The Testing Coordinator Connection
April 2022
Important Announcements!
TELPAS AND TELPAS ALTERNATE UPDATE
Based on district feedback, TEA is extending the deadline for entering student ratings and responses into DEI for TELPAS and TELPAS Alternate assessments until 11:59 p.m. (CT) on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. All student ratings and responses for TELPAS and TELPAS Alternate, including paper and braille administrations of TELPAS reading, should be entered into the DEI and verified as complete by that time.
- Districts will also be able to submit score code appeals for TELPAS and TELPAS Alternate assessments through Tuesday, April 5.
- This extension does not apply to TELPAS online assessments. All TELPAS online tests should have been completed by the original April 1st deadline.
April 2022 ENG I and ENG II Checklist
FAQs
Will STAAR demographic data used in accountability be based on how the student is reported in TIDE or will it be based on PEIMS reporting?
- It will be based on how the student is reported in the testing system. The Cambium PEIMS upload will only be used to fill in gaps for data that exists in TIDE. It will not overwrite existing data in TIDE.
Some of the demographic fields in TIDE are not pre-populated with data from our PEIMS upload. Should we update the blanks?
- If any of the demographic fields in TIDE are blank after Cambium completes the scheduled PEIMS update, the District Testing Coordinator should update it with the values that are relevant to the student. Any updates provided in TIDE before the end of the testing window will be included in the accountability file.
Does the transition to online testing mean the elimination of scratch paper for students who need it?
- No. Students testing online are currently allowed to use scratch paper as an accessibility feature, and this policy will continue in the future. In addition, the online testing platform has a robust set of accessibility and accommodation features, including a notepad function that can serve as scratch paper for students.
What materials do I need to return for TELPAS/TELPAS Alternate?
- TELPAS paper materials, which are those materials provided when an approved special administration was submitted, and TELPAS Alternate Observable Behaviors that contain student responses and/or personally identifiable student information are non-scorable materials that would be returned. As responses for TELPAS and TELPAS Alternate paper tests are entered within the DEI, there are no scorable materials to return.
How do I...?
Monitor Test Progress in TIDE
Access a List of Eligible Students by Test Administration
- Districts are able to access a list of eligible students by test administration 90 days prior to the start of testing. In TIDE, go to Monitoring Test Progress > Plan and Manage Testing. Select the test administration from the Test menu. Select the specific test(s) from the Test Name menu. In the Get Specific panel, select the first option for “students who have not started any opportunity in the selected administration.” The results will include all students who are eligible to take the selected test(s) but have not started yet.
View and Track Form Submissions in TIDE
- Districts have the ability to view and track their form submissions in TIDE, including accommodation requests, special administration requests, testing irregularities, and security oaths. Go to Administration and Security Forms > View Forms to check the status of form submissions.
View Old & New Score Codes
- Districts are now able to view the old score code and new score code for any score code change or score code set request previously submitted through TIDE. Go to Appeals/Score Codes > View Requests. Under Request Type, select the Set Score Code or Change Score Code option, and under Request Status, select the Processed option. In the results table, scroll to the right to view the Old Score Code and New Score Code columns.
TELPAS and TELPAS Alternate
April 4th
Preliminary Student Results Available in CRS for TELPAS Alternate
- Results are updated as tests are submitted and scored.
April 5th
Data Entry Interface (DEI) - Extended Deadline
- All student ratings and responses for TELPAS and TELPAS Alternate, including paper and braille administrations of TELPAS reading, should be entered into the DEI and verified as complete.
- Districts will also be able to submit score code appeals for TELPAS and TELPAS Alternate assessments through Tuesday, April 5.
Districts Ship All Scorable TELPAS Materials
- Deadline for districts to ship all answer documents to Pearson for scoring
April 8th
Districts Ship All Nonscorable TELPAS Materials
- Deadline for districts to ship all other testing materials (test booklets, unused answer documents, etc.) to Pearson for reconciliation.
- All test booklets must be returned by this date (April 8th).
STAAR Alternate 2
March 14th - April 29th
STAAR Alternate 2 Preview Window
- Practice reading the script and following the presentation instructions before presenting the test stimulus in front of the student.
- Review the scoring instructions for the 3rd item in each cluster in order to plan the teacher assistance that will be used for each individual student.
- Review the student booklet and image cards to plan and prepare accommodations for students as needed.
- The Preview window is NOT a pre-teach window.
- Any presentation of secure test items or secure test material/information to a student prior to the administration of the test is considered a serious irregularity and should be reported as such.
March 28th - April 29th
STAAR Alternate 2 Assessment Window
- STAAR Alternate 2 Grades 3–8 and EOC Assessments
April 29th
Districts Opt-In for Printed Report Cards and/or Opt-Out of Printed Labels
- Deadline for districts to request printed report cards and/or to decline printed labels in TIDE.
April STAAR EOC
April 5th - April 8th
April STAAR EOC Test Dates
- English I: April 5th (Online & Paper)
- English II: April 7th (Online & Paper)
- All make-up sessions for paper and online STAAR assessments scheduled to be administered April 5 and 7, 2022, must be completed by April 8, 2022.
April 7th
Districts Opt-in for Printed Report Cards and/or Opt-out of Printed Labels
- Deadline for districts to request printed report cards and/or to decline printed labels in TIDE for April STAAR EOC.
