Transcript ACT Standard Testing--Training Powerpoint for Room

General Alerts
1. The ALSDE requires that Test Administrators/Room
Supervisors must be certificated employees. Proctors must be
full-time employees involved with the education of examinees.
2. No relative of an examinee who is taking the test may serve as
a Room Supervisor or Proctor for that examinee.
3. Anyone who coaches high school or college athletics may not
serve as the Room Supervisor for one-on-one testing of a
student athlete. An athletic coach may serve as the Room
Supervisor if there is more than one examinee in the room.
4. No student or student teacher may serve as a Room
Supervisor or Proctor.
5. A Proctor is required for every 25 examinees after the first 25 in
the room.
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General Alerts, continued
6. Room Supervisors and Proctors must participate in BOTH test
administration training prior to test date and attend a briefing session
on test day.
7. Room Supervisors and Proctors must read and understand specific
responsibilities listed on pages 10-11 of the Administration Manual.
8. Before Test day, Room Supervisors and Proctors administering
paper/pencil tests must be familiar with ACT’s Administration Manual;
hereafter, this document will be referred to as the Administration
Manual.
9. Room Supervisors and Proctors must be familiar with the alerts
contained in the ACT Plus Writing Paper/Pencil Alerts for Room
Supervisors and Proctors. Hereafter, this document will be referred to
as Alerts for Room Supervisors and Proctors.
10. Room Supervisors and Proctors must be familiar with the Answer
Document Supplement provided with materials.
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General Alerts, continued
11. Testing staff must account for materials each time they
change hands and before dismissing examinees.
12. Test materials must be secure at all times. Test materials must
be kept in a secure location as examinees enter and exit the
test room. A test room must never be left unattended, even if
only one examinee is in the room.
13. Testing should not begin for any student who has not
completed the pre-test session prior to test date. Dismiss any
student who has not completed the pre-test session.
14. Testing must begin by 9:00 a.m. in all rooms on both the initial
and makeup test dates. Testing begins when the Room
Supervisor starts reading the Verbal Instructions. If testing
begins after 9:00 a.m. in any room, scores for that room may
be cancelled.
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Important Reminders
15. The manual contains instructions for both Plus Writing and No
Writing; therefore, at certain points within the Administration
Manual, the instructions will vary.
16. Since Alabama will administer the ACT Plus Writing, you
must follow and read instructions for the ACT Plus Writing.
These instructions are printed in bold, color text. Arrows will
direct you to specific pages to continue your administration.
17. When the instructions split into two columns, ACT (No Writing)
is always in the left-hand column and ACT Plus Writing is
always in the right-hand column. Make sure you read the
correct instructions.
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Preparing Test Room
18. Testing rooms, including classrooms, must offer adequate testing
conditions.
19. As in the administration of all standardized tests, seats must be
arranged so that all examinees face the Room Supervisor. No
examinees may be seated at ends of tables or facing other examinees.
Test rooms must be set up according to ACT requirements. If
these requirements are not met, scores may be cancelled.
20. Tables must be arranged so that all spacing requirements are met.
Examinees must all face the same direction. Use the following rules to
seat examinees:
• ROUND TABLES: only one examinee per round table, regardless
of size.
• TABLES LESS THAN 6 FEET: only one examinee per table.
• TABLES 6 TO 9 FEET: only two examinees per table. If 6-foot
tables are used to seat two examinees, a 3-foot space is required
between the examinees.
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Preparing the Test Room, Continued
21. The testing room must offer adequate writing surfaces, uncrowded
seating, good lighting, comfortable temperature, a quiet atmosphere, and
freedom from distraction.
22. Lapboards are not allowed.
23. Make sure bulletin board materials related to potential test questions
(mathematics, reading, etc.), charts, and maps that provide strategies for
solving problems or writing essays are removed or covered. Geographical
maps and periodic tables need not be covered.
24. Each Room Supervisor must have two reliable timepieces in the room:
one must be an accurate clock or watch that shows the actual time of day;
ACT recommends that the second be a stopwatch or interval timer.
25. Cellphones may NOT be used as a timer.
26. A seating diagram is required and is on page A-4 of the Administration
Manual. If this diagram does not reasonably fit your room, complete all
sections and draw your diagram on a separate sheet of paper and attach it
to the seating diagram.
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Possession of Prohibited Items by Testing Staff
27. School personnel involved in administration of state testing may NOT use
digital devices (including but not limited to smart watches, telephones,
cell phones, MP3 players, cameras, or other telecommunication devices
capable of capturing or relaying information) during test administration.
