test is individually administered in paper format only in one session of about 45 minutes.
 The Alternate ACCESS for ELLs tests are individually administered in paper format only in four 20-minute (estimated) test sessions, one each in Listening, Reading,
Writing, and Speaking.
 ACCESS Test Administration policies allow up to 50 percent additional testing time per session for ALL students, as needed.
Part II Providing Accurate Student Information
Before Testing – Paper-Based (including Kindergarten and Alternate ACCESS  See appropriate Test Administration Manuals for details)
 For each student reported as an ELL in October 2015 SIMS, you will receive a Pre-ID Label (i.e., student ID labels). If you are administering paper-based tests, apply a label to
the test booklet cover where indicated, if the label contains the student’s correct SASID. Labels with incorrect information must not be applied to test booklets. Ensure
that incorrect information is updated in March 2016 SIMS. As with other test materials, Pre-ID Labels may not be transferred to another school or used for another
student. A test booklet must be submitted for every ELL student enrolled at your school, even if a student is not required to participate.
Note: If a Pre-ID Label is used and corrections are bubbled in the booklet, the data in WIDA AMS will override the booklet unless the information is also edited in WIDA AMS.
Instructions can be found on page 24 of the WIDA AMS User Guide, Part 2 .
 If a student does not have a Pre-ID Label, or if the label has an incorrect SASID, you must affix a District/School Label and complete box 2 on the front cover of the
student’s booklet: print the student’s Last Name, First Name, and Middle Initial (MI) and fill in the corresponding boxes.
Before Testing – Computer-Based (See WIDA AMS User Guide, Part 2 for details)
 Each student reported as an ELL in October 2015 SIMS will be preloaded in WIDA AMS. Students who enter the school between the October SIMS submission and
January 29th, the last day for testing new students, will need to be entered into WIDA AMS. To add individual students, under Test Setup>Manage Students, select Add
Student and complete the information in Student Detail tab. The Demographics tab is not required. The student must then be placed in a test session, which will allow
a test ticket to be printed for the student. Instructions can be found on pages 30 and 38 of the WIDA AMS User Guide, Part 2.
 To add multiple students, download the pre-populated school or district File Layout at: Security Portal => Applications List => Drop Box Central => ACCESS Data 2016.
Data Fields A-K and M must be completed. Fields AP-AZ should be completed for those students who require accommodations. All other fields can be left blank.
 If a student with a disability requires one or more of the following accommodations, these should be entered prior to testing: Manual control of item audio (MC);
Repeat item audio (RA); or Extended Speaking test response time (ES). Other accommodations may either be entered before or after testing. Accommodations can be
added either for individual students or in the multiple student upload of the Student File.
After Testing – Paper-Based (including Kindergarten and Alternate ACCESS  See appropriate Test Administration Manuals for details)
 Complete box 1 on the front cover of the student’s booklet (Date of Testing) with the date that each student completed testing.
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
Complete the back cover of each student’s test booklet according to the instructions below; then leave all other boxes blank on the back cover of the test booklet.
Back cover instructions for completion:
Box Number and Description
Students with a Pre-ID Label
3.
6.
10.
16.
20.
23.
Leave blank
Print the district name and school name
Leave blank
Print grade level and fill in the boxes
Leave blank
Print the birth date and fill in the boxes
Leave blank
Print the 10-digit SASID and fill in the boxes
Fill in the appropriate box to indicate the accommodations used (see the following page for instructions)
Fill in the appropriate box for each test section in which the student was not tested (see the following page;
page 39 in the Paper-based TAM; and page 42 in the Computer-based (Online) TAM for instructions
District Name and School Name
Grade Level
Birth Date
State Student ID Number
School Use Only – Accommodations
Do Not Score This Section For This Student
Students without a Pre-ID Label
Instructions for Completing Box 20 (School Use Only – Accommodations):
 Fill in the box corresponding to an accommodation that was used by a student with a disability according to the details below.
Instructions for Completing Box 23 (Do Not Score This Section For This Student):
 If a student was not tested in one or more sections, indicate the reason (see below) by filling in the appropriate box.
After Testing – Computer-Based (See WIDA AMS User Guide, Part 2 for details)
 If a student’s accommodation information was not entered prior to testing, it should be entered under Test Setup>Manage Students, then click on Update
Accommodations.
 If a student was not tested in one or more sections, indicate the reason (see below) the student was not tested under Test Setup>Manage Students. Complete the Do
Not Score tab by selecting the appropriate box.
Do Not Score This Section For This Student
If a student was not tested in one or more sections indicate one of the following the reasons, regardless of whether the student took a paper- or computer-based assessment.
o
o
o
o
Absent (ABS): Student was absent for one or more sections for any reason (including illness or other medical condition) and did not participate in make-up testing.
