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Test Administration: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which subjects will be tested in 2011?
Tests marked with an "X" are available to students who are taking the grade-level test. These tests are in the grade-level test booklet. Please note that the CSTs are required for all students except when the student's individualized education program (IEP) requires that the student take the CMA in one or all subjects at that grade level or the IEP designates that the student take the CAPA. Spanish-speaking English learners are required to take the STS in addition to the grade-level CSTs or CMA.
When is Pre-ID due? The due date for Pre-ID depends on your test administration dates. Use the Test Administration Summary feature in the STAR Management System's Pre-ID module to view your district's specific Pre-ID due dates. What happens if a student's data were not included in the original Pre-ID submission? The district may either hand-mark the demographic data on the student's test booklet or answer document or place an order for supplemental/late labels by submitting an additional file or files with new student data. There is an extra fee for supplemental/late labels. How long should a school district keep records of its schools' administrative errors? School districts determine the length of time that records should be kept. It is advisable to keep testing records until the December following the test administration in case the district is asked to investigate a possible irregularity. Districts may wish to consult with their legal counsel to determine the district's policy regarding this issue. Must the district STAR coordinator take inventory of the overages received by the district? Yes. The district STAR coordinator is responsible for the security of all district testing materials and must account for all materials before they are returned for scoring. Will I be charged for over-ordering materials? If so, how are these charges calculated? Yes. The calculation is based on the value of the materials ordered and the value of the materials used for the entire district. School and district overages are not factored into the value of the materials ordered. A charge is made if [Value of materials ordered] minus [Value of materials used] is 10 percent or greater than the [Value of materials ordered]. Invoices are typically sent out in December of the testing year. How should I estimate my initial test material order to avoid being charged for over-ordering if my school district has a highly transient population? Use the counts of materials used in the previous year to assist in estimating the number of test booklets needed to make your district's initial order in December. Err on the low side; you will be able to place a supplemental order for materials closer to your testing date. Materials ordered supplementally are counted in the school district's total order; over-ordering charges could apply if [Value of materials ordered] minus [Value of materials used] is 10 percent or greater than the [Value of materials ordered]. What should a school district do with nonsecure, nonscorable materials? Nonsecure, nonscorable materials include science reference sheets; rulers; nonsecure Directions for Administration (DFAs) for grades three through eleven; unused, blank answer documents for grades four through eleven; unused Pre-ID answer documents; CAPA stimulus cards; and so forth. While the STAR Processing Center will accept the return of these materials, districts are asked to dispose of them. Students or teachers may keep and reuse rulers, science reference sheets, and CAPA stimulus cards. Pre-ID answer documents for students who moved before testing or that have incorrect demographic information and other blank answer documents should be disposed of securely. Scratch paper, which is considered a secure, nonscorable material, should be securely destroyed. If translation services cannot be provided for all English learners, should services be provided only to students for whose language a translator is available? Yes. The following is stated in Title 5 Regulations Section 853.5(f) and 853.5(f)(3): (f) School districts shall provide identified English learner pupils the following testing variations if regularly used in the classroom or for assessment: If a student took a STAR Program test at another school, may the student take the same test at his or her current school? If the student took a STAR Program test at another school and was enrolled in his or her current school on the first day of testing, the current school may administer the same test to the student and should make no marks in Section A2, "Special Conditions," on the answer document. If the school does not test the student, the school should mark "T" in Section A2. Do the testing windows for the CMA, CAPA, and STS differ from the testing window for the CSTs? No, the testing windows do not differ; all the tests in the STAR Program are administered within the same testing window. |
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