Smarter Balanced Summative Test Prep

Good evening,

It's beginning to look a lot like testing....

Make a copy and review these two documents:

Site Coordinator Checklist. I am sharing the checklist again and wanted to remind you to change the dates in the cells to correspond with your 1st day of testing (Non PT aka Smarter Summative Adaptive) and your PT (aka Smarter Summative Performance Task).

Day of Testing Pre Instruction Sheet.  Note that teachers are required to read the blue "say" boxes in the Directions for Administration that were printed and shipped to sites. You will need to update these instructions for each test (Smarter Summative Adaptive ELA, Smarter Summative Performance Task ELA, Smarter Summative Adaptive Math, Smarter Summative Performance Task Math).

Please comment below with a clarifying question regarding these two documents or anything in general.

Grade Level Science Testing

Procedures and Policies for Grade Level Science Testing

There are three categories of Grade Level Science Exams and each have separate rules:

Applicable to All (CAPA, CMA, CST)

• Become one with the Paper Pencil Testing Manual and specifically read pages 39-42

• The Directions for Administration (DFA) reference tests that are no longer administered in our district. LEAs had the option of purchasing the old STAR tests however, we did not elect to do so. The only paper pencil tests students will take are the CST, CMA, and CAPA Science exams. 

• Grade Level Science Materials were delivered yesterday. Secure testing materials (the books and the CAPA Directions for Administration, often referred to as DFAs) need to be inventoried within 24 hours of receipt, here is the online inventory form. These are all secure materials and need to be handled and stored as outlined in the Coordinator Affidavits. 

• PreID Labels will be delivered after testing is completed. Labels are delivered in alphabetical order and answer documents will need to be sorted alphabetically after testing so that labels can be applied. 

• Only students who are testing are allowed to be in the testing rooms. See your rosters for the list of "new home" students that need to be displaced. 

• Students must complete each part in a single setting unless their IEP stipulates breaks within a part.

CAPA

• CAPA Materials need to be delivered to SH teachers right away. They may keep the materials in their classroom overnight until all testing is complete. This is the only exception, all other CST/CMA Test materials need to be collected daily. CAPA teachers must have a signed affidavit uploaded to your Google Drive Folder. 

CMA

• CMA students must be tested in a separate room with only other CMA students. The CMA has three parts. Your testing calendars were built with students taking one part a day (for 3 days) however you are permitted to do two parts in one day. See image 1 below.

• Test examiners will begin reading instructions on the following pages regarding the completion of demographic information on the answer documents:
• CMA Test Examiners must use the CMA DFA. This is easy to mix up with the CST DFA so be sure you don't. See image 2 below.  
• Students will complete the information in box 1. 
• Students will only write in their name in the boxes. They will not bubble their name.
• Grade 10- Page 14 
• Grade 8- Page 13  

• Test examiners will now begin reading instructions for test administration on:
• Grade 10- Page 31 
• Grade 8- Page 27

CST

• Test examiners will begin reading instructions for the completion of demographic information on the following pages: 
• CST Test Examiners must use the CST DFA. This is easy to mix up with the CMA DFA so be sure you don't. See image 2 below.
• Students will complete the information in box 1. They need to include the testing period also. 
• Students will only write in their name in the boxes. They will not bubble their name.
• Grade 5-   Page 12
• Grade 8-   Page 12
• Grade 10- Page 12

• Test examiners will now begin reading instructions for test administration on:
• Grade 5-   Page 33
• Grade 8-   Page 30
• Grade 10- Page 42

Image 1

Image 2

CAASPP Parent Notification and Parental Exemptions

Good afternoon,

As discussed in the CAASPP Coordinator meeting on 3/27/15, the parent notification letters regarding the CAASPP assessments were mailed on Monday and will arrive at homes later this week. All parent opt out requests need to be documented and reported in TOMS (online management system for the CAASPP program).  If you receive requests for exemptions, the following procedures need to be implemented:

• The parent needs to notify the principal in writing of the request. In this request, the parent needs to specify which test they want the student exempted from. This needs to be done annually. 
• The SBAC Coordinator needs to complete the information on this spreadsheet. 
• The SBAC Coordinator needs to upload an electronic copy of the parent letter to this Google Drive Folder. 

Full Link to Regulations

Section Regarding Pupil Exemptions

§ 852. Pupil Exemptions.      (a) Each year the LEA shall notify parents or guardians of their pupil’s participation in the CAASPP assessment system in accordance with Education Code section 60604.      (b) The notification to parents or guardians, as defined in subdivision (a), shall include a notice of the provisions outlined in Education Code section 60615.      (c) A parent or guardian may annually submit to the school a written request to excuse his or her child from any or all parts of any test provided pursuant to Education Code section 60640 for the school year. If a parent or guardian submits an exemption request after testing has begun, any test(s) completed before the request is submitted will be scored and the results reported to the parent or guardian and included in the pupil’s records. An LEA and its employees may discuss the CAASPP assessment system with parents and may inform parents of the availability of exemptions under Education Code section 60615. The LEA and its employees shall not solicit or encourage any written exemption request on behalf of any child or group of children.NOTE: Authority cited: Sections 33031 and 60640, Education Code. Reference: Sections 60604, 60605, 60607, 60612, 60615, 60640 and 60641, Education Code.
 