April 12th
Districts Ship All Scorable Materials
- Deadline for districts to ship all answer documents to Pearson for scoring
April 14th
Districts Ship All Nonscorable Materials
- Deadline for districts to ship all other testing materials (test booklets, unused answer documents, etc.) to Pearson for reconciliation. All test booklets must be returned by this date.
May STAAR 3-8
April 14th
Campus Coordinator Training Sessions
- Date to complete recommended training sessions for campus coordinators on test security and testing procedures.
April 18th - April 22nd
District Delivery of Initial Order Test Materials
- Window in which districts will receive initial shipment of secure and nonsecure paper test materials, including preprinted preID labels.
April 29th
Test Administrator Training Sessions
- Date to complete recommended training sessions for test administrators on test security and testing procedures.
April 29th - May 3rd
Districts Order Additional Test Materials
- Window for districts to order additional paper test materials not included in the initial order shipment. Districts will use the specific paper administration drop down in TIDE to order additional materials
May STAAR EOC
April 14th
Campus Coordinator Training Sessions
- Date to complete recommended training sessions for campus coordinators on test security and testing procedures.
April 11th - April 15th
District Delivery of Initial Order Test Materials
- Window in which districts will receive initial shipment of secure and nonsecure paper test materials, including preprinted preID labels.
April 29th
Test Administrator Training Sessions
- Date to complete recommended training sessions for test administrators on test security and testing procedures.
April 29th - May 3rd
Districts Order Additional Test Materials
- Window for districts to order additional paper test materials not included in the initial order shipment. Districts will use the specific paper administration drop down in TIDE to order additional materials
TELPAS Resources
How to Use DEI for TELPAS and TELPAS Alternate
- A training video that explains “How to Use Data Entry Interface (DEI) for TELPAS and TELPAS Alternate” is now available in the LMS and on YouTube.
- In addition, the DEI User Guide has been updated to include specific information about how to enter data into DEI for TELPAS) TELPAS Alternate.
System Updates
Setting or Changing Score Codes in Bulk in TIDE
Beginning Monday, March 21, 2022, users will be able to update a set of TSDS IDs or Result IDs in the Appeals Template File to initiate the process of setting or changing score codes in bulk under the Appeals/Score Codes module in TIDE. This feature will allow users to set up or change score codes for multiple students at one time. For instructions on how to set or change score codes in bulk in TIDE, watch this video or refer to the TIDE User Guide.
Exporting Results in the Centralized Reporting System
CRS has been updated to change how users export results, including the following:
- Individual student results files will be limited to three schools per request.
- Requests are limited to a single administration.
- A message will be displayed if a duplicate export request is submitted.
What is TFAR?
The Texas Formative Assessment Resource (TFAR) is an optional online formative assessment tool designed to inform teaching decisions and improve instructional supports. TFAR aligns to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), is available at no cost to districts and open-enrollment charter schools, and is not tied to accountability.
TFAR allows educators to create formative assessments by writing or selecting items from an item bank. Educators will be able to analyze the results of these formative assessments to help inform instructional choices such as making immediate lesson plan adjustments or providing specific interventions for students at the level of individual standards.
TFAR is meant to supplement and support existing district resources and formative assessment practices. Quizzes built using this tool should be combined with a broader set of classroom formative practices that are part of a coherent instructional framework.
TFAR Training Opportunities
Tuesday, March 29
9:30–11:30 a.m. (CT)
Thursday, March 31
2:00–4:00 p.m. (CT)
Tuesday, April 12
9:30–11:30 a.m. (CT)
Thursday, April 14
2:00–4:00 p.m. (CT)
Tuesday, April 19
9:30–11:30 a.m. (CT)
Tuesday, April 26
9:30–11:30 a.m. (CT)
Researching a Possible Replacement for STAAR
TEA pilots a through-year progress monitoring system.
House Bill 3906, enacted by the 86th Texas Legislature in 2019, requires TEA to develop and pilot an innovative, through-year assessment model as a possible replacement for the summative STAAR. A through-year assessment model refers to a progress-monitoring system that provides students multiple opportunities throughout the school year to demonstrate their mastery of the curriculum standards and to contribute to their summative performance level reported at the end of the year.
In response to this legislation, TEA has developed the Texas Through-year Assessment Pilot (TTAP) in collaboration with Texas educators, administrators, students, and families. TTAP will launch in the 2022–23 school year and include three, short testing opportunities—one each in the fall, winter, and spring. During the first year of the pilot, volunteer public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools will test students in grade 5 science, grades 6 and 7 math, and grade 8 social studies.
School districts and charter schools must apply before April 29 to participate in TTAP. Participation in the pilot is not an exemption from participating in the required STAAR tests. TEA has created a TTAP Webpage to provide more information about the pilot.
Advancing to STAAR Online Testing
Resources available to help districts advance their online testing capabilities.
House Bill (HB) 3261, enacted by the 87th Texas Legislature in 2021, requires state summative assessments to be administered fully online by the 2022–23 school year. This transition will require nearly all students to be assessed online, with the exceptions of students who cannot access the online platform.
School districts can test students online with STAAR Interim assessments, and students can take practice tests online to become familiar with the accessibility and accommodation features. However, some districts still need to make advances to be ready. TEA has developed resources to assist districts and has made available the TEA Online Infrastructure Matching Grant to help cover costs of the transition.