Transcript Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills

Texas Assessment of Knowledge
and Skills–Alternate
September 2010
Copyright © 2010 Texas Education Agency. All rights reserved. Reproduction of all or portions of this work is prohibited without express written permission from the Texas Education Agency.
WHAT’S
 Those who have not qualified previously, including new
teachers, must complete all four modules. There is no
qualification activity for Module 4, but test administrators
completing the module receive a certificate of completion
once all pages of the module have been viewed.
 No Interrater Reliability Study or TAKS–Alt Validity Audit
will be conducted in 2011. Districts will need to effectively
monitor to make sure that the documentation forms are being
used correctly.
 All documentation forms need to be securely stored in the
local districts by April 15, 2011. Access to blank forms will not
be available after that date.
WHAT’S NEW
http://www.TexasAssessment.com
Beginning with the 2010–2011 school year, the TAKS–Alt online
assessment will be delivered using a new assessment management system.
The Texas Assessment Management System, delivered through
PearsonAccess, replaces assessment services previously provided by
SchoolSuccess.
 Within the Texas Assessment Management System, it is possible for
testing coordinators to assign test administrators by tested subject and
student group, thus more than one teacher may be evaluating a single
student depending on the subject area assessed.
Since the system is new, all users will need new usernames and passwords
to access the online system.
District Testing Coordinators will receive new usernames to allow them to
set up administrators, teachers, and students.
 The administrative side of the online system will be demonstrated by
Pearson staff at the October 8, 2010 TETN # 8301 beginning at 1:00pm.
Practice Center
http://www.TexasAssessment.com/practice
 To provide district and campus testing coordinators and teachers with the
chance to familiarize themselves with administering TAKS–Alt within the new
assessment management system, a Texas Assessment Management System
Practice Center is available beginning September 2010.
 District Testing Coordinators will receive usernames for the Practice Center
the first week in September. More information regarding the use of the Practice
Center will be provided by a broadcast e-mail.
 District Testing Coordinators will need to set up teachers and students in the
Practice Center before teachers can practice navigating the system. TEA
recommends that the names of actual students not be used in the Practice
Center to avoid confusion. The background for the Practice Center is brown as
opposed to the blue background in the live site to also avoid confusion between
the two sites.
District Testing Coordinators will be able to set up two teachers with access to
the same student. The blocking mechanism that prohibits the teachers from
seeing the same evaluation data for a specific student will not be working until
the live site opens on January 3, 2011.
AUDIT RESULTS
The majority of auditors strongly agreed or agreed that the
documentation supported the evaluation for Demonstration of Skill (93%),
Level of Support (93%), and Generalization (90%).
The majority of auditors also agreed that the complexity level of the
assessment tasks was “Maintained” (98%).
When we compare the audit results for the past two years, the majority
of responses are at “Strongly Agree”, “Agree”, and “Maintained”, but the
percentages of folders at “Strongly Agree” and “Maintained” has
increased over time.
This indicates that the evidence the auditors reviewed in this year’s audit
folders prompted stronger agreements for demonstration of skill, level of
support, and generalization and more agreements that the complexity level
was maintained.
COMPLEXITY LEVEL SELECTION
Complexity
Level 3
Complexity
Level 2
Complexity
Level 1
Overall
Number of
Assessment
Tasks
61,442
151,543
96,859
309,844
Percentage
19.83%
31.26%
100%
2010
48.91%
Complexity
Level 3
Complexity
Level 2
Complexity
Level 1
Overall
Number of
Assessment
Tasks
39,053
120,897
121,731
281,681
Percentage
14%
43%
43%
100%
2009
POLICY CHANGES
Completed manuals including the
online section will be available on
our webpage on September 10th.
User’s Guide for the Texas Assessment
Management System
Features of TAKS-Alt
❏ Four essence statements per assessed subject; all state-required
❏ Standardized assessment tasks at three levels of complexity developed
from state-selected prerequisite skills
❏ Three state-developed predetermined criteria for each assessment task
❏ Online submission of student performance at any time during the TAKS–
Alt assessment window
❏ Online automated scoring based on teacher evaluation of the observation
❏ Audit of teacher documentation forms
❏ Locally stored documentation forms according to district guidelines
❏ Training including three online training modules with qualification
activities for new TAKS–Alt test administrators and for returning TAKS–Alt
test administrators who have not previously passed the qualification
activities for Modules 1, 2, and/or 3
❏ Completion of Module 4: “Beyond the Basics” for all returning TAKS–Alt
test administrators
Who Can Administer TAKS-Alt
Teachers who administer the TAKS–Alt assessment are required to complete online
training and successfully pass the qualification activity for each of Modules 1–3. A
score of 80% or above on the qualification activities for these three training modules is
required before a test administrator can administer the assessment.
