REVISED 8/2008
CWCS
uses this testing tool for pre and post testing students each year, which is a
requirement of our school charter as well as dictated by our school’s WASC
Action Plan.
How does it work?
Scantron utilizes a computer-adaptive, Internet-based
model to target the instructional level of each student by altering question
difficulty based on previous answers. As students take the test, it adjusts
automatically to each student's ability level, generating more difficult
questions if the student is answering correctly and easier ones if the student
is answering incorrectly. Once the
test has been completed, the results are immediately available, since the test
is Internet based.
When and
where are our students tested and who does the testing?
The
Scantron pretest is administered to all new
students at Centralized Intake.
Siblings of active students are tested by their ES, who must make
arrangements to have them pretested within 30 days of their enrollment.
All continuing students must be pre
tested in August/September, and post tested in January/February, prior to
STAR.
The
test can be administered in the student’s home, if the parent has internet
access, or at a library or other public place. Some problems associated with
testing in student homes or public places are listed under Scantron Special Situations.
The log-in information is confidential and should not be given to the parent as it will corrupt the security
of the test.
Proctoring
is also available, periodically, at the CWCS Learning Centers,
but you must call to make an appointment. Your ES group, if in an outlying
geographic area, may have set up proctoring sessions; consult with your AF
for more information. (If a Scantron appointment is made, and the appointment
is missed without giving 24 hour notice or explanation of an emergency, a
$50 deduction per student will be made from the instructional funds. Please
forewarn your parents. If a student misses a Scantron appointment, please
complete the Missed
Appointment form and fax or mail it to Sherri Nelson in the Waterford
Office to have the funding removed from their IF. When you schedule these
appointments, be sure to tell the parent that if they miss the appointment
without giving the proctor/teacher prior notification (within 24 hours), they
will have the funding removed from their IF. The second time Scantron is missed,
it will be considered a truancy.
There
must be at least 12 calendar weeks between the pre and the post test.
Some students, who enroll later in the year, may not be able to complete the
post test before STAR due to this requirement, and may have to take the post
test at a later date.
How do we handle testing details?
**
ES log-in information and passwords are located on the ES detail screen in WEBfiles (view-ES detail). If the information is not
present, ask your ES advisor for help.
**
Please check your Scantron list of students before
scheduling to test a student. If the student is not on your Scantron list, e-mail cwtestclerk@connectingwaters.org
at least one week before your testing appointment to have them added.
**
Explain to the students that they are not expected to know everything that comes up on the screen. Make sure that the student has completed each test or results may not be recorded
on the Scantron database and if too much time has passed, they may have to
retake the entire test. (See Scantron
Special Situations.)
What should I do if my student
misses a Scantron proctor appointment?
**
If an appointment is made with a proctor, and the appointment is missed without
giving 24 hour notice or explanation of an emergency, a $50 deduction per
student will be made from the instructional funds. Please forewarn your parents.
If a student misses a Scantron appointment, please complete the Missed
Appointment form and fax or mail it to Sherri Nelson in the Waterford
Office to have the funding removed from their IF. When you schedule these
appointments, be sure to tell the parent that if they miss the appointment
without giving the proctor/teacher prior notification (within 24 hours), they
will have the funding removed from their IF. The second time Scantron is missed,
it will be considered a truancy.
Are the tests timed? How long does the test take? How many test
items does each student receive?
Students should be allowed as much time as needed
to take the test. Each subject area test
takes an average of one hour to complete. However, if a student's ability level is
significantly different than their assigned grade level, the test may take
longer.
Scantron
Corporation recommends reserving two periods for testing time. Students
may stop in the middle of a test, return within 2 weeks to complete it
and resume testing at exactly the same spot where they left off. After two weeks, however, the test will be
spoiled and they will need to start over again.
There
is not a set number of questions. The average number of questions in a testing
session is about 50.
Can the students use scratch paper for
math?
The students can and
should have a pencil and scratch paper available for their use.
Is
customer support available?
Yes, customer
support is available from 6:00am-4:30pm PST at 1-800-445-3141. Customer support
is also available by e-mail at support@scantron.com.