Violations may result in disciplinary action/certification revocation.
Additional disciplinary action may be taken by the Local Education Agency
(LEA).
28. All copiers, scanners, printers, telephones and other electronic devices
must be disabled or removed from the testing room before testing begins.
29. Reading (except this manual or supplemental policy information), grading
papers, using a computer, cell phone, recording or media device, talking
casually with other staff, or engaging in any activity in the test room not
directly related to the administration is NOT allowed.
30. Failure to report any irregularity is a test security violation. All irregularities
involving staff must be reported on the ALSDE Irregularity Report.
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Approved Test Materials to Be Provided for
Testing
31. Materials needed for testing include the following:
• ACT Administration Manual (one manual for the Room
Supervisor and one manual for each Proctor who will be
assisting in the testing room)
• ACT Plus Writing Paper/Pencil Alerts for Room
Supervisors and Proctors
• ACT Plus Writing Testing Irregularity Report
• Roster of examinees to be tested
• ACT Testing Time Verification Form
• Seating diagram
• Supply of soft-lead No. 2 pencils (no ink or mechanical
pencils)
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Barcode Labels
32. ACT has provided the school with barcode labels which must
be applied to your ACT Plus Writing Answer Folders (answer
documents).
33. You (or staff designated by the BTC) must apply the barcode
labels to the answer documents before examinees are
scheduled to complete the demographic sections.
34. Each answer document has a shaded barcode label area on
the back page where the barcode label is to be placed. Do
NOT place the barcode label in any other location on the
answer document. It can only be scanned when affixed in the
proper place and at the proper orientation.
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Completing Non-Test Portions Before Test Day
35. The Verbal Instructions for completing the non-test portions of
the answer document in a scheduled session at school before
test day begin on page 19 of the Administration Manual.
36. Whether or not a barcode label is present, examinees must
still grid the identifying information on the front and back
pages of their answer document during the pretest session. If
this is not done accurately and completely, the examinee’s
ACT score report may be undeliverable.
37. Basic identifying information (front and back pages) are
required for all examinees. The ALSDE did not provide
examinee addresses. If an examinee wishes to receive
information at his or her home, the examinee must enter and
grid the home address in the appropriate boxes.
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Completing Non-Test Portions Before Test Day, Continued
38. If an examinee has not completed any of the above mentioned sections
before the initial test date, that examinee is NOT permitted to test.
Instead, the student must be scheduled for makeup testing. The
Building Test Coordinator (BTC) must arrange for the student to
complete the non-test portions before the makeup test date. If the
student does not complete the non-test portion before the makeup test
date, the student cannot test on the makeup date.
39. Non-test portions of the answer document may NOT be completed on
ANY test date—not before and not after any of the tests. If examinees
are allowed to complete any of the non-test portions on test day, or are
allowed to handle answer documents after testing, the answer
documents will NOT be scored or scores will be cancelled.
40. Providing a student’s social security number is optional. ACT will not
add this information later to the state’s file. Do not place any other
number in Block C.
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Completing Non-Test Portions Before Test Day, Continued
41. Examinees are instructed to leave Block K of the answer document blank.
The high school code has been provided for all examinees with a label.
42. If a high school code must be entered in Block K, staff must grid the
correct code on the answer document.
43. Block L asks if the examinee wishes to participate in the A-C-T Educational
Opportunity Service (EOS). Through EOS, ACT provides information
about ACT-tested examinees to colleges and universities, scholarship
organizations, and other organizations so they may contact examinees
about programs and opportunities that they may be interested in exploring.
EOS will not receive test scores.
44. Do not enter any information in Block S.
45. ALSDE has requested additional information using Block V on the answer
document. This section is required only for students testing with
accommodations. School staff must answer the questions after testing is
complete; examinees should not complete any part of this section.
46. Verbal instructions about basic identifying information and high school
course/grade information are on pages 19-21.
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Distributing Materials – The Chain of Custody
47. All Room Supervisors must complete items A and B on the Test
Booklet Count Form (A-3) of the Administration Manual when they
receive test booklets from the Test Coordinator.
48. The Room Supervisor must sign and the Test Coordinator must
initial under “Received Before Testing” to verify that the number of
booklets recorded is the number in the Room Supervisor’s
possession.
49. All Room Supervisors complete item C during Test 1 and item D
after Test 4.