• The TAKS–Alt test administrator should be the student’s teacher of record. In the
event that a student has more than one teacher, the student’s case manager/folder
teacher should be designated as the teacher of record. The teacher of record is the
teacher who has been assigned the student in the online system. Only the teacher of
record can access the TAKS–Alt online instrument to evaluate student performance in
the online system.
•The TAKS–Alt test administrator may enlist the support of teaching assistants and
other school personnel in instructing students in the classroom and during the
assessment observation. Personnel acting in this capacity must view the TAKS–Alt
training modules, but are not required to pass the qualification activities.
•Any person who is performing the test administrator role must view all three training
modules and pass the qualification activities. Only the teacher of record to whom the
student is assigned in the online system can evaluate student performance in the
online system.
•
Note that at no time may the teacher of record or any other person share his or
her TAKS–Alt username and password with anyone. Sharing a password may
result in the loss of student assessment data and could result in testing
irregularity penalties from the state.
Test Administrator (Teacher) Role
The TAKS–Alt test administrator chooses the
assessment task for each required essence statement
and is responsible for determining the implementation
of the assessment task, including adding presentation
supports and identifying appropriate student response
modes to provide access to the assessment task.
• After instruction, the test administrator determines an
appropriate time to administer the assessment where the
student performance will be observed and documented
on the state required documentation forms.
• Documentation of student performance is then
used by the teacher of record to evaluate student
performance and submit the results in the online
instrument.
•
TRANSFER POLICY
 If a student designated to take TAKS–Alt transfers into a district on or before March
25, 2011, the district is responsible for completing the assessment. The new district’s
testing coordinator needs to ensure that the student is enrolled in the correct campus and
registered for the TAKS–Alt administration in the assessment management system.
 If a student designated to take TAKS–Alt moves into a school district from another
Texas school district, a private school, or from out-of-state after March 25, 2011, the
receiving district is not required to assess the student. The receiving district only needs
to ensure that the student is enrolled at his or her new campus and registered for the
TAKS–Alt administration so that the student’s CSR is sent to the receiving district.
It is critical that the student’s former district evaluate any observations that have been
completed in the assessment management system before the student information
becomes available to the new district. The student deserves to get credit for a recorded
performance.
If the student transfers to the new district before all the assessment data has been put
into the system, the student’s former district can send completed documentation forms
to the new district for inputting of student performance, making sure that student
confidentiality is maintained. However, it is preferable to have the test administrator who
conducted the observation be the person who does the online evaluation.
HOMEBOUND/OFF-SITE FACILITY TESTING
 Students enrolled in the district and receiving special education services in
the home or in an out of district facility must still be administered a state
assessment. No exemptions are given for medically fragile students.
The district will determine who the test administrator will be. The test
administrator should be added to the campus the student would attend if he
or she were receiving services at school or in the district.
 The student would then be assigned to the designated test administrator in
the online system. This can be the actual home-bound or out of district
facility teacher who is delivering instruction to the student.
The test administrator will conduct the assessment following the same steps
and guidelines as specified for any test administrator implementing TAKS–
Alt. The district is responsible for making sure the test administrator has
completed all the required training.
The district will be accountable for the homebound student even if the
family will not allow access to the student unless a waiver is granted to the
district through the appeals process after reporting.
CHANGES IN ASSESSMENT DECISIONS
The ARD committee may feel the assessment decision made at a previous meeting
needs to be revised. Any changes to assessment recommendations must be considered
carefully.
 The student must be given adequate time to learn and practice the content that is
being assessed on the specific assessment that will be administered.
 Specifically, the student must be receiving instruction on the student expectations
being assessed.
TAKS–M – access the grade-level TEKS through modified instruction
 TAKS–Alt - links to grade-level TEKS through prerequisite
skills
 Since a TAKS–Alt assessment observation can be repeated until the student
demonstrates a fair and typical performance or to provide a generalization opportunity,
adequate time for repeated observations will also need to be considered when TAKS–
Alt is selected as the student’s assessment.
 The campus testing coordinator must be notified when assessment changes are
made, so that the student can be either registered or unregistered for a TAKS–Alt
administration thus avoiding consequences that may affect AYP ratings.
ASSESSMENT DECISIONS GUIDE
VIEWING THE DOCUMENTATION FORMS
 Supervisors and colleagues may view the first page of documentation forms
to help the teacher preplan the observation.
Supervisors are encouraged to check that preplanning is occurring prior to
the observation.
No one but the test administrator is allowed to view pages 2 and 3 of the
documentation forms that contain recorded student performance.
 After April 15, 2011, authorized administrators can view the stored
documentation forms for training purposes.
Requests by other parties to view the stored documentation forms must
follow confidentiality procedures as would be required for any special
education record.
For students who move during the TAKS–Alt window, documentation forms
may be transmitted to the receiving district if student confidentially is
maintained.
