P.E.R.T. Paula Wicker, Testing Manager Tonya Mass, Program Specialist October 22, P.E.R.T Administration Procedures and Policies

Overview 2

What is the P.E.R.T? 0 The Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (P.E.R.T.) is used to determine if a student is ready for college credit courses in math and reading. 0 The test is computer-adaptive and administered Online through McCann Associates College Success testing platform. 0 Paper-based and large print paper tests will be available for students who require these accommodations. 0 For certain students, the P.E.R.T. is a required State assessment. 3

Who Should Take the P.E.R.T.? 0 High school students required to take the P.E.R.T. include: 0 Students currently in Grade 11 who scored a Level 2 or 3 on the Grade 10 FCAT 2.0 Reading test taken the prior school year or scored a Level 2, 3, or 4 on the Algebra 1 End of Course exam if taken the prior school year as a Grade 10 student. 0 Grade 12 students who have not otherwise demonstrated college readiness. 0 This group includes students who are enrolled in a college readiness course based on P.E.R.T. scores from

P.E.R.T. Testing Window Our district’s P.E.R.T. testing window is Nov. 6-7Dual Enrollment Jan Gr. 11(Lvl 2-3 FCAT Gr 10, Lvl 3-4 Gr 10 ALG1 EOC Mar Dual Enrollment (Gr. 9 and 10) May 27-30College Readiness Math/English 0 You need to order your paper accommodation tests through the Testing Office. (Read Aloud CD for Math and Writing only; Large Print. Accommodations must be on the 738 screen. 0 Schedule your paper testing separate from computer testing (due to the difference in how the tests are administered). 0 The administration guide and script for administering paper tests is available on the P.E.R.T. page of our Test Coordinator Web site. 5

Test Details What does the P.E.R.T assess? 0 The P.E.R.T. assess readiness for college –level coursework in English and mathematics. There are three subject area tests – reading, writing, and mathematics. A student’s cores determine appropriate course placement for 12 th grade and upon entering college. How many questions are on the P.E.R.T.? 0 Each P.E.R.T. subtest has 30 questions (25 are operational questions and 5 are field test items). How long is the P.E.R.T? 0 P.E.R.T. is untimed and computer adaptive, but it takes approximately 30 minutes to complete each subtest. Can a student take all three subtests in one sitting? 0 A student is permitted to take all three subtests in one sitting, but this is not the recommended policy. 6

P.E.R.T. Scores What are the college-ready cut scores for P.E.R.T.? 0 The scaled score for each subtest ranges from The new cut scores below will go into effect soon. The State is still deciding which Cohort group they will apply to. A student is deemed college-ready if they achieve the following P.E.R.T. cut scores: Math = 114 Reading* = 106 Writing* = 103 *Students must meet both the Reading and Writing cut scores in order to be college- ready in English. What if a student does not achieve a college-ready cut score? 0 11 th Grade P.E.R.T. test takers: must be enrolled in a college-ready course during their senior year th Grade P.E.R.T. test takers (due to enrollment in a college-ready course): will need to take remedial courses in college. 7

Administering the P.E.R.T. 8

Before Testing Student Lists 0 Students who need to take the P.E.R.T. during the January and May administrations will be placed on the K drive in the Test Coordinator folder. Test Administrator Accounts 0 Usernames and passwords will be passed out at training. Security Agreements 0 Before you can begin testing, we must receive a signed Security Agreement from you. Parent Letters 0 English and Spanish parent letters are available in the P.E.R.T. section of our test coordinator Web site. Please distribute the letter to the parent/guardian of students who will take the P.E.R.T. Computer Requirements 0 The requirements are the same as last year, but you can run the computer check (on each workstation) by clicking “Check My Computer” at 9

Before Testing Security Logs 0 A security log (page 71) is required for each testing room. Seating Charts 0 Seating charts showing the placement of students are required for P.E.R.T. testing. Train Test Administrators 0 P.E.R.T. Test Administration Preparation Information can be found on pages Give T.A. the Student Directions (SCRIPT) found on page Scratch Paper 0 Students can use scratch paper (page 73) for the math portion of P.E.R.T., but they must write their name on the scratch paper and return it to you after testing. Practice Tests 0 The login page of College Success has a link to practice tests. It is recommended that students complete the practice tests in a classroom environment prior to testing to expedite the actual testing process. 10

Launching Tests Two Options 1. You can individually log in students to take the P.E.R.T. or 2. You can create a ticket for each student to log in on their own (this is the quickest option). Comparison of Options 1. Individually logging in students requires the Site Manager to: 1. log into each testing workstation with their own Site Manager account 2. Search for a student listing 3. Click “Login” for a student 4. Repeat steps 1-4 until all students are logged in 2. Utilizing the ticketing systems requires the Site Manager to: 1. log into one workstation to deactivate/activate students 2. export student information to a spreadsheet 3. Create/print/distribute “tickets” to student the day of testing 4. Collect tickets after testing 11

Launching Tests: Option 1 Individual Login by Test Administrator Locating Students [Completed by Site Manager] 1. Log into College Success ( with your username and password. 2. Click Administer Tests and then click Student Logins. 12

Launching Tests: Option 1 Individual Login by Test Administrator Accessing a Student’s Dashboard [Completed by Site Manager] 1. You can search by student name, ID, or conduct a general search of all names by clicking “Search”. 2. In the search results, usernames and passwords will be listed, along with a “Login” link. 3. Click “Login” to log directly into a student’s dashboard. 13