50. Room Supervisors must also complete item E after the Writing Test.
51. After testing, ALL Room Supervisors must immediately return all
materials to the Test Coordinator and complete item F. The Room
Supervisor must initial and the Test Coordinator must sign to verify
that the number of answer documents and test booklets returned to
the Test Coordinator equals the number transferred to the Room
Supervisor.
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Important Guidelines for Room Supervisors
52. Control who enters and leaves the room at all times. All examinees
are required to present an acceptable form of photo identification or
be personally recognized (face-to-face) by a school faculty member
before being admitted to the test room.
53. Do NOT allow an examinee to enter the room unless the Room
Supervisor has verified the student’s identification and documented
this on the roster. Acceptable identification can be found on pages
25-27 of the Administration Manual. Never ask students their
names.
54. Mark the roster to indicate the type of ID accepted for each
examinee.
55. Identification issued or verified by a relative or another student is
NOT allowed.
56. Do not delay testing waiting for an examinee to bring identification.
Do not allow testing of late examinees.
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Important Guidelines for Room Supervisors, continued
57. Examinees should not be allowed to select their own seats. The Room
Supervisor will record examinees’ names on a seating diagram prior to the
scheduled test administration.
58. Once examinees are checked in, the Room Supervisor will write ABSENT
beside the examinee’s name for any examinee who is not present for
testing.
59. Absolutely NO ONE may be admitted to the test room after test booklets
have been distributed. If this policy is violated, the answer documents for
the examinees admitted late will NOT be scored.
60. The Building Test Coordinator (BTC) will determine if makeup exams will
be ordered for late arrivals.
61. The tests must be administered in the order listed. If this order is altered,
the answer documents will not be scored.
62. Room Supervisors must administer tests according to standard testing
procedures. All directions must be read verbatim.
63. At no time may the Room Supervisor leave the room unattended.
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Important Guidelines for Room Supervisors, continued
64. Examinees must use No. 2 pencils with erasers (no mechanical pencils).
Highlighters, colored pens or pencils, and mechanical pencils are NOT
allowed.
65. The use of scratch paper is NOT permitted.
66. Examinees should NOT be allowed to bring any electronic devices, cell
phones, calculator watches, watches with timers or alarms, smart watches,
unapproved calculators, foreign language or other dictionaries, textbooks,
backpacks, or other bags (including purses) into the testing room. Access
to any prohibited item is not allowed, even during break.
67. Neither examinees nor staff may have access to food or beverages,
including water, except during the scheduled break.
68. Throughout testing, walk quietly around the room to discourage and detect
prohibited behavior. Staff attentiveness is a very effective deterrent.
69. Document all prohibited behavior and any actions you take on the ACT
Irregularity Report.
70. Examinees may look at and work only on the current test.
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Prohibited Behaviors and Irregularities for Examinees
71. The possession of a digital device (including but not limited to scell
phones, MP3 players, cameras, or other telecommunication
devices capable of capturing or relaying information) is strictly
prohibited during the administration of a secure test. School
personnel will collect such devices before examinees can enter the
testing room. If an examinee is observed in possession of a
digital device during the administration of a secure test, the
device will be confiscated.
72. If an examinee is observed using a digital device during the
administration of a secure test, testing for the examinee will cease,
the device will be confiscated and is subject to search, the
examinee will be dismissed from testing, and the examinee’s test
will be invalidated. Additional disciplinary action may be taken by
the LEA.
73. All Room Supervisors and Proctors must be familiar with prohibited
behaviors printed on pages 37-38 of the Administration Manual.
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Calculators
74. Examinees are allowed, but not required, to use an approved
calculator on the Mathematics test. Use of a calculator is
optional.
75. Unless a calculator is provided by the school, each examinee
is responsible for bringing his/her calculator and making sure
it works properly.
76. Although examinees may bring backup calculators, an
examinee may have only one calculator on his or her desk at
a time.
77. Examinees are NOT allowed to share calculators.
78. Although the AHSGE calculators may be checked out for use
on the ACT mathematics test, these calculators are merely 4function calculators and are not optimal for ACT testing.
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Accommodated Testing
79. Examinees may take the ACT Plus Writing ONLY with
accommodations specifically authorized in advance by ACT.
ACT will send an authorization letter to be shared with the
examinee.
80. Allowed accommodations that do NOT require ACT approval
(i.e., small group, seated in front of room, individually with
standard time) must be administered on either April 28 or May 12
using standard testing materials.
