State Assessment Training February 8, 2013

Please don’t “ferget”, this training does not take the place of reading the appropriate manuals!

 2013 Challenge…. Name That “STAAR”

Agenda  Howdy Folks  Policy/Procedure Update  General STAAR Overview  Test Security  Test Administration  Name “them there” Assessment Terms  “Fetch” a break  District Policy updates  Test Materials and Shipping  Assessment/Accommodations – Students with Disabilities  Scoring and Reporting  District State Assessment Policies/Procedures  Online Testing  “Fetch Lunch” – Administrators dismissed  Assessment of ELLs  Questions/Comments  Turn “them there” lights out – the training is over

Proposed Rule Texas Register Proposed Amendment to the 19 TAC Chapter 101 Assessment, Subchapter AA, Commissioner’s Rules Concerning the Participation of ELL’s in State Assessments  The proposed amendment to 19 TAC § would add language to allow the exemption of certain qualifying ELL asylees and refugees in grades 3-8 from being administered a STAAR Grade 3-8 assessment beginning with the school year.  If they are an asylee or refugee with limited or no prior schooling.  Because of federal testing requirements, the state can give no more than a one-year exemption, but it would include all testing for Grades 3-8 under the TEC  Comments:

Proposed Rule The proposed amendment to § , would specify that a Grade 3-8 student will not participate in a grade-level assessment if the student is enrolled in a course or subject intended for students in a higher grade or is taking a course for high school credit and will be administered an assessment for that course or subject. The proposed amendment would also state that:  a student is eligible to take an assessment instrument above his or her grade level only if the student is receiving instruction in the entire curriculum for that subject; and  as specified by the TEC, § (p), a Grade 5 or 8 student being assessed above the enrolled grade in a subject may not be denied promotion on the basis of failure to perform satisfactorily on an assessment instrument above the student's grade level.  Comments:

Proposed Rule Proposed new § would specify the following:  The Agency must a method by which a student's satisfactory performance on an advanced placement (AP) test, international baccalaureate (IB) examination, SAT® Subject Test, or another assessment instrument determined by the commissioner to be at least as rigorous as a STAAR EOC assessment may be used as a factor in determining whether the student satisfies the assessment graduation requirements, including the cumulative score..  Until the full implementation of commissioner-approved substitute assessments in , the TEA proposes to establish an interim rule that would allow Texas students subject to STAAR assessment graduation requirements to substitute certain comparable tests for corresponding STAAR EOC assessments.  This rule would be effective for the school year through the school year.

Proposed Rule cont. Proposed new § would also specify the following:  I a student elects to substitute an assessment for a corresponding EOC assessment, the substitute assessment will not be included in the student's cumulative score calculation;  since links between STAAR EOC Level III performance and specific scores on equivalent substitute assessments cannot be established at this time, a student cannot use a substitute assessment in place of the Algebra II EOC assessment or the English III EOC assessment to meet the DHSP graduation assessment requirements; and  in order to collect the most informed data for full implementation of a substitute assessment rule in the school year and for reasons of state and federal accountability, a student electing to use a substitute assessment for graduation purposes must still take the corresponding STAAR EOC assessment.  Comments:

Updates Updated and New FAQ Documents  Opportunities for SSI retesting in 5 and 8 will be available this year.  STAAR English I, II and III reading and writing will be in separate test booklets and will have separate answer documents.  STAAR M English I, II and III reading and writing will be in separate test booklets, but students will continue to use single answer documents for both test.  The writing answer documents will include symbols at the top of the composition pages to correspond to symbols at the top of the prompt pages.  Districts are not permitted to retain copies of student compositions or short answer responses. Electronic images of students’ April 2013 English II expository and persuastive essays will be posted to the TAMS website.

 STAAR Modified will add an operational test for world history in May.  STAAR L will be administered o9nline beginning in spring  Paper administrations of STAARL will be available in rare circumstances in which online testing is not possible.  Districts will be required to submit info about ELLs with extenuating needs that affect their ability to acquire English language proficiency.  Info about qualifying unschooled ELL asylees and refugees will be collected as part of the additional data collection for TELPAS. Updates cont.

  STAAR  STAAR Spanish  STAAR L  STAAR M  STAAR Alt  TELPAS The State Assessment Program includes:

Students will be provided 4 hrs to complete STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR L, and STAAR M.  Start time for the test session must be recorded on the seating chart.  Students must record all responses before the end of the four- hour time period  Once the 4 hr. time period has ended, test admin. will instruct students still testing to put their pencils down and close their test booklets. (The test admin. can communicate orally or in writing, the amount of time left to test.)  The stop time must be recorded on the seating chart.  This does not include the distribution of the testing materials and the bolded, scripted test administrator “SAY” directions. STAAR Time Limits Policies and Procedures

 When students arrive late the CTC must be notified. If the arrival time is such that the student would still have the allotted 4 hr. time for testing, the students will be allowed to test.  Campuses must identify a late arrival test procedure.  Breaks are allowed. Some are included in the time limit and others are not. Test administrators should document stop and restart times when breaks are given.  Students may stop testing to take a supervised lunch. The stop and restart times must be recorded on the Test Administration Seating Chart.  Campuses may offer multiple test sessions per day as long as the 4 hr. time limit is maintained for each session.  Extended Time Accommodations fall into two categories – extra time(same day) and extra day. STAAR Time Limits Policies and Procedures cont.

 Optional test administration procedures and materials are available to any student, but are not intended to be used by ALL students. These procedures/materials include the following: Preferential seating Special lighting conditions Signing test administration directions Student reading the test out loud Test administrator reading aloud or signing the writing prompt to a student who request assistance Any 3 rd grade student may receive reading assistance on the math test Use of scratch paper for notes, work problems, or record responses Please see pg 0-15 for additional information Optional Test Administration