Interim Assessment Reminders

Please note the following regarding the SBAC Interim Assessments:

Teacher preparation

• Teacher Instruction List- Instructions for teachers on administering the Interim Assessments
• Print this and provide to your teachers
• Emphasize which test they will administer and to avoid the summative category. Remember, a testing irregularity is one click away! See this doc for more details.
• Remind teachers to encourage students to do their best, they will receive real scores!
• Contingency plans- review your list of trained test administrators and arrange for back up proctors for ELA/US History teachers who might be absent on the day of testing. Also, some of you still haven't submitted electronic forms and/or scanned affidavits for your testing teachers and I cannot guarantee they will get their accounts on time. See instructions here. 

Test Security

• Student desks need to be spaced appropriately for a state testing environment. Spaced appropriately means that there are 4 feet between center of desk to center of desk. 
• No electronic device signs are posted in front of the room and both sides of the doors. 
• All staff entering the room needs to have a completed "anyone having access to the test affidavit" on file and scanned into the Google Folder
• The designated Site Coordinator will need to be available by 7:15 on the day of testing to walk classrooms (checking desk spacing and electronic device signs). A district administrator will be on your campus at 7:15 and will walk classrooms with you. 
• During Testing- There is one small difference with the Interim Assessments regarding Test Security. Teachers are allowed and encouraged to offer assistance to students if they are struggling with technology or need clarification on questions. This of course, is not allowed during the summative assessments (starting in April)

Misc

• This is a real test for students and teachers however it is a perfect practice opportunity for testing coordinators. 
• You should take note of logistical challenges that will affect you during the summative testing window. Here are a few ideas: 
• What were common mistakes teachers and students made? How did you or will you address them? 
• What logistical hurdles did you run into? Did field trips, IEP meetings, off campus meetings or anything else affect your ability to coordinate and monitor testing? 
• How did you handle adjusting for absent test proctors? 
• Do adjustments need to be made for students with disabilities? 
• What else did you learn from this experience? 

California Alternate Assessment Information

Information was just recently released regarding the California Alternate Assessments (CAA). I will continue to learn more about this assessment and will train the site coordinators but wanted to share what is currently available. Here are some key details about the CAA: 

• We will begin this testing in early May, after CAPA testing is complete.
• Students in grades 5,8, and 10 will take CAPA in Science (testing in April)
• CAA is required of Students with Severe Cognitive Disabilities (ie CAPA students) in grades 3-8 and Grade 11 in ELA and in Math
• Each test requires a 1:1 administration and takes approximately 30 to 60 min
• Each site has between 6 to 12 students (ie 6 to 24 hours of testing)
• Teachers will need to complete a video training prior to test administration

Additional information can be found on the following page:

California Alternate Assessment Page

Site SBAC Interim Assessment Trainings and EAP Letters

Good morning,


Listed below are three important documents to help you prepare for the upcoming Smarter Balanced Interim and Summative Assessments.

Site Based Training Lesson Plan- The training must be broken up into two separate meetings. The Security and Affidavits must be completed prior to the Test Administrator component. Teachers will not be granted access to the CAASPP Test Administrator portal until they have met with the site administrator, discussed the security affidavit, and the signed/scanned affidavit is received in the Ed Services office. Please post the date and location of your upcoming trainings in the comments box. Please post by Monday March 9th at 5pm. Security Affidavits and the Google Form need to be complete a minimum of 3 days prior to the Test Administrator training.

Training Log (Link viewable only to Tech TOSAs, Principals, and CAASPP Site Coordinators). This document has all of the teachers listed who have attended the trainings at SSC. The Participants by Sites with Names tab will help you identify who has already attended.


Electronic Copy of EAP/CAASPP Letter- This is an electronic copy of the EAP/CAASPP Letter that needs to be distributed to each Junior at least 2 weeks prior to the summative test date. Your friendly district office has printed the letters and grouped them in sets of 38 to make distribution easier for you. Please work with your teachers to ensure that their is an insightful discussion regarding the letter.

Recently Released Resources

Yee hawww! Today is a great day. There have been a few recently released resources for the CAASPP Online Assessments. These are posted below and also on your friendly local district SBAC Site Coordinator Haiku page.

Classroom Activity

Perris Union Assignments- Each student in the specified grade will take the assigned PT and corresponding classroom activity

Actual Classroom Activities

Interim Assessment Directions for Administration

Summative Assessment Directions for Administration

Test Administrator Reference Guide (more of a technical guide for the assessment system)