Launching Tests: Option 1 Individual Login by Test Administrator Accepting the Online License Agreement [Completed by Student] 1. You are now logged into a student’s dashboard (the system times out after 20 minutes of inactivity). The Online License Agreement will appear and you will need to direct students to accept the agreement in order to test. 14

Launching Tests: Option 1 Individual Login by Test Administrator Entering an Access Key [Completed by Student] 2. After accepting the agreement, students will need to enter the appropriate access key*, click “Submit”, and then click the name of test to launch the test. 15

Launching Tests: Option 1 Individual Login by Test Administrator Accepting the Privacy Policy [Completed by Student] 3. After launching the appropriate subtest, students will need to read the Student Privacy Policy and then click “I have read this policy”. 16

Launching Tests: Option 1 Individual Login by Test Administrator Reading the Welcome Message [Completed by Student] 4. After accepting the Privacy Policy, students will need to read the Welcome Message and then click “Next”. 17

Launching Tests: Option 1 Individual Login by Test Administrator Reading the Directions for Answering Questions [Completed by Student] 5. Students will need to read the Directions for Answering Questions, and then click “Start Test Session”. 18

Launching Tests: Option 1 Individual Login by Test Administrator Reading Subtest Specific Information [Completed by Student] 6. Finally, students will need to read information regarding the specific P.E.R.T. subtest they are taking and then click “Start Test Session” to begin the subtest. 19

Launching Tests: Option 1 Individual Login by Test Administrator Calculators Students are not permitted to use handheld calculators for the computer version of the Math P.E.R.T. Students will need to be aware that a calculator icon will appear in the lower-left corner of the test for certain math questions. 20

Launching Tests: Option 2 Ticketing System (Quickest) Locating Students [Completed by Site Manager] 1. Log into College Success ( with your username and password. 2. Click Administer Tests and then click Student Logins. 21

Launching Tests: Option 2 Ticketing System Locating Students (cont.) 1. You can search by student name, ID, or conduct a general search of all names by clicking “Search”. 2. In the search results, student information will be listed, along with a “Status” column. 22

Launching Tests: Option 2 Ticketing System Activating and Deactivating Students [Completed by Site Manager] 1. By default, all students show an “Active” status. 2. If you want to use the ticketing system to launch tests, you will need to select all students and click “Deactivate Students” (per page) prior to processing the tickets. 3. For any testing day, you will need to activate the students who will be testing. After the testing session is over, you will need to deactivate the students to ensure that they can not log back into the test. 23

Launching Tests: Option 2 Ticketing System Exporting Student Data for Ticketing System [Completed by Site Manager] 1. You can export student information for the purpose of generating tickets from the “Student Logins” page (use the “Administer Tests” link to get to the Student Logins page. 2. Unlike activating and deactivating students, you do not have to select all on every page to export all of the students to Excel (or a CSV file). 3. The system does not create tickets like Pearson, so you will need to manipulate the rows into your own ticket design. 4. Please remember to collect the “tickets” after testing. 24

Launching Tests: Option 2 Ticketing System Log in to College Success as a Student [Completed by the Student] 1. Visit 2. Students should enter the username and password from their “ticket”. 25

Launching Tests: Option 2 Ticketing System Accepting the Online License Agreement [Completed by Student] 1. The student is now logged into their dashboard (the system times out after 12 minutes of inactivity). The Online License Agreement will appear and you will need to direct students to Accept the agreement in order to test. 26

Launching Tests: Option 2 Ticketing System Entering an Access Key [Completed by Student] 2. After accepting the agreement, students will need to enter the appropriate access key*, click “Submit”, and then click the name of test to launch the test. *Access keys are provided to you during training. 27

Launching Tests: Option 2 Ticketing System Option 2: Launching a Test with the Ticketing System 3. After launching the appropriate subtest, students will need to read the Student Privacy Policy and then click “I have read this policy”. 28

Launching Tests: Option 2 Ticketing System Reading the Welcome Message [Completed by Student] 4. After accepting the Privacy Policy, students will need to read the Welcome Message and then click “Next”. 29

Launching Tests: Option 2 Ticketing System Reading the Directions for Answering Questions [Completed by Student] 5. Students will need to read the directions for answering questions, and then click “Start Test Session”. 30

Launching Tests: Option 2 Ticketing System Reading Subtest Specific Information [Completed by Student] 6. Finally, students will need to read information regarding the specific P.E.R.T. subtest they are taking and then click “Start Test Session” to begin the subtest. 31

Launching Tests: Option 2 Ticketing System Calculators Students are not permitted to use handheld calculators for the computer version of the Math P.E.R.T. Students will need to be aware that a calculator icon will appear in the lower-left corner of the test for certain math questions. 32

Submitting a Test: Option 2 Ticketing System Submitting P.E.R.T. 0 A student must click “Submit” at the end of each subtest in order for the test to be scored. 0 As the Site Manager, you can instantly view scores and run reports. 0 Please refer to the P.E.R.T. TAM for instructions on running reports. 33

After Testing 1. Collect and store the following items:  Tickets (if using)  Seating Charts  Security Logs (page 71)  Student Sign-In Sheets (page 72)  Used scratch paper – MATH ONLY (page 73) 2. Instructions on how to return paper tests and answer sheets will be ed to schools with students taking paper tests. 34

Next Steps 1. If you have not already done so, please sign and return a Security Agreement before you leave the training. a) Schools can not test without a signed Security Agreement. 2. Although not required, it is recommended that you test a small group first to ensure that the changes to College Success have been properly implemented. 35

Resources Additional P.E.R.T. documents can be found on the P.E.R.T. page of the Test Coordinator Web Site. 36