Invalidate (INV): Student’s results should not be reported because of a testing irregularity. Do not fill in an INV box if a student’s booklet should be marked
as void because it was assigned to a student by mistake; instead, affix a Do Not Process label.
Declined (DEC): Student refused to participate in one or more sections.
Deferred Special Education/504 (SPD): Student did not take one or more sections because the read-aloud or text-to-speech accommodation for the Reading
assessment was listed in the IEP or 504 plan but was unavailable for ACCESS; or the student was deaf or hard of hearing, or blind or visually impaired and could not
participate in the Listening and Speaking test section; or required an alternate assessment in kindergarten.
Appendix: Test Accommodations
Test accommodations for Massachusetts students with disabilities, as well as their codes, are listed in the tables on the following pages.
The tables indicate the ACCESS accommodations available for students with disabilities who have the accommodation listed in their IEP or 504 plan, in four categories:
Test Presentation, Test Responses, Test Environment/Setting and Timing/Scheduling. Each table includes the following information:



whether the accommodation is allowed, and on which ACCESS test section;
ACCESS accommodations specific to the computer-based tests; and
comparable paper-based test accommodations (if available).
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ACCESS Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Test Presentation
ACCESS Test Presentation Accommodations
ACCESS Computer-Based Testing
(Accommodation code)
ACCESS Paper-Based Testing
(Accommodation code)
Interpreter signs test directions only in ASL (SD)
Manual control of item audio (MC)*
Manual control of item audio (MC)*
Student may manually start the audio of a prerecorded human voice that is embedded in
certain test item prompts.
Repeat item audio (RA)*
Student may manually repeat pre-recorded
human voice that has been embedded in certain
test item prompts.
The Test Administrator asks the student if he/she is
ready to listen to and then plays the audio of a prerecorded human voice that is delivered via CD for
certain test item prompts.
ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Test Domains
Listening
Reading
Speaking
Writing
Yes
Yes – only for
Yes
No
Yes
Repeat item audio (RA)*
The Test Administrator asks the student if he/she is
ready to listen and then repeats a pre-recorded
human voice that is delivered via CD for certain test
item prompts.
Read aloud Listening item response options by human reader (LH)
Yes – repeat
item only once
Yes
Yes – repeat
Repeat Listening item response options by human reader (RL)
item only once
N/A
Read aloud test items by human reader (IH)
N/A
Repeat test items by human reader (RI)
N/A
N/A
Large print version of test (LP)
Braille version of test (BR)
Yes
Yes – repeat
item only once
online test;
N/A for paper
test
Yes – only for
No
Yes
online test;
N/A for paper
test
N/A
N/A
N/A
No
N/A
N/A
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
N/A
Yes
Yes
N/A
Yes
* The accommodations for manual control of item audio (MC), repeat item audio (RA), and extended Speaking test response time (ES) must be pre-selected for
computer-based test administration in order to be activated at the time of testing. Instructions in the WIDA AMS User Guide, Part 2 for adding accommodations for
single students can be found on page 20, and for multiple students on pages 25–27.
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ACCESS Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Test Responses
ACCESS Test Response Accommodations
ACCESS Computer-Based Testing
ACCESS Paper-Based Testing
(Accommodation code)
(Accommodation code)
Scribed response (SR)
Word processor or similar keyboarding device to respond to test items (WD)
Student responds orally using external augmentative and/or alternative
communication device or software (AC)
Student responds using a recording device, which is played back and transcribed
by student (RD)
Student responds using a braille writer
or Braille notetaker (BW)
Student uses assistive technology to respond to test items (AT)
N/A
Listening
Yes
Yes
ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Test Domains
Reading
Speaking
Yes
N/A
Yes
N/A
Writing
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
N/A
Yes
N/A
Yes
N/A
Yes
N/A
Yes
N/A
Yes
Yes
ACCESS Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Test Environment and Setting Accommodations
ACCESS Test Environment and Setting Accommodations
ACCESS Computer-Based Testing
ACCESS Paper-Based Testing
(Accommodation code)
(Accommodation code)
Test may be administered by school personnel in non-school setting (NS)
ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Test Domains
Listening
Reading
Speaking
Yes
Writing
ACCESS Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Timing and Scheduling Accommodations
ACCESS Timing and Scheduling Accommodations
ACCESS Computer-Based Testing
(Accommodation code)
Extended Speaking test response time (ES)*
ACCESS Paper-Based Testing
(Accommodation code)
Student is provided up to twice the recommended testing time to complete the online Speaking test.
Extended testing time within the school day (ET)
Listening
N/A
ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Test Domains
Reading
Speaking
N/A
Yes
Writing
N/A
Yes
* The accommodations for manual control of item audio (MC), repeat item audio (RA), and extended Speaking test response time (ES) must be pre-selected for
computer-based test administration in order to be activated at the time of testing. Instructions in the WIDA AMS User Guide, Part 2 for adding accommodations for
single students can be found on page 20, and for multiple students on pages 25–27.
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