TSNAP TETN…Great Ideas!
November 10, 2014
Grade 8 Calculators
Things to Consider:
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Commissioner Letter from February 10, 2014: “Beginning in the 2014–2015 school year,
districts must ensure that each student has a handheld graphing calculator to use when
taking the STAAR grade 8 mathematics assessment. Districts will be required to have a
sufficient supply of calculators available so that each student has access to a calculator,
not only on the day of testing but also for routine class work. This policy is aligned with
and supports the TEKS by ensuring that all students in grade 8 mathematics classes have
access to calculators. This new calculator requirement is the same as the STAAR Algebra
I calculator requirement.”
Commissioner Letter from March 20, 2014: “In his letter to superintendents, the
Commissioner continued to express concerns about ensuring test security and
preventing cheating. For districts that choose to use technology other than a handheld
graphing calculator, there will likely be additional test monitoring and security measures
put in place to ensure that the integrity of the test is not compromised.”
Flexible Scheduling per Test Security Supplement: “In an effort to accommodate local
needs, districts have been provided the latitude to adjust test dates for certain STAAR
assessments as necessary within the scheduled administration windows. This flexibility
applies to all STAAR grades 3-8 and end-of-course (EOC) assessments with the exception
of the STAAR and STAAR Modified grades 4 and 7 writing and English I and English II
assessments. Districts are not required to notify TEA of any local decisions to adjust test
dates within the windows for assessments permitted flexible scheduling. A district or
campus that chooses to modify the recommended STAAR grades 3-8 schedule or
administer any of the same assessments over multiple days must consider the potential
risk that students or adults could disseminate confidential test content and jeopardize
the validity of assessments administered to students later within the assessment
window.”
Calculator Policy: “For handheld graphing calculators, all memory must be cleared to
factory default both before and after testing. Any programs or applications must be
removed or disabled prior to testing. For specific assistance in appropriately preparing
calculators for use during testing, contact the calculator manufacturer. For graphing
calculator applications on tablets, all Internet capabilities must be disabled on the
device. In addition, the calculator application being used must be locked down (in kiosk
mode) to prevent the use of other applications during testing.”
Plans of Action:
 Students Using Their Own Devices/Calculators: difficulty is making sure that all
calculators are clear and returned to factory default per the calculator policy. All
memory must be cleared and programs or applications removed. Many students do not
want to have them cleared, and many staff do not have the time to clear each morning.
If you have them bring them in the day before, they must then stay on campus and be
delivered to the room where they are testing.
 Flip Flop Students Testing: some districts are planning to split the 8 th grade class in two
and test half on mathematics on March 30th, and the other half on March 31st.
Remember the need to clear all calculators then after testing on the 30 th…who will be
responsible and oversee – CTCs are prepping materials for the next day.
 Beg, Borrow, and Steal: High School students will not be taking a math assessment this
week – can they be moved from the HS to the JH campus for testing? When would this
happen to give the staff time to prepare them for testing – clear and disable
applications?
 Applications on tablets: all internet capabilities must be disabled on the device – while
shutting down the internet capability in portions of the campus may be an alternative,
be sure that you are not testing wirelessly any STAAR Accommodated students on the
campus. The calculator application must also be locked down – who knows how to
make sure each device is in kiosk mode…what about those that come from home?
TSNAP TETN…Great Ideas!
November 10, 2014
Calendaring for Accommodated
Things to Consider:
 Inventory of machines on each campus, and the status of Java and Flash on each.
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Ability to test multiple grade levels together per TEA TETN #4851.
Flexible Scheduling per Test Security Supplement: “In an effort to accommodate local
needs, districts have been provided the latitude to adjust test dates for certain STAAR
assessments as necessary within the scheduled administration windows. This flexibility
applies to all STAAR grades 3-8 and end-of-course (EOC) assessments with the exception
of the STAAR and STAAR Modified grades 4 and 7 writing and English I and English II
assessments. Districts are not required to notify TEA of any local decisions to adjust test
dates within the windows for assessments permitted flexible scheduling. A district or
campus that chooses to modify the recommended STAAR grades 3-8 schedule or
administer any of the same assessments over multiple days must consider the potential
risk that students or adults could disseminate confidential test content and jeopardize
the validity of assessments administered to students later within the assessment
window.”