EFFECTIVE MONITORING
Local monitoring by the district is critical to make sure that the assessment is
being implemented properly. In particular, here is what needs to be closely
monitored:
 The student is set up in the system according to enrolled grade level.
 The student and teachers are set up in the appropriate testing groups.
 Teachers accessing the system have met all the training requirements.
 Teachers needing supervision are provided monitoring for the material
covered in the modules that were not passed.
 Changes in assessment decisions are being communicated to testing
coordinators so that the student is correctly registered or unregistered for
assessments.
 All evaluations for observed student performance are put into the system
before a student transfers.
 The teacher has preplanned appropriate supports on page 1 of the
documentation forms before the assessment begins.
 The teachers are progressing with the implementation of the assessment
throughout the year to be able to meet the April 15, 2011 deadline.
 All documentation forms are stored by 7:00pm April 15, 2011.
TESTING IRREGULARITES
No changes to the Eligibility Errors or the Potential Referral to the Educator
Certification and Standards Division sections on pages 18 and 19 of the DTC manual.
Improper Accounting for Confidential Information
Examples:
Procedural Error
❏ A test administrator, testing coordinator, or other entity with access to the
Examples:
TAKS–Alt online assessment system shared his or her confidential TAKS–Alt
username and password with others, which resulted in unauthorized access to
❏ A student was administered TAKS–Alt at a grade level other than the
student assessment data.
enrolled grade of the student.
NOTE: The sharing of a username and password can result in the loss of data
❏ Students who did not participate in TAKS–Alt were not unregistered from
entered into the online assessment system.
the TAKS–Alt administration by the April 15, 2011, deadline.
❏ Testing personnel who were not trained in TAKS–Alt procedures were allowed
❏ A student’s assessment was submitted without recording the correct
to assess students, access secure websites, or handle confidential student
information.
information.
❏ A student’s assessment was submitted without including information on all
❏ The student documentation forms were not securely stored allowing
subjects required for the enrolled grade.
unauthorized access to student assessment information.
❏ A student’s assessment was not documented using the state-developed
“TAKS–Alt Documentation Form of Student Performance” during the
assessment window.
Test Security
Unlike paper assessments, the TAKS–Alt standardized
assessment tasks and resources are not considered secure.
However, student assessment information used or obtained
during TAKS–Alt administrations is confidential.
• Only authorized personnel may have access to TAKS–Alt
student information, and all persons participating in TAKS–Alt
must be trained in TAKS–Alt administration procedures and
must sign a security oath before handling confidential
information.
• Each test administrator participating in the TAKS–Alt
assessment must complete and sign the security oath.
• The signed oath must be returned to the campus
coordinator and retained by the district for a minimum
of five years.
•
Test Security (cont.)
TAKS–Alt test administrators
❏ must independently complete the online
qualification activities;
❏ are not permitted to discuss or otherwise share
the questions that constitute the online qualification
system before, during, or after the qualification
activity;
❏ will maintain the security and confidentiality of
the qualification system; and
❏ are responsible for all activities that occur under
their username and password.
Training Requirements
•Testing
coordinators must conduct a training session or sessions
before test administrators begin their assessment observations.
•Since the TAKS–Alt assessment process is an observation-based
assessment, teachers need ample time to properly implement the
assessment.
•Assessment observations may begin before the TAKS–Alt online
system opens for teachers. For this reason, it is recommended
that training on test security and general testing procedures be
scheduled and conducted as early in the school year as possible.
•Testing coordinators are responsible for ensuring that
all TAKS–Alt test administrators have been trained
in test security and general testing procedures, signed
the oath, and have passed all three qualification
activities prior to administering the TAKS–Alt
assessment.
“TAKS–Alt Documentation Form of
Student Performance”
The state-required “TAKS–Alt Documentation Form of
Student Performance” must be used by all test
administrators
❏ before the observation to record supports, materials, and
student response modes;
❏ during or immediately after the observation to record
student performance (Demonstration of Skill) and any
additional assistance needed in the form of cueing and
prompting (Level of Support); and
❏ after the observation to evaluate student performance in
the online system.
Entering Students in the TAKS–Alt Online
Assessment System
Prior to January 3, 2011, when the online system opens for teacher
access, testing coordinators are responsible for providing maintenance
to existing student demographic data. Such maintenance includes:
❏ Each student’s enrolled grade needs to be updated along with any
other demographic and program information that may have changed or
needs to be corrected from last year.
❏ Students who are now in grade 12 and who are in the TAKS–Alt
system should be archived.
❏ New students need to be added to the system. New students include:
❍ rising grade 3 students
❍ students new to the district
❍ any student whose ARD committee has determined
for the first time that the student is to be assessed
with TAKS–Alt
Assessment / Research / Evaluation Department
Raul Vasquez, Administrator
Pam Van Ravenswaay, District Testing Coordinator