OTELA Training Grades 3-12 General Information for Test Administrators Columbus City Schools

General Information Schedule and Time Allotments –Test administration window: January 12 – February 27, 2015 Make-ups for absentees are permitted as long as they are in the testing window. Any given test must be given in one school day (e.g., the reading test must be completed in one day)

What You Will Need Directions for Administration (DFA) The Directions for Administration (DFA) are in Appendices A-D (Note: The scripted directions that are in bold print must be read verbatim to students)

Assessment Schedule and Time Allotments Approximate OTELA Test Times Grade Band/Level Listening (group) Speaking (individual) Reading (group) Writing (group) minutes25-35 minutes25-30 minutes35-40 minutes minutes25-35 minutes minutes35-40 minutes minutes25-35 minutes25-30 minutes35-40 minutes Breaks: Test administrator’s discretion, but each assessment is designed to run from minutes without interruption, so no break is recommended.

Administration Tips Read Quick Start Guide Read through all the Oral scripted directions for each of the four assessments prior to administering the test. Fill in all students group numbers(room numbers) and test form numbers before administering Make a copy of the Pupil Accountability List for Proctors to check off which students took which sections each day

Preparation for Administering the Reading Assessment Preparation for Administering the Reading Assessment Assessment Materials You will need the following for each student taking the Reading assessment: 1.Student test booklet (and replacements in case of defective booklets) 2.Student answer document 3.Two #2 pencils with erasers 4. No Dictionaries!! Students will encounter three types of items during the Reading assessment. The administrator will read instructions pertaining to the entire Reading assessment before testing begins. The three types of items are as follows: Short Passages. These items test the student’s ability to understand information in short reading passages. Instructions. These items test the student’s ability to understand directions. Longer Passages. These items test the student’s ability to understand information in longer reading passages.

Preparation For Administering the Writing Assessment Preparation For Administering the Writing Assessment Assessment Materials You will need one of the following for each student taking the Writing assessment: 1.Student test booklet (and replacements in case of defective booklets) 2.Student answer document 3.Two #2 pencils with erasers 4. No Dictionaries!! Students will encounter three types of items during the Writing assessment. The administrator will read instructions pertaining to the entire Writing assessment before testing begins. The three types of items are as follows: Open Ended. Students write responses to prompts. Revise and Edit. Students choose the best answer to correct grammar and usage errors in passages. Graphic Organizers. Students answer questions about graphic organizers.

Preparation for Administering the Listening Assessment Preparation for Administering the Listening Assessment Assessment Groups You may assess as many students as can fit in the classroom and meet the conditions described in the “Security concerns and procedures” section of the test administration manual. Assessment Materials and Equipment You will need one of the following for each student taking the Listening assessment: An audio compact disc player to play the Listening Prompt CD The player must provide adequate clarity and volume so that all students in the administration can hear the Listening tasks clearly. Make sure that you test the sound quality of the prompting recording before the administration to identify an appropriate volume setting. Pauses and repeats are already included on the CD’s **Remember batteries may be needed for CD players with no cords. Student test booklet (and replacements in case of defective booklets) Student answer document Two #2 pencils with erasers No Dictionaries!!

Assessment Groups Because you will be scoring each students’ oral responses in real time, the Speaking assessment will need to be administered individually. The ESL Department will contact middle and high school principals to let them know if proctors will come out to their buildings to assist with the speaking portion. Equipment You will need an audio compact disc player to play the Speaking Prompt CD. The player must provide adequate clarity and volume so that the students in the administration can hear the speaking tasks clearly. Make sure that you test the sound quality of the prompting recording before the administration to identify an appropriate volume setting. No Dictionaries!! Students are not to handle the tests in any way whatsoever (students should not walk down to the testers with their own books) Preparation for Administering the Speaking Assessment Preparation for Administering the Speaking Assessment

OTELA Accommodations and Special Versions Accommodations – LEP student with IEP/504 Plan ( Accommodations should always be related to the student’s specific disability and or specifically identified in the student’s IEP or 504 plan may be provided in conjunction with those listed below) **Note: any student with an IEP may need to be tested in a separate room. Scribe – Reading, Writing, Listening Read Aloud – by Test Administrator for Reading and Writing – cannot read the reading passage aloud Only for students scoring a 1,2 or 3 on the last Reading and Writing sections of OTELA Extended Time Small Group or Individual Administration Special Versions (Modified Test Booklets) –Large Print –Braille

OTELA Accommodations and Special Versions Dictation of Responses (Scribe): Students who are unable to write due to a disability are allowed to dictate their responses to a transcriber or into an audio recorder for the Reading, Writing, and Listening OTELA. The student’s answers should be transferred onto the student’s original answer document. Scribing must follow Ohio’s guidelines. Extended/Adjusted Time: The OTELA is an untimed assessment (except for the Listening Section- the CD may not be stopped or repeated). For students whose attention span or behavior interferes with regular testing sessions, test administration may be altered to allow for a number of shorter testing sessions. Testing may also be stopped and continued at a later time if behavior interferes with the testing session (but must be completed later that same day). The time of day the test is administered may also be adjusted to be most beneficial to the student. All testing sessions MUST be completed within the allotted testing window. Individual/Small Group Administration: Tests may be administered to a small group or an individual requiring more attention than can be provided in a large group administration.

Things to Remember Before You Begin: Verify that you have received the correct number of assessment materials from your STC. An overage of 10% will be sent to each district. Gather and organize all necessary materials: student test materials, supply of sharpened # 2 pencils (pens may not be used), the DFA, Speaking Scoring Guide, Listening and Speaking Prompt CDs, and silent work for students. Arrange for a quiet, comfortable, well-lighted, distraction-free setting in which to assess students. (Check acoustics for listening section). Decide whether to give students breaks between the assessment sessions. Be aware that if assessment groups exceed the numbers specified for each section of the assessment, a proctor must be present in addition to the test administrator (remember; 30 to 1 ratio of students to test administrator is max). Bilingual Assistants may only speak English during the test. Bilingual Assistants may not be test administrators. There must be a certified teacher in the room with them. Start the test early, especially the Reading and Writing, so lunch is not an issue.

Returning Test Materials During the last session, have proctors separate the answer documents and the test booklets The test booklets need to be in numeric order The answer documents should be in alphabetical order according to the Pupil Accountability List. Make sure their Pupil Accountability Check Lists are complete!! (these checks need to be transferred to the official PAL) –Write T for each test a student takes without accommodations and M for tests with accommodations (NO check marks please!)

ODE Link for OTELA Test-of-English-Language-Acquisition-OTELAhttp://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Testing/Ohio- Test-of-English-Language-Acquisition-OTELA