Plans of Action:
 Start a method for collecting counts monthly and check against computer inventories.
 Have individual CTCs create preliminary calendars for their campus during heavy testing
times:
o Can they all test on the assigned testing day?
o Will you have to take advantage of flexible scheduling?
o How will you have to adjust shipping / check-in procedures to accommodate
multiple testing dates?
 Work with your technology team now, to determine how the support will be provided at
each campus:
o Will there be a designated technician for each campus?
o How will the students access the computer – log in/permission requirements?
o How will the increased requirement for proctor caching be managed?
TSNAP TETN…Great Ideas!
November 10, 2014
Calendaring for Alternate 2
Things to Consider:
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Option for additional time: per TSNAP TETN October 1, 2014
o If the individual student’s disability makes it so that the window is too short you
must contact TEA and submit a request form for each student.
o It is not a contingency week for poor planning.
Format of the assessment: 6 Essence Statements with 4 items presented in a cluster for
each = 24 items on the test (20 on the base test and 4 field test).
Cognitive lab average assessment time was usually 2 hours per subject assessed.
Assistance:
o Paraprofessional: can serve as test administrator or test administrator assistant
o Teachers / Professional: the student must be comfortable with the person –
could be another teacher or service provided who can serve as a test
administrator.
Plans of Action:
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There is no easy solution!
o Begin now by collecting the counts per campus by grade.
o Staff will have to work with individual test administrators to design a calendar
for each campus.
 Organizing preview: during cognitive lab, most teacher said it took 1.5 hours to prepare
o Checking in materials daily
o Storage for materials during the day when a teacher has the checked them out
and they are in their classroom – verification of secure storage.
o You can use the same materials with multiple students, or share across teachers
if they are appropriate.
 How to organize testing:
o One student to completion?
o One subject to completion?
o Test one subject, one essence statement at a time – all students who are
assigned that assessment?
o Assistance for the teacher if needed to complete in the window? District
procedures…
Example:
4 students in the 7th grade X 3 subjects X 2 Hours = 24 hours of administration
5 students in the 8th grade X 4 subjects X 2 Hours = 40 hours of administration
TSNAP TETN…Great Ideas!
November 10, 2014
Training: ARD & Parents
Things to Consider:
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Who needs to be trained and in what detail?
Do all parents need to be trained?
How much information does each staff member need?
Plans of Action:
 Utilize what is available: TSNAP members have access to several trainings through the
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secure “Download” portion of the website:
o Administrative Overview (3 Parts)
o CTC Overview (3 Parts)
o Teacher Overview (2 Parts)
o Parent Overview
Security Training for STAAR Alt 2: will be addressed on November 17th by TEA, will
provide guidance and information on how to conduct.
General STAAR Parent Meetings are important – what is on the test, blueprints, and
rigor. Really need to address the new Math TEKS and the release of scores for this year,
including SSI.
TSNAP TETN…Great Ideas!
November 10, 2014
Managing Online Testing
Things to Consider:
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Table space for essay planning: can they move their keyboard to do work on paper, or
does there need to space on an empty table available to students?
Privacy Screens: depending on how many students you have in a lab, how will you
prevent them seeing each other’s screens?
Headphones: do you have enough headphones available for all students?
Unfamiliarity / Behavior
Lab Preparation: TestNav, Java, Flash
Plans of Action:
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Table space:
o Bring in folding lightweight tables to add additional space.
o During the online tutorials be sure to give students pencil and paper and have
them move their keyboard to determine if there is enough workspace to
complete essay planning, or work out math problems.
Privacy screens: be sure to have in place during tutorials for practice and familiarity.
o Commercially available filter screens.
o Commercially available cardboard carols.
o Folders taped to the monitors between students.
Headphones:
o Some students are not comfortable with earbuds / some parents are not
comfortable with the hygiene of sharing earbuds.
o Expense of purchasing enough earbuds.
 Is there a difference in the sound quality? How do you have equity across
the campuses?
 School supply list addition.
Classroom Management: some of these students have BIPs in place, or have been in
individual administrations for behavior. Can they be testing in a lab setting with
multiple students without being disruptive? Do you have a back-up plan for a separate
testing environment?
Lab Preparation: who currently makes sure that all machines are ready and have run
the TestNav test?
o Issues with new version of Java
o Updated Flash
o New Proctor Caching Software