81. ACT assigns test materials by serial number to each examinee.
These are listed on the Test Materials Distribution List. Only the
authorized examinee may use the materials assigned to him or
her; they may NOT be used by another examinee or transferred
to any other location. Tests administered using materials
assigned to another examinee or transferred from any other
location will NOT be scored.
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Verbal Instructions for Standard Time Testing
82. The tests must be administered in the order listed. If this
order is altered, the answer documents will not be scored or
scores will be cancelled.
83. Verbal Instructions for administration of the ACT Plus Writing
standard tests are found on pages 40-57 of the Administration
Manual. Verbal instructions must be read verbatim.
84. As soon as testing begins for each test, the Room Supervisor
must record the exact time that testing starts, the time for the
5 minutes remaining warning, and the stop time in the spaces
indicated on page A-5 of the Administration Manual.
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Timing the Tests
85. Extreme care must be taken to ensure the exact time is
allowed for each test. Mistiming may result in the cancellation
of scores.
86. The full time for each test must be given, even if one or all
examinees in the room finish a test before the allowed time
elapses.
87. Do NOT use a cell phone as one of your timepieces.
88. As you begin timing each test, enter the actual Start time
(e.g., 8:42) in the box on the appropriate Verbal Instructions
page. Calculate the Stop time, then the verbal announcement
of 5 minutes remaining (subtract 5 minutes from the Stop
time) and enter those times in the appropriate boxes in the
manual. You may use the chart provided for each test to
calculate the times.
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Timing the Tests, continued
89. You must enter the actual times of day you announce START, 5
minutes remaining, and STOP on the form provided on page A-5 of
the Administration Manual. (Do not merely copy this information
from the timing boxes used to calculate Start, 5 minutes remaining,
and Stop.
90. A verbal announcement of time remaining MUST be made five
minutes before the end of each test.
91. Posting the Start and Stop times or time allowed for each test on
the board is optional.
92. As soon as testing begins for each test, the Room Supervisor must
record the exact time that testing starts, the time for the 5 minutes
remaining warning, and the stop time in the spaces indicated on
pages provided within the verbal instructions. Once testing is
complete, transfer these times to the ACT Testing Time Verification
Form or the ACT Administration Report.
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Break After Test 2
93. ACT requires that you allow a break of 15 minutes at the end
of Test 2.
94. The break may NOT include lunch. If it does, scores for all
examinees may be cancelled.
95. Do not delay or lengthen the break in your room to wait for
other rooms. You MUST resume testing no later than 15
minutes after STOP is called on Test 2.
96. If the break is longer than 15 minutes, explain why on the
Irregularity Report.
97. Breaks longer than 15 minutes will be questioned and may
result in cancelled scores.
98. Do not leave the test room unattended.
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Break Before Writing Test
99. Once the multiple-choice test booklets have been collected
and verified after Test 4, allow examinees a 5-minute break
to relax and sharpen their pencils before the Writing Test.
100.Do NOT leave the test room unattended.
101.Resume testing after five minutes.
102.Do NOT distribute the Writing Test booklets during the break.
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Examinees Who Leave During a Test and Return
103.Examinees may go to the restroom during testing, but it is
best not to announce it.
104.Examinees who leave the test room during a timed test or
return after timing has begun may NOT make up lost time.
The absence need not be recorded on the Irregularity Report.
105.If two or more examinees are permitted to leave at the same
time, or if other rooms have been dismissed, the examinees
must be accompanied by a Proctor.
106.If no Proctor is available, only one examinee may leave the
room at a time.
107.Do not leave a test room unsupervised at any time.
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Guessing and Test Item Challenges
108.If examinees ask about guessing, refer them to the
instructions printed on the front cover of the test booklet.
109.Do not comment on or add in any way to the printed
directions.
110.Complete an Irregularity Report if an examinee challenges
typographical errors in the booklet or ambiguities in particular
test items. Tell the examinee to answer the item as written
and report the details of the challenge to you after the test is
over.
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After Testing
111.The test booklets and used answer documents should be
placed in Testing Roster order. All test materials must be
collected and confirmed before examinees are allowed to
leave the testing room.
112.All materials must be inventoried and returned with the ACT
Test Booklet Count Form (A-2) to the BTC. Materials that
must be returned to the BTC include the following:
• ACT Administration Manual
• Class roster
• Seating diagram
• ACT Time Verification Form (A-5)
• Irregularity Forms (if applicable)
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